Sweet, Strong Names That Sound Great for Babies & CEOs

Congratulations on your new baby! Your first task as a parent is to give your child a name that will stick with them for their entire lives. But no pressure or anything. It needs to be a name that is super cute for a baby. I mean, how many Walters do you see at Baby and Me? I suppose every old man named Walter was once a baby, but it’s hard to picture. On the flip side, can you visualize Abcde (pronounced Ab-sid-ee) on a CEO’s business card? It can be hard to find a name that will grow with your child. One that is cute and formidable. A little trendy but not weird. Sweet and strong. Fear not – we have a few suggestions to get you on the right track.

Timeless and feminine, Grace is a classic that has never fallen out of favour. It’s easy to picture baby Gracie in a lace bonnet, and Senior Ad Exec Grace handling million-dollar clients.

Nicholson, Kerouac, Lemmon: Jack has an artistic history. A sweet name to call on the playground, and a name that carries weight on a marquee or a byline.

There’s no doubt Eleanor calls to mind an image of a strong woman, just look at Eleanor Roosevelt; but can it be cute too? It sure can! Just look at Eleanor the Chipette. And if the rodent doesn’t sway you, think of all the cute nicknames like Ellie and Ella.

You can’t go wrong with a literary name, and as literary names go, this one is tops. Atticus Finch was a groundbreaking lawyer in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Adorable for an infant, and fierce in the courtroom, what’s not to like?

While James has always been popular as a boys’ name, it’s growing in popularity as a unisex one. It’s seriously cute for a little girl (just ask Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, who started the trend with their daughter) but it’s also a powerhouse name for an adult. Picture James, CEO, at the head of the board room table.

Is there anyone more rugged than Harrison Ford? The man was Han Solo and Indiana Jones. What an adventurous name to give a young man, and future archeologist. And thanks to a prince-turned-new Dad, the nickname Harry is cute again.

Emerson is poetic – literally – and is another name that is unisex, but particularly sweet for a girl. Like Eleanor, it’s a strong name on its own, but extra cute with nicknames (like Emmy or Emma.)

The nicknames for Benjamin are endless – Ben, Benny, Banjo, you name it. It’s a name with historical significance while still popular today. Even without shortening it, Benjamin transitions smoothly from a child’s name to an adult’s.

What an honour to share a name with the great Ms. Maya Angelou, a woman who exemplifies strength and grace. Maya (or Maiya or Mya) also looks dear on a birth announcement.

While somewhat trendy as of late, Declan is a weightier name than many of the other top baby names out there. Even if Declan takes a turn and falls out of popularity as a cute baby name in the future, it still works at the bottom of an email to a company’s top investors. When choosing a name for your baby, it’s important to go with your heart – but keeping their future resumé in mind doesn’t hurt.