These Are Officially The Most Popular Baby Names For Boys & Girls

The most popular first names for baby boys and girls in England and Wales are Oliver and Olivia respectively, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) birth registration data for 2018.

Oliver remains the most popular name for boys for the sixth year in a row, while Olivia is the most popular name for girls for the third year in a row.

Arthur was the only new entry into the top 10 names for boys in 2018, knocking out the biblical Jacob, while Sophia and Grace replaced Poppy and Lily in the top 10 names for girls.

Grayson, Jasper, Rowan, Tobias, Sonny and Dominic were new entries in the top 100 names for boys; Grayson, Rowan and Tobias have never previously featured in the top 100.

Ada, Delilah, Ayla, Zoe, Margot and Felicity entered the top 100 names for girls; the name Ada enjoyed a resurgence, appearing in the top 100 for the first time since 1924 while Delilah, Ayla and Margot made their first ever appearances.

A handful of names, such as George, William, Edward and Elizabeth have consistently featured in the top 100 since the early 20th century, varying in popularity from year to year.

There are age differences in name selection between older and younger parents. 'Traditional' names such as Alexander, Joshua, William, Thomas, Charlotte, Jessica and Sophie tend to be more popular among parents over 35, while parents under 25 tend towards names such as Hunter, Logan, Harper and Nevaeh.

According to the ONS, celebrities have a real influence on baby names. For example, the number of Margots has more than doubled since 2015, perhaps inspired by Hollywood actress Margot Robbie.

Since the birth of David and Victoria Beckham’s daughter Harper in 2011, the number of girls named Harper has increased, rising 831 places to be ranked the 27th most popular name for girls. Alexa has remained relatively stable for a number of years but decreased in 2018.

1. Olivia
2. Amelia
3. Ava
4. Isla
5. Emily
6. Mia
7. Isabella
8. Sophia
9. Ella
10. Grace

1. Oliver
2. George
3. Harry
4. Noah
5. Jack
6. Leo
7. Arthur
8. Muhammad
9. Oscar
10. Charlie

This is the first time that annual statistics on baby names in England and Wales for 2018 have been published. The full list is here.