If you’re expecting, choosing a name for your little bundle of joy IS a big deal.
Your chosen name will be their identity and be with them for life – no wonder we put way too much pressure on ourselves – but it doesn’t need to be as daunting as it sounds!
You can have so much fun when searching for the perfect name; even pairing several names together, rhyming off what works and what doesn’t, it’s all part of your mother and baby journey.
As we approach Spring – finally! – retailer ‘Kiddies Kingdom’ have revealed the most popular names inspiring mums to be.
Spring invites new life and nature and this is reflected in the baby names that are attracting new parents.
Continuing the spring theme, Ava, Ivy and Lily have come out on top for baby girls.
While Adam, Riley and Stanley are the most popular amongst the selection of boy’s names.
UK data from the 'Office of National Statistics' released the number of children born with those names whick ‘Kiddies Kingdom’ then ranked by order of popularity.
The top 10 Spring-inspired girls’ names are:
- Ava
- Ivy
- Lily
- Rosie
- Willow
- Florence
- Poppy
- Daisy
- Chloe
- Violet
Ava
The name Ava has a few origin meanings, with one thought to originate from the Latin word ‘avis,’ meaning ‘bird,’ which has strong connections to Springtime nature.
Ivy
A botanical name relating to the climbing vine plant, Ivy is of English origin and is derived from the name of the ivy plant.
Lily
The blooming of flowers marks the end of winter, and so floral themed names are ideal for Spring born babies. The meaning of the name Lily is a direct influence of the lily flower.
Rosie
Another popular name linked with flowers, Rosie has English origins and means ‘rose’. Rosie is also a diminutive form of the name Rose.
Willow
Associated with nature, the name Willow is of English origin and means ‘willow tree’.
Florence
The name Florence is of Latin origin and means ‘flourishing,’ which radiates a floral feeling of the blooming flowers of Spring.
Poppy
Sharing a name with a popular flower, the name Poppy is of Latin origin and means ‘red flower’.
Daisy
Another name originating from a flower, Daisy is of English origin and means ‘day's eye’ which reflects the way the flower opens in the day and closes at night.
Chloe
The name Chloe is of Greek origin and means ‘young green shoot.’ The name Chloe also appeared in Greek mythology as an alternative name for the goddess of agriculture and fertility.
Violet
Rounding off the top ten is another flower name, Violet, which has Latin origins meaning ‘purple,’ the colour of the flower’s petals.
MORE: Parenting: Seven tips to stop maternity leave feeling like Groundhog Day (femalefirst.co.uk)
The top 10 Spring-inspired boys’ names are:
- Adam
- Riley
- Stanley
- Sonny
- Oakley
- Harley
- Maxwell
- River
- Sidney
- Xavier
Adam
Topping the list for Spring-inspired boys names is Adam. The name has Hebrew origins and means ‘son of the red earth’, which comes from the word 'adamah', meaning 'earth'.
Riley
The name Riley originated as both an English and an Irish surname which has two meanings, one of which is ‘wood clearing/meadow'.
Stanley
Another name associated with the outdoors is Stanley, with English origins it means ‘stony clearing/meadow’.
Sonny
As the weather gets warmer in the Spring, the name Sonny represents sunshine and the change in weather.
Oakley
The name Oakley is of English origin and means ‘oak wood or clearing’, with strong connotations to oak trees.
Harley
The name Harley also has associations with nature, with an English origin that means ‘hare clearing/meadow’.
Maxwell
Another name associated with the great outdoors is Maxwell which is of Scottish origin and means ‘great stream’.
River
A name originating directly from nature, River is originated from the body of flowing water.
Sidney
The name Sidney has both French and English origins, with the English origin of the name meaning ‘riverside meadow’.
Xavier
The final boy’s name in the list is Xavier which is of Arabic, Basque origin and means ‘new house’ which ties to the newness of the Springtime.
‘Kiddie Kingdom’ carried out the findings for baby names using England and Wales: 2020 data from the Office for National Statistics to find the number of children born with those names in 2020, and ranked them by order of popularity.
Written by Laura, who you can follow on Twitter at Laura Cummins (@LauraJadeC20) / Twitter
Tagged in Parenting Mother Baby Mums baby names