The World’s Most Beautiful Sounding Names, According To Science
There are a number of different ways we can name our newborns, from generations of passed down monikers, to celebrity-inspired trending names. Visit for more information Charming Name For Babby
However, the names which sound best to our ears (and minds) are often the ones which get picked as the chosen name for our new arrivals.
Here at My 1st Years, we think every name is beautiful – but what does the science say?
Principles of linguistics such as iconicity (or ‘sound symbolism’) and the research emerging from this field reveals that some words – and therefore names – sound better than others.
Though these findings aren’t universal, there is a wealth of research out there to support that meaningful associations with names are shared across languages around the world.
So which of the world’s most popular baby names sound the most beautiful when spoken aloud?
We’ve partnered with Dr Bodo Winter, Associate Professor of Cognitive Linguistics at the University of Birmingham to find out, and have analysed hundreds of popular baby names to reveal the most beautiful sounding names from both here in the UK and in the US.
In the UK it was Zayn which topped the list as the most beautiful sounding boys’ name.
The name was popularised in the UK over a decade ago, thanks to One Direction member Zayn Malik.
Following very closely behind to complete the top three were popular boys’ names including Jesse and Charlie.
Our study also revealed that the names of the country’s male royal family members are considered to be some of the most beautiful sounding in the world, with Louie, William and George all ranking in the top ten, in positions four, five and seven respectively.
Harry narrowly misses the top ten, ranking in 17th spot as the most beautiful sounding boys’ name in the UK.
When it comes to popular girls’ names, it was Sophia, Zoe and Rosie which topped the list of most beautiful sounding.
Other names ending in the sound ‘ee’, including Sophie, Ivy and Phoebe ranked in positions four to six.
It seems that celebrity children can also act as a reliable source of inspiration, with names including Ivy (similar to that of Beyonce’s child Blue Ivy) and Willow (the same name of Will Smith’s daughter) ranking in our top ten.
Hannah, which is not only lovely according to principles of linguistics, but is also a palindrome, and Ellie complete the top ten best sounding girls baby names in the nation.
Over in the US, the most popular baby names differ slightly, however Sophia remains a firm favourite (and the most beautiful sounding) across the Atlantic. Derived in Greece in the fourth century the name means ‘wisdom’.
Other girls’ names which prove both popular and a treat for the ears, included Zoe, Everly, Sophie and Ivy.
Names beginning with an ‘E’ proved particularly nice sounding for those in the US, with Ellie, Emily, Evelyn, Eva and Elena ranking in spots nine to thirteen.
Shrubbery-inspired names also ranked highly, with Ivy, Lily, and Violet all placing in the top 25.
When it comes to boys in the states, it was Matthew which ranked top of our lists.
Literally meaning “gift of God” the name also scored highly in the analysis of our linguist, with the name having many positive connotations associated with it when spoken aloud. Julian, William, Isaiah and Leo completed the top five most beautiful sounding boys’ names in the US.
Dr Bodo Winter explains: “There are a lot of things that affect name choice, and several of these have been explored in research. For example, research by Stephanie Shih shows that parents try to avoid choosing first names that would clash with their family names.”
“If your family name starts with ‘S’, such as Scott, Smith, Saunders, or Sullivan, it may be advisable not to have a first name that ends in ‘s’, such as Marcus, Charles, or Nicolas – because the two ‘s’ sounds will blend into each other. Shih’s research has used data from Facebook account names to show that there is indeed a small tendency for parents to prefer name022.
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