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50 most beautiful-sounding names in the U.S., according to science

Parents filled with anxiety over baby names should learn about the Bouba-Kiki effect.

Photo credit: Canva

Why do some names just sound better than others?

Choosing a baby name is both fulfilling and precarious. Many parents rack their brains trying to come up with the perfect moniker—one that honors their lineage, where they were born, the personality they’ll hopefully have, or all of the above. Obviously, it's no easy feat.

To make things more complicated, more and more parents are experimenting with trendy or unique names, which at best can make their kid stand out, and at worse, leave them a bit isolated.

But maybe relying on science could be a more reliable strategy.

As author Bill Sullivan, Ph.D., explained in an article for Psychology Today, parents can incorporate a phenomenon known as the Bouba-Kiki effect to help ensure that a name remains appealing throughout a child’s life, simply because it will always be pleasant sounding.

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The term “Bouba-Kiki effect” emerged from a set of experiments in which people were presented with both a round and spikey shape, and asked to link the shapes to either the word “bouba,” or “kiki.” People consistently agreed that the rounded shape was “bouba” and the spiky shape was "kiki." This experiment showed that people inherently make image associations for certain words. Collective synesthesia, if you will.

This concept applies to names as well. Sullivan cited a 2015 study that noted that "bouba," or round, smooth sounding names, like “Bob or Molly,” tend to get associated with "easy-going" personalities. Whereas "kiki" names, like “Kirk and Kate,” tend to sound more abrupt and could be more likely to be seen as “rude.”

In 2022, Bodo Winter, an associate professor in cognitive linguistics at the University of Birmingham, and his team somewhat cemented this theory after asking hundreds of participants to listen to a list of the 100 most popular names in the U.K. and the U.S., and then analyzing emotional reactions.

There was a clear winner: "Sophia," originating in Greece and meaning "wisdom." While one could argue that the list was somewhat limiting, the name spans many cultures, becoming "Sophie" in France and Germany, and even "Safiya" in Muslim communities.

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History and symbolism aside, what really makes Sophia pop comes down to the “soft start of ‘s,’ a roundness offered by the ‘o,’ and a smooth ending with the ‘ia,’” Winter said. This combination results in universal pleasantness.

If you’re curious as to whether or not your name is audibly pleasing, below are the 50 most beautiful-sounding names for both boys and girls in the U.S., courtesy of My1stYears:

1. Matthew, Sophia

2. Julian, Zoe

3. William, Everly

4. Isiah, Sophia

5. Leo, Riley

6. Levi, Ivy

7. Joseph, Paisley

8. Theo, Willow

9. Isaac, Ellie

10. Samuel, Emily

11. Miles, Evelyn

12. James, Eva

13. Elijah, Elena

14. Luke, Chloe,

15. Noah, Nova

16. Santiago, Penelope

17. Owen, Lucy

18. Logan, Lily

19. Liam, Olivia

20. Roman, Naomi

21. Ryan, Emma

22. Cooper, Natalie

23. Jack, Sofia

24. Maverick, Eleanor

25. Anthony, Violet

26. Ezekiel, Bella

27. Carter, Luna

28. Benjamin, Ella

29. Lucas, Victoria

30. Henry, Isabella

31. Jacob, Maya

32. Lincoln, Natalia

33. Mason, Amelia

34. Nathan, Savannah

35. Asher, Charlotte

36. Jackson, Stela

37. Andrew, Hazel

38. Cameron, Athena

39. Alexander, Maria

40. Theodore, Autumn

41. Adam, Kennedy

42. Gabriel, Aurora

43. Kingston, Alice

44. Daniel, Aria

45. David, Harper

46. Hunter, Serenity

47. Dylan, Nora

48. Muhammed, Grace

49. Sebastian, Elizabeth

50. Adrian, Hannah

It probably goes without saying that our own personal preferences, among many other factors, might still influence what sounds appeal to us more (I for one prefer spiky names with a little gusto). But using the simple rules of linguistics could be an interesting, and perhaps less daunting, way for parents to choose a name that’s truly timeless.

baby, names, best sounding, bouba-kiki effect, baby girl Choosing a baby name is both fulfilling and precarious.Photo Credit: Jonathan Borba/Pexels

This article originally appeared in May.

