Archive

Youthful, elegant and huge in Argentina, Julian is the smart shortlist name most people forget.

Irish, warm and wonderfully spirited, Aiden gives a small person a great deal to live up to.

Young warrior or well-born, four letters long, and it never needs shortening.

Greek for venerable, top five in Mexico City, and the most elegant name on most shortlists.

Old English, literally son of Jack, and now one of the coolest names on the register.

A patriarch's name that somehow became the friendliest boy in the class.

Strong, safe, firm: three words most new parents would happily settle for at 4am.

Who is like God? Nobody, says Michael, and then gets on with being brilliant at everything.

Latin, lyrical and quietly everywhere, Liliana is the lily that learned to sing.

Top ten in America, top forty here, and secretly meaning something rather cheeky.

Three even syllables from Sanskrit, with a meaning that manages to be both eternal and calm.

Short, ancient and effortlessly international, Eva is the small name with the enormous meaning.

Five letters, one perfect meaning, and a passport stamped in nearly every country going.

Ancient, Hebrew, and so thoroughly familiar that most people forget how regal it actually is.

Number two in Argentina, top ten in Catalonia, and it means gift of God.

Greek in origin, holy in meaning, and rising quietly on eight different charts at once.

An Irish name meaning resolute protector that quietly became the most popular boy's name in the Americas.

Number three in Brazil, number nine in France, and still perfectly at home on a British birth certificate.

Latin, crisp and cheerfully optimistic, Felix hands your child a bit of good fortune on day one.

Sanskrit, four letters, and a meaning that shifts depending on which thread you pull.

Brisk, continental and quietly clever, Hugo is the boy's name that gets straight to the point.

Greek for shining light, luminous, well-travelled and effortlessly elegant.

A French pet form that stopped being a nickname and became a top-twenty name across four continents.

Hebrew for 'God has answered', melodic, hopeful and steadily on the rise.

Top ten in England and Wales, fiercely Old Norse in meaning, and somehow still the cosiest name going.

Latin for rival or industrious, the same spirited old name, dressed in something a little grander.

Grand, warm and endlessly shortenable, the four-syllable name that still feels approachable.

Latin for dawn, luminous, romantic and quietly rising all over the world.

Sun-warmed, effortless and rocketing up the charts, the name that fits in absolutely everywhere.

Arabic for night, dark, lyrical and climbing shortlists from America to Australia.

Irish, effortlessly cool and quietly regal, a name that has aged far better than most of its era.

Latin at heart, meaning rival or industrious, softer than it sounds, and quietly everywhere.

An old Hebrew name with a loyal streak, a rugged edge and a surprisingly playful meaning.

Spanish for wisdom, Greek at the root, and sitting at number one in more than one country.

Hebrew, heartfelt and quietly global, the name that means the heavens but shortens to a cuddle.

An ancient Hebrew classic that has crowned queens and quietly spawned a small army of nicknames.

Hebrew for he will laugh, Isaac pairs a joyful meaning with a strikingly clever crowd of namesakes.

Latin for the moon, soft, celestial and rising fast on shortlists right across the world.

Number one in France and meaning God is my strength, Gabriel is mighty, melodic and gently celestial.

A French-touched, ancient Hebrew name that translates, rather wonderfully, to 'my father is joy'.

French for lion, adored across Europe, and three sunny letters that need no nickname, this is Leo.

Vintage, soft-edged and quietly back in fashion, a name with two charming meanings and a cosy heart.

Hebrew for God has heard, Samuel is the steady, heartfelt classic that somehow never feels dated.

Lyrical, devoted and delightfully flexible, a four-syllable classic with a nickname for every mood.

Rising fast and meaning joined or attached, Levi is a small, warm name all about belonging.

Vintage, industrious and impossibly charming, a name that rolls up its sleeves and still looks elegant.

Ancient, principled and never out of fashion, Daniel means God is my judge, and quietly works in almost any language.

Ancient, elegant and endlessly popular, a Greek classic that has never once looked dated.

Greek for defender of men, roomy enough to grow into, and armed with a nickname for every mood, meet Alexander.

Number one across the English-speaking world, yet somehow still soft, sunlit and unshowy.

Latin for bringer of light, top-ten across continents, and effortlessly timeless, say hello to Lucas.

Argentina's number one boy's name means son of the right hand, warm, worldly and blessed with three nicknames.

Norman French, top-three across the English-speaking world, and torn between olive tree and elf warrior, meet Oliver.

Ancient, calming and currently number one across half the planet. Meet Noah.

Not for the faint-hearted: a sharp, spiky English original worn by comedians and film-makers alike. Meet Spike.

Latin to its bones, worn by presidents and scholars, and quietly climbing across the world. Meet Roman.