We often read reports about unexpected trends in baby names – '90s names are coming back, we've been told, and naming babies after IKEA products is apparently a thing now.
But when it comes to finding out which baby names are genuinely the most popular in England and Wales, the annual report by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) is the most comprehensive. That's because it's compiled by analysing the baby names of every single live birth registered during a particular calendar year.
The ONS said yesterday that there were 679,106 live births registered in England and Wales in 2017, with a massive 63,697 different names chosen for these newborn babies.
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For the fifth consecutive year, Oliver was the most popular name given to boys, while Olivia was the most popular name given to girls for the second year in succession.
Amelia remained the second most popular name given to girls, with Isla, Ava and Emily completing the top 5. Other popular boys' names included the very Royal-sounding Harry and George, as well as Noah, Jack and Muhammad.
Commenting on the results, Nick Stripe of the ONS said: "Although Oliver and Olivia remained the most popular baby names in 2017, some fascinating changes took place beneath them. Leo entered the boys top 10 for the first time, whilst Hunter rocketed into the top 100, also for the first time, reaching number 78.
"Sarah, the most popular name for baby girls throughout much of the 1970s and 1980s, dropped out of the top 100 for the first time since our records began in 1904. Brand new entries into the top 100 for girls include the names Aurora and Hallie."
The 10 most popular girls' names in England and Wales in 2017:
1. Olivia
2. Amelia
3. Isla
4. Ava
5. Emily
6. Isabella
7. Mia
8. Poppy
9. Ella
10. Lily
The 10 most popular boys' names in England and Wales in 2017:
1. Oliver
2. Harry
3. George
4. Noah
5. Jack
6. Jacob
7. Leo
8. Oscar
9. Charlie
10. Muhammad
You can use the ONS widgets below to find out how popular a particular girls' or boys' name is across different parts of England and Wales. Just type in the name to begin.