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People applaud man for calling out his sister over jaw-droppingly bad baby name choice

He called the name "completely unacceptable."

via Canva/Photos

A brother and sister in a disagreement.

Like it or not, the name your parents choose for you can significantly impact your life, whether it’s how you’re treated in school by peers, your professional prospects, or how well you do in the dating arena. A name is nothing to joke about. That’s why an uncle-to-be is mad at his sister. He thinks she isn’t taking naming her unborn daughter seriously and fears it will have dire consequences for the girl in the future.

What started as a funny joke between the brother (a biology student) and his sister (a nurse) has become a bone of contention between the siblings. It all started when the brother sent his sister a humorous list of potential names for his niece based on medical terms.

“I knew she was struggling, so in addition to the $900 wooden crib on her list that I got for her, I gave her a list of (obviously) joke baby names. We have a really close relationship, and it was in line with both our senses of humor,” the brother wrote on Reddit's AITA forum.

“She's a nurse, and I'm a biology student, so all the names were medications, infections, unpleasant animals, etc., that all sound like lovely girls' names out of context,” he continued. “Some of them were a little bit obscure, sure, but I included some obvious ones like ‘Viagra’ and ‘Hernia’ for good measure.

baby, newborn, baby name, baby crib, sleeping baby, birth A newborn baby sleeping. via Canva/Photos

The problem was that the sister liked one of the names and plans on giving it to her daughter.

“Malassezia. The baby's name is Malassezia. One of the names on my joke list. Outside of the immediate issues (nearly impossible to pronounce on the first try, the ‘ass’ smack dab it the middle of it, the first syllable being mal-, literally meaning bad or evil), it's also the name of a very common fungal infection,” he wrote. “One that my sister and I are both genetically predisposed to. One that we've both had multiple times throughout our lives. Her daughter will almost certainly catch it at some time!” The brother told his sister that the name is “completely unacceptable.”

What is Malassezia?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, Malassezia occurs when “yeast that occurs as part of your skin’s natural flora multiplies and infects the hair follicles,” the website reads. “The condition causes itchy pimples to form on your face, scalp and upper body. Healthcare providers treat this fungal infection with topical and systemic antifungal medications.”

The mother completely understands the downside of the name but insists that “it's so obscure that no one will ever think twice about it.” She simply likes the sound of the name. Unsure of what to do, the brother posted the story on Reddit to see if he was in the wrong.

birth certificate, baby name, baby footprint, baby hospital, doctor A doctor taking the baby's footprint. via Canva/Photos

The vast majority of the commenters thought he was totally right to demand the baby’s name be changed.

"I share your frustration, and you're looking out for your niece. While your sis is right that it's her parental right, you're not stepping out of line -- you're family and you're cautioning her,” one commenter wrote. "Tell [the father] so he can veto it,” another commenter added. “Also, how is your sister not thinking about the embarrassment that is going to come with this name? The doctors at every baby appointment will know. I wouldn't be surprised if doctors and nurses giggle when they see her chart. And when she's in school, kids will likely find out what her name means and bully her. Tell your sister to think about her daughter's future. She's thinking too much about her feelings and not thinking about her daughter who would have to live with that name."

One commenter broke the name into chunks and found it has multiple meanings. “Mal = bad + ass = bad ass. So we have the nickname. Now Ezia - Hebrew for elegance? e-Zia as in electronic aunt (Italian?) or electric cottage/home/campervan (Pueblo?),” they wrote.

The only people who thought the brother was wrong were those who believed his sister was pulling a fast one on him. “You gave a joke name list and seem unable to tell she's joking back,” they wrote.

joke, siblings, gotcha, gif, family Understand Schitts Creek GIF by CBC Giphy

Ultimately, just about everyone agrees that the brother was right to speak up. Names matter, and kids have to live with them their entire lives. Hopefully, his sister takes the hint before her daughter has a name better suited to a microscope slide than a birth certificate.

This article originally appeared in May. It has been updated.

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Mom shares school's clever 'un-fundraiser' and burnt out parents are absolutely loving it

We'll gladly pay up if you leave us alone.

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Parents are rejoicing over a fundraiser that asks parents to do... absolutely nothing.

A recent survey showed that parents receive a staggering 17.5 communications per week about their kids' activities, on average. That's multiple emails, texts, or flyers every single day. Some of them can be quickly read (or even ignored), but many of them require some action to be taken.

