A woman who has spent her career studying baby names revealed what expectant parents should consider when preparing their children for success in the real world.
Sophie Kihm, Editor-in-Chief of leading baby name website Nameberrywrote an essay for Business insider in which she shared crucial insights about names that can have a positive impact on one’s later career.
“When people hear that I run a website about baby names, they often ask me for names that will mean success for their unborn child,” she says.
Most parents will simply try to imagine a person with their baby’s intended name in a position synonymous with extreme success in a prestigious field, from a CEO to a Supreme Court justice.
Sophie Kihm is editor-in-chief of leading baby name website Nameberry and shared advice on naming babies to set them up for success
However, Sophie argued that such efforts often yield only a limited number of names, especially those “associated with white Christian men.”
She also pointed out that “popular names like John, William and Elizabeth appear more often on a list, even when it comes to CEOs or senators.”
Looking to the future, Sophie stressed that a name with global appeal – one that can be described as “packing light,” in her own words – could be a good option for ambitious international business magnates.
For girls, she suggested, among others, the following names: Clara, meaning “bright, shining or famous”, Mila, meaning “privileged” or “miracle”, Luna, meaning “moon”, Leni, meaning “light”, or Asha, meaning “one who lives well”.
For boys, she suggested the following options: Felix, which means “happy” or “fortunate,” Hugo, which means “intellect,” Milo, which means “merciful,” Kai, which means “sea,” or Leo, which means “lionheart.”
There are also many names that are originally derived from words with meanings such as ‘victory’, ‘glory’ or ‘fortune’.
For girls, these include: Florence, which means ‘blooming’, Odette, which means ‘rich’, Gloria or Cleo, both of which mean ‘glory’, Aisha, which means ‘alive and healthy’, and Colette, which means ‘victory’.
As for boy options associated with such prosperous connotations, see: Otto, meaning “wealth,” Derrick, meaning “ruler of the people,” Edward, meaning “fortune,” or Rafferty, meaning “prosperous.”
Many parents have high expectations for their children, envisioning their future as, for example, businessmen or Supreme Court justices (stock image)
Sophie also mentioned names that have historically been associated with natural-born leaders.
“These are names from all kinds of traditions that have dignity and weight,” she wrote.
For girls these are names like: Octavia, which means ‘eighth’, Rose, a flower name, Eloise, which means ‘famous warrior’, Naomi, which means ‘pleasant’, Celeste, which means ‘heavenly’ and Frances, which means ‘free’.
And for boy leaders, think of: Theodore, which means “gift,” Atticus, which means “rugged,” George, which means “farmer,” Asher, which means “luck,” Cyrus, which means “sun,” or Langston, which means “long stone.”
DailyMail.com previously reported on the most popular names to receive the award in 2023.
For girls born in 2023, Olivia, Emma and Charlotte were the most popular choices.
And among the boys born in the same year, Liam, Noah and Oliver were the most popular boys.