Naming a baby, honestly.
No fluff, no “150 magical names!!” — just the stuff that actually helps you decide.
Start here
UK baby name trends 2026: the new ONS data
Muhammad and Olivia hold №1 — and five currents are moving the charts. Fresh from the July release.
Read the guide →How to agree on a baby name with your partner
Why naming by veto fails, and six tactics that actually end the stalemate.
Read the guide →How to choose a baby name: the shortlist method
Seven steps from “literally thousands of options” to one name you’re sure of.
Read the guide →Making it flow
How to pick a middle name that flows
Rhythm rules, the stern-voice test, and why the middle is the place to be brave.
Read the guide →First names that work with your surname
Rhythm, the junction test, and the accidental-famous-name check.
Read the guide →Nicknames: plan for them or around them
Work backwards from the nickname you love — or pick a name that can’t be cut.
Read the guide →Family & meaning
Sibling names that go together
Match the vibe, not the initial — and the traps that only show up with baby three.
Read the guide →Honouring a family name
Six ways to carry a name forward — without using it outright.
Read the guide →Unisex names: the honest guide
The neutral-to-leaning spectrum, spelling splits, and how to pair a middle.
Read the guide →Naming twins: together, not matching
Equal-weight names, quiet shared threads, and why rhyming pairs age badly.
Read the guide →Dodging baby name regret
Where regret comes from, the tests that catch it early, and the 3am wobble.
Read the guide →The legal bits
Registering a birth in the UK
Deadlines, costs, refusable names and the changing-your-mind window.
Read the guide →Illegal and banned baby names in the UK
There’s no banned list — the real rules, the Cyanide case, and countries that do ban names.
Read the guide →Changing a baby’s name after registration
The 12-month forename window, deed poll after — and why changing your mind is normal.
Read the guide →Prefer doing to reading?
Take the 2-minute taste quiz, swipe 15 matched names, and see which ones your partner secretly loves too.
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