Life is full of magical milestones, such as landing your dream job, taking driving lessons or getting married; sharing them with others can often make these moments extra memorable.
Choosing a name for your newborn is no different, and it’s a decision which often requires some extra inspiration. So what better place to find it than your favourite car? That’s why we wanted to find out which car brands inspired the most baby names.
We’ve looked at government data, and different car brands and models to find out how many babies were named after cars.
Morgan Motor Company inspired 25,000 baby names, more than any other car brand.
We’ve looked at baby names between 1996 and 2021 to see which car brands inspired the most parents.
- Morgan – 25,161 baby names
The most popular car-inspired name was Morgan which has been used for 25,000 babies since 1996. Morgan was used for both boys and girls, 15,628 times and 9,533 times respectively. Morgan Motor Company was founded in 1910 and is known for its three-wheeled car, which was re-introduced in 2011 after a 50-year absence.
- Lincoln – 4,998 baby names
In second place is Lincoln, which was used almost 5,000 times for newborn babies. Lincoln was exclusively used for boys, with no girls being given the name. Lincoln as a car brand is an American company which primarily makes SUVs.
- Aston Martin – 3,100 baby names
Completing our top three is Aston Martin, with the name Aston being used 3,100 times. Aston was more commonly used for boys, but 77 girls were given the name at birth. However, the name Aston hasn’t been used for a girl since 2006. Aston Martin is one of the most iconic car brands in the UK, particularly for its links with James Bond.
The Renault Zoe was the car model which inspired the most baby names, with over 22,000
Car brands can often be known for a particular model. That’s why we’ve looked at the models which have inspired the most baby name.
- Renault Zoe – 22,386 baby names
The most common car model name for babies was the Renault Zoe, used for over 22,000 babies since 1996. The Renault Zoe is a small hatchback which was released in 2012. Since 2013, the Renault Zoe has been the top-selling electric car in the French market, selling over 100,00 units.
- Lotus Elise – 9,123 baby names
The Lotus Elise was the second most popular car model name for babies, with the name Elise being used over 9,000 times since 1996. The Lotus Elise has been around since 1996; however, it was discontinued in 2021. The car was named after the granddaughter of Romano Artioli, who was the chairman of Lotus at the time.
- Mini Cooper – 4,272 baby names
The Mini Cooper, one of the UK’s most iconic cars, completes our top three, with the name Cooper being used over 4,000 times since 1996. The Mini Cooper is often associated with the classic film, The Italian Job, as well as the comedy series Mr Bean. The production of these cars started back in 1959 and has since become a symbol of the UK.
Methodology
We used YouGov to find the most popular car brands in the UK, and AutoTrader to find car models.
We then used the Office of National Statistics to find the total number of baby names for each of the car brands and models between 1996 and 2021.
