England’s Most Popular Baby Names: Meanings and Origins Explained
by The Top Ten baby boys’ names and baby girls’ names registered in England and Wales in 2008, together with an explanation of the names’ meanings and how they originated.
6. Chloe = blooming, flourishing
‘Chloe’ is simply a rendering of the Greek word ‘khlóē’, which means ‘a young green shoot’, and therefore ‘blooming’ and ‘flourishing’. It is an alternative name for Demeter, the ancient Greek goddess of fertility and agriculture.
7. Sophie = wisdom
‘Sophie’ is a French variant of ‘Sophia’, which is in turn an alternative spelling of ‘sofia’, the Greek word for ‘wisdom’. Sophie Dahl, the British model and author, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, are probably the most famous bearers of the name.
8. Lily = a lily or purity
‘Lily’ comes from the Latin ‘lilium’, the name of the lily flower, itself a symbol of innocence and purity.
For well-known Lilys think Britain’s Lily Allen and America’s Lily Tomlin, or even Lily Potter (Harry Potter’s mother).
9. Amelia = hard-working
Although it appears at first sight to have the same derivation as ‘Emily’ (that is, from the Latin “Aemelia’), the girl’s name ‘Amelia’ is in fact a Germanic name derived from ‘amal’, meaning ‘work’. So it has, in the end, a similar meaning to ‘Emily’, that is, ‘industrious’, ‘hard-working’, although by a different route. Amelia Earhart was a pioneering American aviator, and ‘Amelia’ is actually the first given name of actress Minnie Driver
10. Evie = life
‘Evie’ is a diminutive of ‘Eve’, a derivation of either the Hebrew word ‘chavah’ which means ‘to breathe’ or the Hebrew word ‘chayah’, meaning ‘to live’. And ‘Eve’ is, of course, the name of the Old Testament mother of the entire human race, all of which lead us to the meaning ‘life’.
So, armed with all this information, think carefully about how you are going to name your baby, because the name will be with them for a very long time.
If you want your child to blend in with the crowd, give him or her one of these popular names, but if you are looking for something distinctive, avoid them at all costs. Pick an unusual name and start a new trend!
(If you found this article informative and helpful, you might also be interested in ‘USA’s most popular baby names; meaning and origins explained’.)
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Post CommentFrances Lawrence
On October 11, 2009 at 7:59 am
Very helpful. When choosing a name be sure it will not be a burden for the child. My daughter had a boy in her class (in England) called Aladdin, not surprisingly the poor lad had problems.
blackrockrose
On October 11, 2009 at 6:56 pm
Oh my goodness, poor kid!
At the other end of the scale, when I was at school, there were 8 Susans in my class. They all ended up with nicknames based on their surname.
Nikita K
On October 14, 2009 at 9:57 am
I love this article! I have a particularly unusual/not very common name (I can confirm my real name is NOT Atikin) and the moment people hear it they can make different links to it because it is just that sort of name. Personally I love the names Oliver and Ruby. This is actually quite good how you’ve delved further into the past of these names are quite “in”. Nice read!Makes me think of what kind of history my name might have!