Logan

Here is a fun fact to bring out at the next family barbecue: Logan, one of the most confident-sounding names on the modern shortlist, means little hollow. Not mountain, not warrior, not thunderbolt. A small dip in the ground.

It comes from Scottish Gaelic, and once you know the meaning it is hard not to find it endearing. There is something lovely about a name that sounds like it could captain a rugby team but secretly describes a quiet, sheltered spot in the landscape. Big energy on the outside, soft heart in the middle. Rather like a lot of small boys, in fact.

North America has fallen for it

Logan has had an impressive run in North America. It is number 16 in the United States on the 2020 figures, and number 20 in Canada. In those countries it is a familiar, trusted favourite, the kind of name you hear at every swimming lesson.

On this side of the Atlantic it is a bit rarer, sitting at 76 in England & Wales. New Zealand has it at 96, Australia at 104 and France at 137, with Argentina at 142 and Catalonia at 212. So in Britain it is well known but not ubiquitous, which is something of a sweet spot.

The sound helps it travel. Logan is two clean syllables, easy to say in most accents and hard to get wrong, and it sits comfortably with almost any surname you throw at it.

From the screen to the sandpit

Logan has a handful of well-known namesakes. Logan Lerman is an American actor, and Logan Paul is an American YouTuber and internet personality. For fans of superheroes, there is also Logan, the fictional character from the X-Men film series, which lends the name a certain big-screen swagger. Not a bad set of associations for a boy who will spend most of his early life climbing on sofas.

There is a nickname too: Logie, which is about as cosy as nicknames get. Logan for the school register, Logie for bedtime stories and muddy wellies in the hallway. It is the sort of pet name that sticks around in families long after the child has grown taller than everyone.

If you are thinking about siblings, Logan sits naturally alongside Mason, Liam, Owen and Harper. They are all short, modern and friendly, names that feel fresh without being outlandish. Logan and Harper sound like two kids who would build an elaborate den at the bottom of the garden, ideally in a little hollow.

The beauty of Logan is that it manages to be both contemporary and grounded. It has roots in an old language, a meaning tied to the landscape, and a sound that works as easily on a toddler as on a grown man in a suit.

That said, no name, however lovely, will spare you the agony of choosing. You will still go back and forth, debate the middle name until midnight and secretly rehearse saying it at the school gate. That is the madness and the magic of naming a baby. But if you want a modern favourite with a gentle meaning tucked inside, Logan is worth a long look.