Baby names are deeply personal choices for parents who often spend months, and even years, brainstorming options prior to their little ones being born.
The monikers can be inspired by anything from flowers and the names of late family members to sportsmen and Greek mythology.
And, after the BabyCentre top 100 baby names were recently revealed, professional baby namer Taylor A. Humphrey has spoken out about her thoughts on the results.
She believes that the names on the list for the first half of 2022 have been impacted by the Covid pandemic.
Confused? The What's In A Baby Name founder explained that many of the top spot names were shortened 'nickname' versions of names, which may have stemmed from our reliance on online informal communication over the last two years.
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The 34-year-old baby name consultant and doula said: "Perhaps as we spend more time online, connecting with friends, family and colleagues via URL, our sense of formality is diminishing.
"That seems to be reflected in our linguistic and onomastic choices.
"For girls, you see diminutives such as Evie (Eve), Sophie (Sophia), Gracie (Grace), Lottie (Charlotte).
"For the Boy's Top 100 list, you see a great many more diminutives being used such as Theo (Theodore), Leo (Leonardo, Leonard, Leon), Charlie (Charles)."
There was also another trend that the naming pro identified from the list, with names inspired by mythology and nature becoming increasingly popular.
She explained: "Names like Matilda, Isla, Freya, Luna, Aurora, Willow, Poppy, among others, all contribute to a delightful sense of whimsical, ethereal femininity."
"Even names like Grace, Nur, Maeve, Olive and Rose, which are among the very few one-syllable names found on the top 100, add to this playful, mystical aesthetic," she added.
And, while she points out that the US has seen a rise in gender-neutral names, the expert observed that parents were "gravitating towards two-syllable, sturdy, masculine names" in the UK.
Humphrey added: "Another trend I'm noticing is that the names on the Boy's Top 100 list are largely metaphorical.
"These names on the whole, have meanings that are not obvious when saying the names themselves.
"For example, Freddie, short for Frederick, might conjure an image of the late, great, Freddie Mercury. But the name means 'peaceful ruler', which is not the exact imagery that comes to mind when you say the name 'Freddie'."
Revealing how this contrasts with the female name choices, she said: "Compare this to the Girl's Top 100 list which is full of literal and descriptive names such as Ivy, Daisy, Poppy, Willow, Ruby, and so on."
Do you agree? Let us know in the comments
