Best baby names - Julia Cresswell

A baby's name is almost certainly a name for life. So should you settle for James or Sarah? Or could you search for something more original and if so, what? And having chosen your baby's name, could you begin to explain its meaning? Best Baby Names is the essential A-Z guide for deciding your child's name. It contains over 1,500 possible choices, from Aaron to Zuleika, through the old-fashioned (Hazel and Gilbert), the modern (Jade and Devon), the unusual (Anselm and Tanith) and the most popular (Chloe and Jack). Best Baby Names reveals who has influenced the popularity of names, including film stars (Mia), biblical figures (Isaac) and fictional characters (Harry), and suggests why Chelsea, April, Rose and Ebony might be appropriate for your child. Names with shared roots are gathered together in the same entry: you might decide against Helen in favour of Ellen, Elaine or Illona, or even need to switch at the last minute from Sean to Shauna.