It's Pajama Day! It's Teacher Appreciation Week! It's Dress Up like a Book Character Day! It's 'Asynchronous Learning Day' and your children will be home with you all day! Each of these can feel overwhelming, but there are few handouts coming home that strike more dread into the heart of parents than when it's time for schools to execute their multi-annual fundraisers.

One mom recently braced herself for the worst when her child brought home a sheet of paper announcing the school's next fundraiser. But the options on the flyer took her totally by surprise.

On Reddit, the mom posted a picture of the unique fundraising request, which was officially named "The No-Fuss Un Fundraiser."

"What's an 'Un Fundraiser?' you might ask. Well, funds are still being raised for the school, but in this instance parents are offered a guilt-free option if they don't want to participate in the bake sale, don't want their children to hawk cheap crap from a catalog, or don't want to participate in any Walkathon-type activities.

The handout explains: "Our no-fuss 'un-fundraiser' is the only fundraiser where 100% of the profits go toward the PTO budget. ... You may choose to participate in lieu of, or in addition to any of the other fundraisers we will be doing throughout the school year."

Direct contribution amounts are then listed, with each amount corresponding to a certain privilege.

Parents could give $15 to proclaim, "I would rather not bake anything or shop for cupcakes this year, thanks."

Fifty dollars proudly announces, "I do not wish to peddle products to my family and friends from catalogs, magazines or brochures, I do not want to buy candles or wrapping paper this year."

A blank amount for parents to fill in states, "I am making this donation to express my appreciation for NOT having to clip, buy, sell, or peddle anything this school year, except filling out this form."

See the whole, hilariously tongue-in-cheek fundraising form here:

Tens of thousands of exhausted parents chimed in to express their appreciation for the school's no-fuss approach.

Not only are parents burnt out and overwhelmed by constant communication and the pressure to be hyper-involved in every aspect of their children's lives, traditional school fundraisers have proved to be problematic in a number of ways.

Kids growing up in the '80s and '90s surely remember the catalog fundraisers, selling chocolate bars, wrapping paper, frozen pizzas, flavored popcorn, whatever the school could get their hands on. Top-sellers were promised flashy prizes like TVs, gaming systems, and more. (Gen X and Millennial kids definitely remember those school assemblies where the slimy catalog reps would get the kids to go feral over the possibility of winning a Sega.)

The problems were and are numerous. Schools only get to keep a certain percentage of the revenue when well-meaning relatives and neighbors buy these products, making them far less effective than straight-up donations. It also puts families in extremely uncomfortable positions where they have to hassle their network of friends and coworkers to buy stuff they don't need; in some cases, kids even go door to door selling!

Fundraisers are traditionally heavily weighted toward kids with wealthier families who can afford to buy a bunch of junk so their kids can rise up the leaderboard and win cool prizes. The funds might be good for the school, but they make almost everyone else feel less-than.

And of course there's the massive, headachy time commitment from parents who have to get involved in these programs. The "No Fuss Un Fundraiser" is such a great concept that eliminates all or most of these challenges.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

A few social media users chimed in:

"My kids' school did this. I gladly gave $100 and I knew that every dime went to the PTO and none of it went to scammy fundraising companies that peddle shoddy crap so bad that we were embarrassed to show the catalogs to the grandparents.

"This is great! I'm glad schools are finally getting the message. When my son had a fundraiser for his school we didn't want him going door-to-door asking people to buy stuff so we wrote a check and sent it to the school with the catalog. This is a much nicer way to handle fundraisers!"

"I would fill this out so fast"

"Enclosed is a check for $400. Which is $100 for each school year. Leave me alone for four years," one user joked.

There are other, more creative fundraiser ideas going around, too:

schools, kids, parents, parenting, elementary school, fundraiser, education, economy, culture Schools are underfunded, but there's got to be a better way to raise funds than selling junk from catalogs. Photo by CDC on Unsplash

"One thing I think my school did right was that our fundraisers were never junk. We sold trash bags in the fall when everyone would be raking up leaves, and flowers in the spring when everyone would be landscaping their spring gardens. My high school sold raffle tickets. But the prize was genius: everyone who sold 10 received a pair of sweatpants that they were allowed to wear all winter. I went to an all girls catholic high school where the primary uniform bottom was a plaid skirt—real cute until it started snowing and you had to walk between buildings every period. So The Pants™ were a coveted privilege."

