Getting Started

Deciding on baby's name is one of the most important decisions you'll have to make during your pregnancy (but really, no pressure!). Finding a great baby name can also be a lot of fun. Whether you're looking for baby names for girls or boys, it's a good idea to figure out the basics first. Do you like the idea of using a well-known, traditional baby name or are you looking for something more quirky? How attached are you to the meaning behind your baby's name? Is there a certain baby name origin you want to concentrate on? We've put together the ultimate guide to baby names to help you find the ideal fit. Get started by browsing through tons of baby name lists to narrow down your search. Our lists divide baby names up by origin (everything from Italian baby names to Japanese names), gender (baby boy names and baby girl names), and name types (celebrity baby names to unique baby names). Each baby name detail page will give you the important info you need: baby name meanings, baby name rankings, suggestions, and more. Try out our innovative baby namer tool to search through thousands of baby names. Don't forget to check out the fun stuff like our baby name style quiz and articles, all written to help you on your baby name search. Still can't find the name you're looking for? Check out name suggestions from members of TheBump.com community and share your own favorites on our Baby Names board!

More about baby names Less about baby names

sydney

origin: French

meaning: Contraction of St. Denys

tually goes beyond Australia – both the y and i versions also stem from English place names), but there’s also the grandpa’s-name-is-back-and-turned-feminine-but-now-spelled-with-a-y thing. Sidney was originally used at the turn of the last century, though it was far more popular for boys – the male version just cracked the top 100, while the female version barely eked into the top 1,000. They both dropped through the 20th century (the female version totally leaving the charts). After a big jump in the ‘90s, the feminine Sidney is actually more popular than the masculine. As for the actual name in question (SYdney), it started out as a vaguely popular boys name and became a vaguely popular girls name in the ‘30s, then underwent a massive leap from the ‘80s (average ranking 476) to the ‘90s (59). It’s dropped since, but still somehow seems a more sophisticated place-name choice than other options – maybe because it’s halfway around the world? Or because it did actually begin as a name? Either way, we approve.