The Most Popular Names in the World. How Many of Them Are Greek

Research conducted in England has shown that “Wisdom” (Sophia) and “Life” (Zoya) are the most beautiful and pleasant names you can give your child.

There are several different ways to determine what name to give a newborn. From the names of grandparents and relatives to people we admire. What does science say about it? Principles of linguistics such as iconicity (or “sound symbolism”) and the research that has emerged in this field show that some words – and therefore names – sound better than others.

Of course, these results aren't universal, as there's plenty of research showing that meaningful associations with names are common across languages ​​around the world. But which of the world's most popular baby names sound best when spoken out loud?

The site is a collaboration with Dr Bodo Winter, Associate Professor of Cognitive Linguistics at the University of Birmingham, analyzed hundreds of popular baby namesto identify the most beautiful names in the UK and the USA.

In the UK, Zayn topped the list of the most beautiful names for boys. The name became popular in the UK ten years ago, thanks to One Direction member Zayn Malik. Rounding out the top three most popular names for boys were Jesse and Charlie (Jesse και Charlie).

The survey also found that The names of male members of the British royal family are considered to be among the most beautiful in the worldwhile Louis, William and George made the top 10, finishing fourth, fifth and seventh respectively. Harry narrowly missed out on the top tenranking 17th among the most beautiful names for boys in the UK.

By popular female names Zoya was the first to follow Sofia, and Rosie was the third.They were in charge list of the most beautiful sounding names. Other names ending in the “i” sound, including Ivy and Phoebe, make the top five.

United Kingdom.
Position – Boys – Girls

1. Zayn – Sofia
2. Jessie – Zoe
3. Charlie – Rosie
4. Louis – Sophie
5. William – Ivy
6. Freddie – Phoebe
7. George – Purple
8. Ali – Iva
9. Daniel – Hannah
10. Riley – Ellie
11. Omar – Emily
12. Arthur – Evelyn
13. Rowan – Rose
14. Leo – Eliza
15. Joseph – Eva
16. Theo – Chloe
17. Harry – Penelope
18. Noah – Lucy
19. Toby – Ruby
20. Jude – Lily
21. Isaac – Olivia
22. Teddy – Emma
23. Samuel – Eleanor
24. James – Bella
25. Elijah – Luna
26. Luke – Ella
27. Edward – Thea
28. Logan – Nancy
29. Riley – Isabella
30. Max – Maya
31. Liam – Amber
32. Roman – Daisy
33. Ryan – Amelia
34. Jack – Anna
35. Benjamin – Georgia
36. Lucas – Charlotte
37. Henry – Elizabeth
38. Finn – Maria
39. Jacob – Iris
40. Mason – Aurora
41. Nathan – Jasmine
42. Alex – Alice
43. Alexander – Eden
44. Theodore – Jessica
45. Adam – Aria
46. David – Harper
47. Hunter – Sienna
48. Muhammad – Grace
49. Sebastian – Ada
50. Dylan – Erin.

In the United States, the most popular baby names vary slightly, but Greek Sofia remains a firm favourite (and cutest to the ear) across the Atlantic. Flower-inspired names also ranked highly: Ivy, Lily and Violet made it into the top 25. As for boys in the States, Matthew topped the list. Julian, William, Isaiah and Leo are among the top five most beautiful names for boys in the USA.

Position – Boys – Girls

1. Mateo – Sofia
2. Julian – Zoe
3. William – Everly
4. Isaiah – Sophie
5. Leo – Riley
6. Levi – Risley
7. Joseph – Paisley
8. Theo – Willow
9. Isaac – Ellie
10. Samuel – Emily
11. Miles – Evelyn
12. James – Eva
13. Elijah – Elena
14. Luke – Chloe
15. Noah – Nova
16. Santiago – Penelope
17. Owen – Lucy
18. Logan – Lily
19. Liam – Olivia
20. Roman – Naomi
21. Ryan – Emma
22. Cooper – Natalie
23. Jack – Sofia
24. Maverick – Eleanor
25. Anthony – Violetta
26. Ezekiel – Bella
27. Carter – Moon
28. Benjamin – Ella
29. Lucas – Victoria
30. Henry – Isabella
31. Jacob – Maya
32. Lincoln – Natalia
33. Mason – Amelia
34. Nathan – Savannah
35. Usher – Charlotte
36. Jackson – Stella
37. Andrew – Hazel
38. Cameron – Athena
39. Alexander – Maria
40. Theodore – Autumn
41. Adam – Kennedy
42. Gabriel – Aurora
43. Kingston – Alice
44. Daniel – Aria
45. David – Harper
46. Hunter–Serenity
47. Dylan – Nora
48. Muhammad – Grace
49. Sebastian – Elizabeth
50. Adrian – Hannah.

So how? principles of linguistics can influence the names we choose for our children? Dr. Bodo Winter explains: “There are many factors that influence the choice of a name, and many of them have been studied.For example, Stephanie Shi's research shows that parents often choose names that match their family name.”

If your last name starts with an “S” like Scott, Smith, Saunders, or Sullivan, it might be a good idea not to have a first name that ends in “s” like Marcus, Charles, or Nicholas because there are two “s” sounds.

Shi's study used data from names Facebook accounts to show that there is indeed a slight tendency for parents to prefer names without the “s” when their last name begins with the letter “s.” Dr. Winter continues: “In another recent paper, Berger and his colleagues found a surprising result, using over 100 years of name data“.

It has been found that during major hurricanes in the US, the next generation of children are more likely to have similar names, such as Katie after Hurricane Katrina.

“At first glance this seems surprising: of course, no one would want to name their child after natural disaster! But when a particularly dangerous typhoon wreaks havoc on a country, the typhoon's name will be mentioned again and again in the media.

This means that we are exposed to the same sounds more often, and we know from psychological research that we tend to like things that are more familiar to us more, a phenomenon known as “mere exposure.” As a result, the speech sounds contained in hurricane names are actually more likely to appear in the next generation of hurricane names, even if they are not full hurricane names!” the expert says.

While research shows that some baby names sound better than others, there are many factors that influence whether How beautiful a name can sound – from cultural influences to gender and family history.

Dr. Bodo Winter comments: “Using Adelman et al.'s (2018) fascinating study of sound symbolization as a starting point, we ranked a number of the most popular baby names in the worldNames that rank higher evoke the most positive emotions when spoken out loud, and are therefore likely to sound more beautiful to the human ear.“.

Gareth Chadwick, Head of Marketing at My 1st Years, adds: “Choosing a name for our newborns can sometimes be quite difficult if it is not decided before their birth.. Whether it's choosing the correct spelling or the idea of what nicknames will children get when they grow up– there is something to think about before signing a birth certificate.”

In any case, no matter what name someone gives their baby, the main thing is that he is healthy and happy…

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