Picking a baby name, let's be honest, can be a tad daunting – considering how permanent it is. So you want to make sure you get it right, and one way of doing that is by inspiration from wherever you can. One such inspiration could be the time of year your baby is born, so if you're due to give birth in October, what could be more useful than finding out the top 10 most popular baby names for the month of October?
Every year, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) collates data about all the names given to babies born in England and Wales. The following are the top names for baby boys and baby girls born in October 2020 (sourced from the most recent data available):
Top October baby names for boys:
- Noah
- Arthur
- George
- Muhammad
- Oliver
- Oscar
- Harry
- Leo
- Jack
- Henry
Top October baby names for girls:
- Olivia
- Amelia
- Isla
- Ava
- Mia
- Lily
- Rosie
- Florence
- Emily
- Willow
Crunchy leaves, the return of coats and scarves, pumpkin spiced lattes; what could be better than rolling up all these warm and cosies into your child's name? If you want to theme your baby name choice to the month of its birth, how about some of these names for October babies?
- Octavia (needs no explanation)
- Ottavia (an Italian version)
- Octavius (a male version)
- Opal (October's birthstone)
- Autumn (it is technically the start of autumn, right?)
- Marigold (October's birth flower)
- Libby (inspired by the month's main star sign, Libra)
- Amber (the colour of autumn)
- Hazel (another autumnal colour)
- Saffron (a spice that's a rich orange in colour)
- Decimus (meaning 'tenth', and October is the tenth month)
- Aster (a flower in season during October)
- Bruna (an Italian name meaning 'brown', like the turning leaves)
- Bruno (the male equivalent)
- Leaf (a Scandi version of 'Leif' meaning 'heir' but which conjures up wonderful autumn-inspired imagery)
Although it might not be an easy decision, we're sure that whatever name you choose for your October baby it'll be absolutely perfect. Congratulations on your new bundle of joy!
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
Cat is Cosmopolitan UK's features editor covering women's issues, health and current affairs. news, features and health. The route to her heart is a simple combination of pasta and cheese (somewhat ironic considering the whole health writing thing), and she finds it difficult to commit to TV series so currently has about 14 different ones on the go.
