'Bane' and 'Margherita': The rarest new baby names in England and Wales

The most popular baby names have been revealed, but the list has also thrown up some rare monikers given to newborns in England and Wales in 2016.

While Olivia regained its status as the most popular name for girls, Oliver was the top name for baby boys for the fourth year in a row, official statistics show.

Away from the usual popular boys’ and girls’ names to make the top 10 lists, some parents took inspiration from places, animals and culture when picking out a unique name for their children.

Among the 696,000 babies listed, the rarest names for girls included Twinkle, Margherita and Queen - with just three babies born last year sharing each name.

Out of the 64,000 different names, some of the more unconventional  boys’ names included Bane, Otter and Jupiter.

Nick Stripe of the Office for National Statistics said: “It's interesting how relatively stable the top 10 names have been over recent years.

“Olivia replaced Amelia as the most popular name for girls in 2016, returning to the top position it previously held between 2008 and 2010.

“Oliver remained the most popular name for baby boys born in 2016, having held the top spot since 2013.”

He added: “It is as you move down the rankings that you begin to notice social and cultural changes being reflected in name choices.

“Harper was the girls’ name in the top 100 in 2016 with the biggest rise in popularity over the previous 10 years, whilst for boys it was Jaxon.”

A total of 20 births were registered without a name in 2016.