Science knows which baby names suit you best. In a recent study conducted by the site my early yearsDr Bodo Winter, Associate Professor of Cognitive Linguistics at the University of Birmingham, analyzed the most common English-speaking baby names in the UK and US. The idea was in particular to understand whether the popularity of the first names in question maintains connection with their voice.
Science knows the best names
To carry out his study, Dr. Bodo Winter himself relied not only on the most popular first names of recent years, but also on the linguistics work of James Adelman from the University of Warwick, published in 2018. The aim was to analyze Audio configuration Among them, to understand the most appreciated phonemes, which are considered the most harmonious.
From this work, each first name studied was then assigned a score, able to determine sound quality. “Higher-rated names evoke the most positive emotions when spoken out loud, and are therefore more likely to sound nicer to human earsThe scientist explains.
The “i” sound is always on
This diversion of James Adelman’s work on proper names seems to have finally borne fruit. Among the most popular female first names in Great Britain, those ending in the sound “i” (or a combination of this sound) are particularly present in the ranking. Thus, the first name Sophia makes it to the top of the list, followed by Zoe and Rosie.
Among boys, Zayn’s first name will be the most fun to hear, followed by Jesse, Charlie, Louie, Freddie, and Ali. For once, parity is in order, because the “i” sound still predominates in the sounds of these so-called “perfect” first names.
The perfect female first name (according to science)
- Sufi
- Zoe
- rose
- Sophia
- ivy
- vibe
- purple
- willow
- Hannah
- Eli
The perfect first name for a male (according to science)
- beautiful
- Jesse
- Charlie
- Louie
- William
- Freddy
- George
- on
- Daniel
- Riley
In the United States, the order is basically the same, with a slight advantage for first names beginning with the letter “E”. However, in French, most first names ending in “a” are more pleasing to the ear. So everything is a matter of context and custom. In this particular case, Dr. Bodo Winter’s study is only concerned with votes, without taking into account the interactions between neighboring phonemes. It also forgets the whole symbolic dimension of first names, which are often of great importance in choosing parents.
