Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio at Cannes. One of these Hollywood icons shares one of Spain’s most-loved baby names, researchers say.
Credit: Picture: Paul Smith / Featureflash, Shutterstock
Choosing a name for a baby might seem like a breeze – until you’re actually doing it. As parents scroll past wild – but oddly tempting – suggestions like ‘Wolf-Thunder,’ ‘Pancake,’ or ‘R2-D2’, family traditions, fleeting trends, and the eternal ‘what sounds nice?’ debate can quickly turn a joyful moment into a full-blown headache.
Science has spoken: The ‘nicest’ baby names for boys
The research was carried out a couple of years ago by baby brand My 1st Years, in collaboration with Dr Bodo Winter – associate professor of cognitive linguistics at the University of Birmingham, and, let’s be honest, the proud owner of a pretty epic name himself.
Instead of looking at meaning, history, or celebrity influence, they focused solely on sound symbolism – that is, why some names just sound nicer than others.
The team analysed the most popular baby names in the UK and US, scoring them for sonic appeal. In Britain, Zayn came out on top for boys. Across the pond, the winner was Matthew. But when researchers cast the net wider and compared results across countries, one name consistently struck a chord: Leo.
Just three letters, two clean syllables, and a name that rolls off the tongue – Leo’s not just popular, it’s sweet audible chocolate perfectly built for the human ear.
And in Spain, parents are clearly in agreement. According to Spain’s official stats agency, the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Leo ranked as the fourth most popular boys’ name for newborns in 2023, with 2,838 registrations.
It’s not the meaning – it’s the music: why we love names like Leo and Mateo
While many assume baby names are chosen for meaning or family history, this study suggests we’re often guided by something far more primal: how names sound.
Our brains prefer names that are short, sweet, and easy to say. Think soft consonants, open vowels, and simple syllables – features found in globally popular names like Leo, Mateo, or Julian, regardless of language or culture.
So if you’re hunting for the perfect name, maybe the answer isn’t in the family tree or the baby book – maybe it’s simply in the way it rolls off the tongue.
Read more news in English from around Spain.
