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Choosing a name for your child can be one of the most challenging tasks of parenthood. No matter what name you select, it’s likely to stick with them forever. So why not turn to science for a more objective perspective on which names sound the most pleasant?
The baby gifting website My 1st Years recently sponsored a study led by Bodo Winter, an associate professor of cognitive linguistics at the University of Birmingham, to explore which popular baby names in the United States are the most pleasing to the ear. Below is the list, along with an explanation of the methodology.
Male Baby Names
- Matthew
- Julian
- William
- Isaiah
- Leo
- Levi
- Joseph
- Theo
- Isaac
- Samuel
- Miles
- James
- Elijah
- Luke
- Noah
- Santiago
- Owen
- Logan
- Liam
- Roman
- Ryan
- Cooper
- Jack
- Maverick
- Anthony
- Ezekiel
- Carter
- Benjamin
- Lucas
- Henry
- Jacob
- Lincoln
- Mason
- Nathan
- Asher
- Jackson
- Andrew
- Cameron
- Alexander
- Theodore
- Adam
- Gabriel
- Kingston
- Daniel
- David
- Hunter
- Dylan
- Muhammad
- Sebastian
- Adrian
Other Articles on Baby Names:
Names for Boys
- Sophia
- Zoe
- Everly
- Sophie
- Riley
- Ivy
- Paisley
- Willow
- Ellie
- Emily
- Evelyn
- Eva
- Elena
- Chloe
- Nova
- Penelope
- Lucy
- Lily
- Olivia
- Naomi
- Emma
- Natalie
- Sofia
- Eleanor
- Violet
- Bella
- Luna
- Ella
- Victoria
- Isabella
- Maya
- Natalia
- Amelia
- Savannah
- Charlotte
- Stella
- Hazel
- Athena
- Maria
- Autumn
- Kennedy
- Aurora
- Alice
- Aria
- Harper
- Serenity
- Nora
- Grace
- Elizabeth
- Hannah
How does science determine if a name sounds "pleasant"? This study builds upon research conducted by James Adelman and colleagues at the University of Warwick in 2018 [PDF], which focused on the emotional valence (pleasantness) of words by analyzing phonemes, or distinct sounds within a word. For instance, a pleasing phoneme at the start of a word (or name) may convey positivity to the listener.
Baby names were analyzed by their phonetic components, and each phoneme was assigned a valence score using Adelman’s table. The higher the score, the more melodious the name is likely to sound.
Of course, choosing a baby name is a deeply personal decision, and there may be moments where you disagree with linguistic research. For example, Sophia may seem like a lovely choice, but if your surname is Adams, the two As might merge awkwardly at the start and end of the names.
If you value uniqueness over phonetic harmony, consider selecting one of the less common baby names from a century ago. While Parthenia may not pass the test of linguistic analysis, it certainly stands out and is hard to forget.
