A host of celebrities understand the allure of a holiday and have chosen to name their children after a destination that holds a special place in their hearts. Prime examples include the Beckham’s son Brooklyn, hotel heiress Paris Hilton and Chicago, daughter of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.
As a result, it appears that the trend for naming your baby after your favourite destination has truly caught on more widely amongst Brits, and loveholidays wanted to look a little deeper into this. After analysing baby names from 1996 to 2019 from Office for National Statistics data, the online travel agency found that over 150,000 people across the UK are named after a destination abroad.
But what is the most inspiring location for expectant parents on the lookout for the perfect baby name? To find out, the travel firm cross-referenced the data with names of all 195 countries in the world and 557 cities with a population of one million or over.
It seems that the glamourous world of haute couture could play a part in influencing your baby naming decision, with Fashion Week locations London, Paris and Milan all making an appearance on the list. Destinations for some of the world’s biggest sporting occasions also feature in the data. For example, Tokyo, where the Summer Olympics took place, and India, host nation of the Cricket World Cup.
The Texas Triangle is also high on the list, with naming nods given to Austin, Dallas and Houston, as the state gains momentum for becoming home to some of the world’s most recognisable brands, including Apple, Amazon and Facebook.
Five of the countries which most inspired today’s baby names were:
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India: 7,504 girls are named after this exotic Asian country. The most popular year for this name is 2000. This was the year in which actress Priyanka Chopra became the fifth Indian to win the Miss World pageant.
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Mali: 1,051 people are named after this West African country. The most popular year for this name was 2019.
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China: 166 girls are named after this country and the most popular year for this name was 1998.
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Kenya: 346 girls are named after this East African country and the most popular year for this name was 1998.
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Cuba: 115 boys are named after the Caribbean island and the most popular years for this name were 2005, 2015 and 2016.
The top five cities that have inspired the most people to name their children after are:
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Sofia: 21,126 girls are named after the Bulgarian capital that’s well known for its stunning Roman architecture and rich Balkan history. Its cultural credentials also fare well, the city being home to the National Opera and Ballet of Bulgaria. The most popular year for this name was 2018.
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Austin: 8,955 boys and girls are named after the Texas State Capitol, where plenty of friendly locals enjoy a great nightlife, while tech giants including Google, Facebook and Apple have established bases here. The most popular years for this name were 2016 and 2019.
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Paris: 4,411 boys and girls are named after the French capital, where tourists can explore the Eiffel Tower and see the lesser known street art in the Belleville district. The most popular year for this name was 2004, a time when Paris Hilton was at the peak of her fame.
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Sydney: 4,319 boys and girls are named after this iconic Australian city that's famous for the Opera House, delicious seafood and beautiful beaches, including the inimitable Bondi. The most popular years for this name were 2003 and 2009.
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Phoenix: 3,636 boys and girls are named after the Arizona State Capitol, where tourists can find luxurious golf courses, lovely holiday resorts and fusion restaurants.
Some locations across the globe might not have become hugely popular names, but that doesn’t mean people haven’t taken inspiration for their babies’ names.
The names that have been used 10 or fewer times include:
● Tokyo, in Japan - 3 boys
● Daejon, in South Korea - 3 boys
● Lille, in France - 3 girls
● Houston, in the US - 4 boys
● Kiev, in Ukraine - 4 girls
● Kano, in Nigeria - 6 boys
● Dalian, in China - 7 boys
● Mecca, in Saudi Arabia - 7 girls
● Aba, in Nigeria - 9 girls
● Adana, in Turkey - 9 girls
A Loveholidays spokesperson said: “We know that British people love their holidays, and it’s so easy to fall in love with a new country or city, especially when you make beautiful memories there. We’re not surprised that so many people followed the lead of their favourite celebrities, taking their love for their travels and using it as inspiration to name their children. We hope to see even more people name their babies after their favourite travel destinations in the future!”
