Culture8 min read
Harry Potter Baby Names That Actually Work in 2026
Hermione, Luna, Lily and Arthur owe part of their modern popularity to the books. Which Potter names still work in 2026, and which are now too marked.
26 April 2026
Naming Trends
The Rising Baby Name Trends of 2026
20 January 2026|7 min read
Culture7 min read
German Baby Names: Strong, Crisp, and Quietly Returning
German names have spent a generation out of fashion. Now Maximilian, Greta and Otto are leading a quiet revival shaped by a clear sound and serious roots.
25 April 2026
Meaning7 min read
The Quiet Comeback of Baby Names That Mean Joy
Joy-meaning names are rising as parents look for warmth without cliché. A look at the most resonant picks and why they land in 2026.
24 April 2026
Naming Trends7 min read
Baby Names That Were Number One the Longest
Mary held the top spot for decades. Michael and John each had remarkable runs. Here is what it takes for a name to stay dominant.
22 April 2026
Naming Trends7 min read
Names Popular in Every Decade Since 1900
Most names come and go. A small handful have quietly stayed in the top tier through every decade of the last century.
22 April 2026
Naming Trends7 min read
The Most Popular Middle Names
Middle names follow their own rules. They are chosen for meaning, rhythm, and honour more than fashion. Here is what the data shows.
22 April 2026
Naming Trends7 min read
Baby Names Only Popular in One Country
Every country has names that feel nowhere else in the world. Here is a tour of names that never quite travel, and why.
22 April 2026
Naming Trends8 min read
How Boys' and Girls' Naming Has Diverged Over 200 Years
Two centuries of naming data show boys' and girls' naming moving in very different patterns. Here is what the long arc shows.
22 April 2026
Naming Trends7 min read
1970s Baby Names: are they due a comeback?
The seventies brought us Jennifer, Heather, and Jason. Fifty years on, which of them are ready for revival, and which are not?
21 April 2026
Naming Trends7 min read
1990s Baby Names and Millennial Nostalgia
Sarah, Ashley, Brandon, Tyler. The 1990s produced a tight cluster of names millennials now carry with mixed feelings.
21 April 2026
Naming Trends8 min read
Wartime Baby Names: how WWI and WWII changed naming
The two world wars reshaped baby naming in the UK and across the English-speaking world. Patriotic choices, commemorative names, and shifts driven by loss.
21 April 2026
Naming Trends7 min read
Beautiful Names Lost to History
Euphemia, Thurston, Morwenna. A tour of names that were once common and now sit forgotten, waiting for a curious parent.
21 April 2026
Psychology6 min read
Analysis Paralysis
At some point the baby will arrive whether you have chosen a name or not. Here is how to break through the paralysis and actually decide.
20 April 2026
Psychology6 min read
The Nostalgia Bias
The names you find most beautiful are often from the moment of your own childhood. Here is the psychology of naming nostalgia, and its pitfalls.
20 April 2026
Psychology7 min read
Social Media and Naming Pressure
Instagram has quietly changed baby naming, pushing parents towards names that photograph well. Here is how to see the pressure and step around it.
20 April 2026
Naming Trends7 min read
1920s Baby Names Returning a Century Later
The naming cycle runs at about a hundred years, and the 1920s are right on schedule. Here are the jazz-age names making a quiet return.
20 April 2026
Psychology7 min read
Names and Identity
How much does a name shape the person who carries it? The research is surprisingly ambivalent, but the relationship is real.
18 April 2026
Psychology7 min read
Why We Judge Baby Names
Everyone has opinions about other people's baby names, usually strong ones. Here is the psychology behind the reflex, and why it runs deep.
18 April 2026
Psychology7 min read
When You Love a Name That's Your Partner's Ex
You love the name. Your partner freezes when you say it. It was an ex. Here is how to navigate what is genuinely a difficult situation.
18 April 2026
Psychology8 min read
Does Your Name Affect Your Career?
Research says yes, but the effect is smaller and more specific than parents often fear. Here is what the evidence actually shows.
17 April 2026
Psychology7 min read
Why Naming Your Second Child Is Harder
The first name took six months. The second somehow takes nine and feels twice as hard. Here is the psychology behind it.
17 April 2026
Psychology7 min read
Decision Fatigue and Baby Names
Choosing a baby name is the largest decision of its kind most people ever make. Here is why it feels exhausting, and how to manage it.
16 April 2026
Psychology6 min read
The Anchoring Effect
The first name you hear in any conversation sets a reference point. Here is how anchoring shapes baby-name decisions and how to counter it.
16 April 2026
Culture7 min read
Turkish Baby Names
Turkish names often mean exactly what they say. From Deniz (sea) to Güneş (sun), they are direct, poetic, and unforgettable.
15 April 2026