We have thousands of girls and boys names from Europe and north America, and many from around the world too. Names of Gaelic and Celtic origin are particularly popular and provide a rich source of inspiration. The baby's first name listings include many alternative spellings, abbreviations and pet names. You'll find some rare and unusual examples here to help you choose your baby's first name. Hopefully you'll find deciding on a name as much fun as going shopping for baby clothes – but with luck your baby won't outgrow it so fast!!Choosing your baby's name is a big decision, after all they'll be stuck with it for the rest of their lives! Many names come and go as fashions change, while some remain popular throughout the years. Names adapt and develop - even changing gender - and many variants occur, with some becoming recognised as 'full' names in their own right. Some first names have developed from those used in ancient cultures, while others have been invented by modern authors and have caught the public's imagination, joining the ranks of names vying for parents' attention.
Some parents like to follow a formal naming path, giving their child a full, traditional name such as Rebecca or Richard, while others adopt a more relaxed approached, choosing the shortened versions like Becky or Rick. Other newby parents like to demonstrate their own preferences or aspirations by naming their children with more exotic names like Brooklyn, Sky or Journey. Wherever a name comes from, its long term success depends on catching the mood of the wider public. Most names probably sounded odd when first coined, but we have grown used, or even to love them. When the Victorians developed a love of flower names for their girls, the older generation probably thought it a ridiculous fad. But now names like Rose, Violet or Lily, while not currently 'fashionable', do not sound so strange.
Names develop in various ways, some through abbreviation, other through changes in spelling. Different countries or cultures have taken particular names to their hearts, adapting the spellings and pronunciations to suit. The recent vogue for changing 'y' to 'i' or 'ee' (as in Tracy, Traci or Tracee) is trendy now, but some variations will stick and join the list of names new parents have to choose from for generations to come.
The current trends seem to be for either old names, suggesting a desire to reaffirm cultural identities, or for contemporary inventions or variations, displaying hope for the future. Some names, of course, never quite leave us completely. John and William, Mary and Jane will be with us for a long time yet. Anyone who has undertaken any family research will appreciate the wide range variations which occur, but also how popular certain names become within a family - I've lost count of the number of Williams there are in my tree!
This site provides a huge and growing number of names in current, recent or even ancient use, and some which may surprise you (they did us!). But all are genuine names which we have collated from mainly European and American sources. I hope they inspire the choice of name for your new baby.
Good luck!
