How Pop Culture Influenced UK Baby Names

Last week, we learned that Amelia and Oliver were the UK's most popular names for a third year running. But as we know, not all parents are content with giving their kids traditional monikers. Something Blue Ivy and North are probably realising right about now. Many expectant parents in England and Wales, clearly having watched too much Netflix, are taking influence from pop culture, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The statistics experts have analysed the influence of some of our favourite films and TV shows on baby name choices in 2015, and some of the findings may surprise you. The name Mila has become increasingly popular since 2010, when Black Swan, featuring Mila Kunis, was released. 692 babies were given the name in 2015, compared to fewer than 100 in 2009. The Wolf Of Wall Street, which was released in 2013, exposed many people to actor Margot Robbie for the first time. A number of expectant parents clearly liked what they saw, because the name's popularity has increased substantially since. (In comparison, the 2001 release of The Royal Tenenbaums, in which Gwyneth Paltrow played Margot Tenenbaum, appears to have had little impact.)

178 babies were named Margot in 2015, which makes it the 273rd most popular girls' name – up from 1914th in 1996. The name Clara has also increased in popularity recently, a trend the ONS put down to Jenna Coleman's character Clara Oswald in Doctor Who, who first appeared in 2012. 605 babies were called Clara in 2015, up from fewer than 250 in 2011. The popularity of names featured in The Hunger Games has also shot up in recent years. Primrose "Prim" Everdeen has proven particularly influential, with 192 babies receiving her name in 2015. Surprisingly, more babies were given the same name as flamboyant Effie Trinket, played by Elizabeth Banks, than Jennifer Lawrence's lead character Katniss Everdeen. 138 babies were named Effie in 2015, compared to fewer than three Katnisses. Disney characters are still popular sources of baby-name inspiration, the ONS revealed. Jasmine was the favourite in 2015, with 1,182 babies also receiving that name. Babies were also named Aurora (417), Belle (186), Tiana (143), Ariel (35) and Merida (10). Eight babies even received the name Snow, as in White, in 2015. We're willing to bet that the number of Belles will shoot up in 2018.