Most Popular Baby Names For 2018

Arya

If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, this seems pretty awesome. A young, pampered princess escapes death to become a powerful fighter and warrior. You don’t have to tell your baby girl that the character also murdered people. But you can tell her “Arya” comes from the Sanskrit and means “noble” and “air/song.”

Atticus

Made most famous by the character Atticus Finch in the classic To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s from the Latin meaning “man of Attica,” an area that surrounds Athens, Greece.

Ellie

Ellie is short for Eleanor and Ellen. It’s Old English and means “the bright, shining one.” Characters name Ellie have appeared in the animated films Up and Ice Age: The Meltdown as well as in the television drama The West Wing.

Finn

This name is of Irish origin and is short for Phineas. It means “white” or “fair” and is unisex. Mythologically, Finn MacCool was an Irish warrior with mystic powers. Not a bad start for a child.

Grant

This name originates from Scotland and means “large.” Grant Wood was a famous Grant; although you might not know his name, you’ll recognize his most famous painting, “American Gothic.”

Harrison

Believe it or not, this English boy’s name means “the son of Harrison.” We’re not kidding. Harrison Ford is an American actor of Star Wars franchise fame. Not a bad mentor for a baby named Harrison.

Jackson

As with Harrison, this English boy’s name means “the son of Jack.” And again, we’re not kidding. Some famous Jacksons include the artist Jackson Pollock, and singer/songwriter Jackson Browne.

Kai

Kai is traditionally a girl’s name and has multiple meanings ranging from “sea” in Hawaiian, to “forgiveness” in Japanese, among others. As a boy’s name, Kai shows up in the Danish fairy tale The Snow Queen.

Maeve

This Irish girls’ name means “she who intoxicates.” In Irish mythology, she is recognized as the Queen of Connacht and also as the Queen of the fairies.

Ophelia

Many believe that the name Ophelia was invented by William Shakespeare as his doomed heroine in Hamlet. However, the name itself is Greek in origin and means “help.”

Sebastian

This boy’s name originates from the Latin/Greek and refers to a person from the (ancient) city of Sebasta. Sebastian has been a character in Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited and in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.

Xavier

This royal-sounding boy’s name comes from Spain/Basque and means “bright” and “new house.” More specifically, it hails from the Roman Catholic saint Francis Xavier. In pop culture, Sir Patrick Stewart plays Charles Xavier in the X-Men movie franchise.

So, what you choose to name your babe is totally up to you. Some parents don’t name their babies immediately and instead wait for their personalities to shine through before picking the perfect name. Whatever you do, remember that your child’s got to live with his or her name until he/she is 18, so what you might think is cute and clever might result in your kid needing therapy in later life.