"Our school is selling 'acts of kindness' where the kids are supposed to do nice things for family/neighbors for the donation. It’s honor system and a good way to teach charity to kids I think (or just no pressure donate if you don’t care)."

Public schools are severely underfunded, there's no question about that. Just look at how many teachers have to buy school supplies with their own money. But making kids go door-to-door selling chocolate bars is not the way.

Direct donation-style fundraisers are gaining popularity in recent years, and all the tired parents, the grandparents who have no need for poor-quality wrapping paper, and all the neighbors who just want to be left alone are grateful for it.

“It's taken a weight off my shoulders, having multiple kids in different schools,” the mom told Newsweek. “I'm thrilled I don't need to cook for 2 bake sales now. ... I would continue to donate like this every year they do this kind of fundraiser."

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Mom accidentally sets timer instead of alarm and has whole family ready for school at 2 a.m.

"That momma is tired. She needs a special day for herself."

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Alarm clock snafu cause mom to accidentally wake the whole family up at 2 a.m. for school.

No one prepares you for how your life will change when you become a parent of school-aged children. I was shocked to suddenly find myself waking up at 6 a.m. for breakfast and getting ready when my oldest started elementary school. At 6 a.m., it's generally still dark outside and for all intents and purposes, it feels like the dead of night.

So it's no wonder one mom had a little snafu with her alarm clock and didn't even notice.

A mom who goes by Tanis on social media reports in a recent video that instead of setting an alarm for 5:50 a.m., she accidentally set a timer for 5 hours and 50 minutes. It's a relatively easy mistake to make if you're using your iPhone for everything, as most of us are.

When the alarm went off, mom rushed into action, waking the kids, rousing her husband, throwing breakfast together, and getting everyone dressed. Parents know that the morning routine often runs on auto-pilot. Your brain is barely on, but your body knows what needs to be done.

It wasn't until the whole family was standing in the kitchen, all ready for the day, that Tanis realized it was 2:30 in the morning.

She and her husband had a good laugh, while the kids look less than thrilled. In the end, she tells them to just go back to bed and "sleep in your clothes."

@tanis___

everyone went back to sleep in their clothes… we woke back up at 6:30 & my kids had trust issues getting to school saying there was still stars in the sky and to make sure it was time 🤣 mom fail. #funny #momfail #schoolthings

The video went massively viral, racking up 20 million views on TikTok. Parents everywhere could relate.

Many saw the hilarious incident as a clear sign that Tanis needs a day off, which checks out. Parenting burnout is running high and moms and dads are juggling way more responsibilities than they can handle. Sometimes, that contributes to little mental errors like this one.

Here are some of the responses to the video:

"Its honestly a big sign she needs a break"

"That woman needs a spa day"

"That momma is tired. She needs a special day for herself"

But the overwhelming sentiment from most viewers was respect and admiration, not only for Tanis' leadership in the household, but the family dynamic as a whole:

@tanis___

Replying to @🌄 top funniest comment. I had to respond, now please let me know which cruise line I should save up for bc I’m definitely gonna continue saving for that. I need recommendations 🫶🏻 thank you everyone! #funnycomments #viralvideo #funny #cruise

"That’s not a fail, that’s elite-level leadership.Your army follows orders without question even at 2:30am."

"Shows you how the whole family relies on mom. You deserve credit mom"

"Hair curled... kids up... husband up... breakfast made... you ARE A ROCKSTARRRR "

"The fact that you guys were laughing and not fighting shows that you are a great family. No crying from the kids, no anger from your husband, honestly I’m jealous"

It's true what they say about families: the best stories and memories usually come from disasters like this one.

Gil Greengross writes for Psychology Today that painful, even tragic moments, often become funny to us over time. One reason is that being able to laugh at a difficult moment helps us cope with the difficult emotions of it. Parenting, in particular, can be extremely difficult on a day-to-day basis so having a strong sense of humor is immensely helpful.

It's also true that the days that go as planned, where the morning routine goes off without a hitch, run together and go by in a blur. When disaster strikes, it becomes something unique and memorable that the whole family can bond over—even if you don't find it funny at the time.

Still, it's awesome that Tanis and her family were such good sports about their rude awakening. Let's hope they all get a much deserved chance to sleep in one day real soon.

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