Girls:
[name_f]Mia[/name_f]
I love the lilting, musical sound of [name_f]Mia[/name_f] and the meaning āmineā (or, if you spin it as a diminutive of [name_u]Maria[/name_u], it could also be ādrop of the seaā or ābelovedā). [name_f]Mia[/name_f] has been my #1 since I met my dear friend with the same name and I totally understand why sheās so popular!
[name_f]Imogen[/name_f]
Iām not really sure why I like [name_f]Imogen[/name_f], but Iāve always felt drawn to her. Sheās contemporary and modern but still with some history, and I love the nicknames [name_f]Immy[/name_f] and [name_f]Ginny[/name_f]!
[name_f]Bronte[/name_f]
[name_f]My[/name_f] love for [name_f]Bronte[/name_f] has quite recently crept up on me. I first heard of the name through swimmer [name_f]Bronte[/name_f] [name_u]Campbell[/name_u], who as well as being an incredibly talented athlete, is a wonderful person, and it has grown on me ever since! [name_f]Bronte[/name_f] combines strength and softness and I also love the literary connection to the [name_f]Brontƫ[/name_f] sisters.
[name_f]Lily[/name_f]
I used to prefer [name_f]Lila[/name_f] (which I still like) but one day [name_f]Lily[/name_f] just clicked. I love the nature connection and also the [name_f]Lily[/name_f] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] association. Sheās soft and sweet and I love the way she just rolls off your tongue!
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f]
[name_f]My[/name_f] goodness choosing #5 was hard! I seriously considered [name_f]Stella[/name_f], and [name_f]Saskia[/name_f] has also held this spot, but I went with [name_f]Maeve[/name_f]. Sheās probably the longest-standing name on my list, as I fell in love with her after finding out it was the name of one of my mumās students, back when I was 11! I adore the nicknames Maevey and [name_f]Mae[/name_f].
Honourable mentions: [name_f]Thea[/name_f], [name_f]Stella[/name_f], [name_f]Saskia[/name_f], [name_f]Luna[/name_f], [name_f]Ivy[/name_f]
Boys:
[name_u]Jasper[/name_u]
Similar to [name_f]Imogen[/name_f], Iām not quite sure why I love [name_u]Jasper[/name_u]. Heās just the perfect sounding name to me and I can picture all sorts of boys with this name. The gemstone meaning also ties into the meaning of my own name, which I think is a cute, subtle link!
[name_u]Evan[/name_u]
[name_u]Evan[/name_u] has been a constant on my list for pretty much forever. I go back and forth on him but I just adore the sound. It also hits the āsweet spotā of known but not super popular for me.
[name_m]Reuben[/name_m]
Iāve always felt that Iād have a child with the nickname [name_u]Rue[/name_u] and I love the gentle quirkiness of [name_m]Reuben[/name_m].
[name_m]Edmund[/name_m]
Probably couldnāt use this with [name_u]Evan[/name_u] but at the moment I am absolutely obsessed with the idea of a son named [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] āNedā! I love the [name_f]Narnia[/name_f] connection even though [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] isnāt the nicest character.
[name_m]Lewis[/name_m]
Slightly older-sounding than some of my other names, [name_m]Lewis[/name_m] feels timeless and universal to me.
Honourable mentions: [name_m]Hugo[/name_m] (actually really surprised I left him off the list, but Iām not in love with the sound any more), [name_m]Cedric[/name_m], [name_u]James[/name_u]