‘Best Baby Names 2021’ by Siobhan Thomas, published by Ebury
We know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but we do particularly like this one with its abundance of rainbow letters; it definitely sets it apart from all the baby images typical of names books.
Boasting more than 9,000 different names, this book is physically thick and teeming with information divided into three sections – introduction and practicalities first. In this early part Thomas addresses the question in hand: what makes a good name? Anyone hoping for a formula will be disappointed but she does point out how fashion, religion, culture, travel – and negative personal experiences can affect naming.
The middle section offers lists of inspiration from film stars to royals and even famous social media celebrities – such lists might as easily help you work out what you aren’t looking for.
The last and largest part is the A-Z of names, boys first, then girls. We really liked how clearly each entry was laid out with meaning, origin, description, alternative spelling but also with pronunciation which is unusual but, we thought, most welcome. This is a really thorough and detailed volume – and hot off the press.