Yahoo News Top 100 baby names for boys and girls in UK revealed as favourite for boys soars in charts
Selecting a name for your newborn is one of the most significant decisions you'll make as a parent. Do you choose a tried and true name that other parents also favour, or do you go for something more unique that will distinguish your baby from their peers?
The name you pick for your child will be with them for life, and while many parents believe sticking with something traditional is the best choice, there has been an increase in the popularity of unusual baby names in recent years too. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has now published its yearly figures for the most popular baby names in England and Wales, and there are certainly some unexpected entries.
ONS data always reflects the previous year, and today's announcement came later in the year than usual, so the data released today looks back at the names that were most popular for both boys and girls in 2022. When the ONS figures for 2021 were released last year, there was a massive shake-up at the top of the boys' list, as Noah took the number one spot from Oliver, which had been the most popular name for eight consecutive years. The reign has continued for Noah in 2022 as well, as the name is still the number one boy's name in England and Wales.
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Major favourite Muhammad has risen hugely in popularity, moving from fifth place in 2021 to second in 2022. Back in 2012, it ranked only 20th, reports the Mirror.
For girls, Olivia has once again secured the top spot as the most popular name, marking its seventh consecutive year at the helm. Joining Olivia in the top five for 2021 were Amelia, Isla, and Ava.
Lily made a new entry into the top five in 2022, climbing two spots from the previous year. While the ONS data reflects the past year, the most recent information on popular baby names comes from BabyCentre's mid-year report released in July, which examined the top 100 baby names for 2023 so far.
According to this data, Lily may dethrone Olivia in 2023, with Sophia following closely in second place and Olivia dropping to third.
The full list of ONS top 100 baby names is as follows:
