It’s one of the most difficult decisions a new parent can make – what shall we call our baby?
Now, a huge analysis has revealed that names associated with intelligence are dying out, while those linked to beauty, elegance or strength are on the up.
The study, carried out by The Economist, scrutinised the names of nearly 400 million infants born in Britain and the US over the last 143 years.
Researchers used a large language model – the type of AI that powers the likes of ChatGPT – for their analysis.
They fed it with an enormous amount of text taken from the internet and asked it to identify the five most common terms linked with each name.
Olivia – the most popular name for baby girls in England and Wales in 2023 – was associated with ‘elegance’, ‘grace’, ‘intelligence’, ‘creativity’ and ‘warmth’.
Meanwhile Muhammed, the most popular name for boys, was linked to ‘prophet’, ‘revered’, ‘leader’, ‘respected’ and ‘blessed’.
So, is your name at risk of extinction? Use our tool below to find out.
Agreeing on a baby name can be one of the most difficult decisions a new parent can make – and trends are changing all the time
Names linked to intelligence, such as William, have become less popular in recent years (pictured: Prince William)
In recent years, more than half of British boys – 55 per cent – have been given names associated with being powerful.
However names linked to intelligence, which include William and Ada, have become less popular in the last 25 years.
During this period names linked to ‘beauty’, such as Freya and Willow, have seen a boost, with around three in 10 babies now being given one.
Names associated with wealth, which include Otto and Solomon, are also on the rise.
Top 10 baby names for girls and their associations
Olivia – elegance, grace, intelligence, creativity, warmth
Amelia – strength, elegance, intelligence, independence, creativity
Isla – Scottish heritage, island, nature, elegance, modern
Names like Willow – with links to ‘beauty’ – have seen a boost in recent years (pictured: Willow Smith)
Lily – purity, beauty, innocence, elegance, renewal
Freya – Norse mythology, goddess of love, beauty, fertility, strength
Ava – graceful, timeless, elegant, strong, sophisticated
Ivy – nature, elegance, growth, resilience, tradition
Florence – art, history, culture, elegance, renaissance
Willow – gracefulness, flexibility, resilience, tranquility, natural beauty
Isabella – elegant, classic, romantic, sophisticated, timeless
Top 10 baby names for boys and their associations
Compared to a decade ago, the name Margot has risen 681 places to the 44th most popular name for girls (pictured: Margot Robbie)
Muhammad – prophet, revered, leader, respected, blessed
Noah – biblical, strong, wise, peaceful, enduring
Oliver – noble, kind, intelligent, adventurous, charming
George – classic, strong, traditional, royal, reliable
Leo – lion, strength, leadership, courage, zodiac sign
Arthur – king, noble, legendary, heroic, wise
Luca – Italian origin, light, bringer of light, modern, artistic
Theodore – gift of God, wise, strong, noble, classic
More babies were named Cillian in 2023 compared to 2022 – a possible reflection of the popularity of the film Oppenheimer (pictured: Cillian Murphy)
Oscar – academy awards, prestige, excellence, classic, timeless
Henry – regal, traditional, strong, intelligent, dependable
Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that popular names for boys during the 90s – such as Matthew and Ryan – are going out of fashion.
Both of these names are associated with being intelligent.
Similarly for girls, once-common names like Lauren, Hannah, Rebecca, Amy and Megan have plunged out of the top 100.
Of these, Lauren, Rebecca, Amy and Megan are linked to intelligence.
Analysis of trends reveals a rise in the number of parents choosing names like Margot and Cillian, in a trend thought to be inspired by the ‘Barbenheimer’ phenomenom.
This saw fans flock to cinemas last summer to watch Margot Robbie in Barbie and Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer.
New entries to top 100 baby names with associations
Hazel – nature, warmth, vintage, elegance, earthiness
Lilah – delicate, graceful, mysterious, elegant, poetic
Autumn – seasonal, warm, harvest, change, cozy
Nevaeh – heaven, modern, unique, spiritual, trendy
Raya – graceful, radiant, strong, regal, joyful
Jax – modern, strong, edgy, trendy, masculine
Enzo – Italian heritage, strength, leadership, creativity, sophistication
The ONS also pointed to a ‘continued increase’ in parents opting for names of the reality TV Kardashian-Jenner family such as Reign, Saint and Stormi in favour of traditional Royal monikers.
There was also a surge in hyphenated girls’ names.
New entries to the top 100 baby names include Hazel, Lilah, Autumn, Nevaeh and Raya for girls, as well as Jax, Enzo and Bodhi for boys.
Of the top 100 names given to boys, Bodhi saw the highest one-year leap. It jumped from 637th to 100th.
According to the new research, this name is linked to enlightenment, wisdom, awakening, spiritual growth and inner peace.
Amongst the least popular names in 2023 for boys were Zoe, Zlatan, Teddy-Blu and Oakley-Jack – each with three instances.
For girls, Wealth, Nyx and Lady ranked among the least popular names.