Most popular baby names for 2018!

This name was first used in this spelling by William Shakespeare for a character in his comedy ‘Twelfth Night’ (1602). Shakespeare may have based it on OLIVER or OLIVA, or perhaps directly on the Latin word oliva meaning “olive”. In the play Olivia is a noblewoman who is wooed by Duke Orsino but instead falls in love with his messenger Cesario.

Another form of Eve, this name is originally of Persian descent, meaning “voice, sound.”

Latinate form of ISABEL. This name was borne by many medieval royals, including queen consorts of England, France, Portugal, the Holy Roman Empire and Hungary, as well as the powerful ruling queen Isabella of Castile (properly called Isabel).

Means “wisdom” in Greek. This was the name of an early, probably mythical, saint who died of grief after her three daughters were martyred during the reign of the emperor Hadrian. Legends about her probably arose as a result of a medieval misunderstanding of the phrase Hagia Sophia “Holy Wisdom”, which is the name of a large basilica in Constantinople.

The name became popular in England after the German House of Hanover came to the British throne in the 18th century – it was borne by daughters of George II and George III. Another famous bearer was Amelia Earhart (1897-1937), the first woman to make a solo flight over the Atlantic Ocean.

Mia  a shortened version of Amelia means “mine” or “wished-for child.” Stemming from the Latin it can be used as a nickname for Maria, or Amelia.

French feminine diminutive of CHARLES. It was introduced to Britain in the 17th century. A notable bearer was Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855), the eldest of the three Brontë sisters and the author of ‘Jane Eyre’ and ‘Villette’.

From an Old English surname which originally belonged to a person who played the harp or who made harps. A notable bearer was the American author Harper Lee (1926-2016), who wrote ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’.

A popular addition from Eastern European countries, MILA, originally a diminutive of Slavic names containing the element milu, meaning “gracious, dear”.

Derived from the Hebrew name נֹחַ (Noach) meaning “rest, comfort”. According to the Old Testament, Noah was the builder of the Ark that allowed him, his family, and animals of each species to survive the great Flood. After the Flood he received the sign of the rainbow as a covenant from God. He was the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth.

From Olivier, a Norman French form of a Germanic name such as ALFHER or an Old Norse name such as Áleifr (see OLAF). The spelling was altered by association with Latin oliva “olive tree”. In the Middle Ages the name became well-known in Western Europe because of the French epic ‘La Chanson de Roland’, in which Olivier was a friend and advisor of the hero Roland.

A form of Luke or Lucius, meaning “light-giving” or “illumination.”

From the Hebrew name אֵיתָן (‘Eitan) meaning “solid, enduring, firm”.

From the Hebrew name אֱלִיָּהוּ (‘Eliyyahu) meaning “my God is YAHWEH”.

The meaning of the name Aiden is Little Fire. The origin of the name Aiden is Irish. This is the culture in which the name originated, or in the case of a word, the language. The most common alternate spelling of the name Aiden is Aidan.

A classic boys’ name derived from the Hebrew name Jacob. It means “supplanter,” one who follows. In the 17th century the Scottish king James VI inherited the English throne, becoming the first ruler of all Britain, and the name became much more popular.