Popular baby name meanings
Aside from labour (shudder), picking your baby’s name is possibly one of the toughest things you have to do! Chances are you’ll go round in circles trying to find a name that you and your partner can both agree on. Once your baby is in your arms, though, you’ll know if the name fits.
Every name has a meaning and an origin, so to help you on your name choosing journey, we have looked at three popular girls and boys names a little closer!
Boys
Jack:
Meaning: God is gracious Origin: English
Jack originally derived from Jackin and dates back to the medieval times as a diminutive of John. Jack is considered to be an independent name and, as it was so commonly used during the middle ages, it actually became slang for the term ‘man’. With the name used frequently in popular culture, such as “Jack in the Beanstalk”, “Little Jack Horner” and “Jack Spratt”, Jack has been a top ten name in the English speaking world for the best part of a decade.
Charlie:
Meaning: free man Origin: English
A name used for both sexes, Charlie is mostly known as a male name. The shortened version Charlie has seen its popularity soar over the past ten years, with more parents opting to put “Charlie” on birth certificates instead of Charles.
Derived from Charles, a name from German origins, Charlie means “free man” – so be aware, your Charlie might be destined to be a little terror!
Alfie:
Meaning: wise counsellor Origin: English
Whilst popular in the UK, Alfie is considered to be a trendy nickname and so hasn’t really kicked off over the pond. Diminutive of Archibald, Archie has a hint of playboy about him thanks to the film of the same name (1966 and remade in 2004) starring Michael Caine and Jude Law respectively.
Girls
Emma:
Meaning: universal Origin: German
A name famed for its royal connections, Emma has German origins and officially came to England by Emma of Normandy. Emma is a name that is widely considered by many to be romantic, streamlined, pretty and yet modern.
Charlotte:
Meaning: free man Origin: French – diminutive of Charles
After the most recent addition to the royal family, Charlotte is bound to be top of a lot of expecting parent’s lists! With a deep set royal connection long before the birth of The Princess of Cambridge, Charlotte is a classic name in literature, dating back hundreds of years.
Jessica:
Meaning: wealthy Origin: Hebrew
Many would say that the popularity of Jessica has picked up where Jennifer left off – throughout the 80’s and 90’s, Jessica was the most popular name in the UK. However, Jessica has now dropped out of the UK’s top 100 – perhaps due to more traditional names coming back into style.
How did you pick the name for your baby – we’d love to know!