Even if you have no plans to start a family any time soon, there's something strangely fascinating about baby names. Some are falling out of fashion, others have become unexpectedly popular during lockdown, and others reflect our growing understanding and awareness of non-binary gender identities.
Now new research has revealed the most popular "lucky" baby names of the year. Even if you're not entirely convinced by the idea that some names can be somehow "luckier" than others, the research is at least rooted in good old-fashioned etymology.
The folks at Compare.bet trawled through the most popular baby names on a top parenting website, then picked out the girls' and boys' names which have the concept of "luck", "good fortune" or "happiness" built into their meaning.
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Iris, which is derived from the Greek word for rainbow, and Asher, which has religious connotations of blessings in abundance, come out on top. Right behind are Evangeline, a name of Greek origin which means "bearer of good news", and Felix, which means "happy" or "lucky" in Latin.
You can check out the top 10 "lucky" boys' and girls' names below – it's definitely a list that's packed with naming inspo.
The most popular "lucky" baby names for girls:
1. Iris – derived from the Greek word Iris, meaning rainbow
2. Evangeline – has Greek origin, meaning "bearer of good news"
3. Beatrice – means "she who brings happiness, blessed" in Latin
4. Jade – a precious green stone said to transmit wisdom, clarity, justice and courage
5. Kiara – means "bright" or "light" in Italian and "God’s precious gift" in Hindi
6. Felicity – derived from the Latin word Felicitas, meaning "luck, good fortune"
7. Winfred – means "friend of peace"
8. Clover – a traditional symbol of good luck and prosperity, particularly when found with four leaves
9. Octavia – means eight in Latin, and eight is a lucky number in many cultures and represents infinity
10. Amber – derived from the Arabic word Ambar, which means jewel.
2. Evangeline – has Greek origin, meaning "bearer of good news"
3. Beatrice – means "she who brings happiness, blessed" in Latin
4. Jade – a precious green stone said to transmit wisdom, clarity, justice and courage
5. Kiara – means "bright" or "light" in Italian and "God’s precious gift" in Hindi
6. Felicity – derived from the Latin word Felicitas, meaning "luck, good fortune"
7. Winfred – means "friend of peace"
8. Clover – a traditional symbol of good luck and prosperity, particularly when found with four leaves
9. Octavia – means eight in Latin, and eight is a lucky number in many cultures and represents infinity
10. Amber – derived from the Arabic word Ambar, which means jewel.
The most popular "lucky" baby names for boys:
1. Asher – has strong religious connotations such as happiness and joy, or blessings in abundance
2. Felix – derived from a Latin word meaning happy or lucky
3. Quinn – a name of Irish Gaelic origin, meaning sense and intelligence
4. Chance – often found in Middle English, meaning good fortune
5. Bennett – stems from Latin and means blessed
6. Edmund – means prosperity and riches
7. Benedict – derives from the late Latin name Benedictus, meaning blessed
8. Fisher – means "fisherman" and is linked with superstitions
9. Seven – a name of English origin meaning inner wisdom
10. Arley – rooted in American and Hebrew, meaning promise
2. Felix – derived from a Latin word meaning happy or lucky
3. Quinn – a name of Irish Gaelic origin, meaning sense and intelligence
4. Chance – often found in Middle English, meaning good fortune
5. Bennett – stems from Latin and means blessed
6. Edmund – means prosperity and riches
7. Benedict – derives from the late Latin name Benedictus, meaning blessed
8. Fisher – means "fisherman" and is linked with superstitions
9. Seven – a name of English origin meaning inner wisdom
10. Arley – rooted in American and Hebrew, meaning promise