Latest news with #babynames
Daily Mail
32 minutes ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
No newborns called Keir since Prime Minister took office - but Angela, Boris and Nigel are still in vogue
The Prime Minister's name has been banished by parents, with no newborn boys being called 'Keir' since the PM took office. For the first time on record, no parent decided to give their boy the same name as the Labour leader last year. The figures were released this morning by the Office for National Statistics, as part of the most popular names for newborns in England and Wales. The results could serve as a potentially damning political litmus test of the PM's popularity among new parents. In 2023, before the he took office, four baby Keirs were born. However, since the Labour leader's election victory, his name has fallen off the list entirely. Meanwhile, names of some of his political rivals - and allies, alike - continue to prove popular with parents. There were 16 babies called Boris, while Nigel continues to defy extinction by matching last year's tally of five. After he was elected as PM, the number of babies named Boris surged from 39 in 2019 to 43 the following year. Those called 'Rishi' also saw a slight increase after former Tory leader Mr Sunak moved into 10 Downing Street, rising from 36 in 2022 to 27 in 2023. In a potential blow for father-of-two Sir Keir, the statistics also show the names of other Labour figures remain popular. Parents chose Rachel 114 times, while there were 28 Angelas welcomed into the world last year. And three Yvettes were born, while 70 babies were called Wesley and 35 newborns were named Bridget. 'Keir' originates from Ireland and derives its meaning from the Irish word 'dubh', which means 'dark' or 'black'. The name also has roots in Scotland. According to historians, the Irish used descriptive words to name their children, with black thought to signify strength, intelligence and resilience. Labour leader Sir Keir previously admitted he used to dislike his name, with his biography revealing that as a teenager he wondered why his parents 'couldn't have called me Dave or Pete'. The PM's was reportedly named by his mother and father after trade unionist Keir Hardie, the Labour Party's founder and first parliamentary leader. When Rishi Sunak moved into Downing Street, the popularity of his name saw a slight increase (the former PM is pictured as a young boy) According to the latest date on the top baby names in England and Wales, Muhammad has now taken the top spot for the second year in a row. More than 5,721 boys were given the specific spelling of Muhammad in 2024, a rise of 23 per cent on last year, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Noah came in second, with Oliver in third, just as they did in 2023. Olivia and Amelia held the top two spots for baby girl names for the third year in a row, but Isla dropped out of the top three after being replaced by Lily. Olivia has been in the top three for girls' names every year since 2006, with 2,761 girls given the name in 2024. 2024 marks the second time just one spelling of the Muhammad has topped the charts, although when all thirty-plus iterations are grouped together it has been the most common for over a decade, the Daily Mail's analysis suggests. Each year the ONS analyses the latest baby name data, uncovering trends in how certain names have fallen out of favour or soared in popularity. The biggest gainer in the top 25 list of girl's names was May, which has jumped 14 places compared to last year, with 1,592 namings in total. Bonnie saw the second largest rise - going up 10 places. For boys, Rory rose fastest year on year, followed by Elijah. Mohammed, a different spelling, entered the top 100 boys' names for England and Wales 100 years ago, debuting at 91st in 1924. Its prevalence dropped considerably in the lead up to and during WW2 but began to rise in the 1960s. That particular iteration of the name was the only one to appear in the ONS' top 100 data from 1924 until Mohammad joined in the early 1980s. Muhammad, now the most popular of the trio, first broke into the top 100 in the mid-1980s and has seen the fastest growth of all three iterations since. The name means 'praiseworthy' or 'commendable' and stems from the Arabic word 'hamad' meaning 'to praise' and is shared with the founder of Islam, the prophet Muhammad.
BBC News
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Most popular boys' and girls' names of 2024 revealed
The most popular names for children born in 2024 in England and Wales have been released, with Athena and Yahya making it into the top 100 for the first time. Muhammad tops the list of boys' names for the second year running, with Noah and Oliver also making second and third place, respectively, as they were in and Amelia held the top two spots for girls' names for a third year in a row, while Isla dropped from third place after being replaced by Lily. The list was released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which compiles the list using birth registration data. New entries to the top 100 names for girls include Eloise, Nora, Myla, Rosa, Athena, Sara and Zoe. New entries for boys include Austin, Nathan, Vinnie and retained its place as the most popular boys' name, with 5,721 babies given the name. It was ranked first in five of nine regions in England and came 57th in spellings of the name also made the list: Mohammed came in 21st place, with 1,760 given the name, and Mohammad in 53rd place, with 2,761 baby girls in England and Wales were named Olivia, ranking first in seven English regions and Wales. SJ Strum, a baby expert and author of Baby Name Envy, said she was not surprised the name has taken the number one spot once more, but that she was a "little disappointed". "It's a name everyone loves - it was Louise in the 90s, Sarah in the 80s," Ms Strum continued."Olivia is a great pick as a timeless name, but we are seeing fewer and fewer Olivias being born. People are now looking for more unique names." She said the "traditional top hitters" always make the list, but beneath those are names influenced by popular culture. Examples include Margot, after Hollywood actress Margot Robbie, and Otis, a character from the popular Netflix series Sex Education."Parents are taking inspiration from the world around them and following their passions," Ms Strum when it comes to boys, she said British parents tend to be "traditional namers", as an attempt to "set them up to succeed in the workplace".She added that names that were once popular over a century ago are becoming so once more."Arthur is now in the top 10 names - that wouldn't have been [the case] 15 years ago."This is known as the 100-year rule, according to Clare Green, another expert who writes for baby-naming website Nameberry. "We tend to use names which are just old enough not to be a grandparent name, but the generation up," she said. "They're outside living memory and part of the love for all things vintage."It is because of this that we might see a resurgence of names like Susan or Roger in the next generation, she added. Names relating to nature also made the list of most popular names, with Lily, Poppy and Ivy among the top 10. Ms Green said that names like these are "evergreen" - mainstays in the top 100 for years. But are there any that surprised her this year?"In some ways, it is the names that people feel are a bit dated, like Jessica, but are still in the top 100 list," she says. Names given to baby boys fewer than five times in 2024 include Awesome, Cuthbert, Crispin and Beckham. Names given to baby girls fewer than five times include Sicily, Everest, Orchid and Poem.
Sky News
an hour ago
- General
- Sky News
Top baby names for 2024 revealed - plus some of the most unusual
Muhammad has topped the list of most popular baby boy names in England and Wales for the second year in a row. The newly released 2024 list shows that Noah came second for boys, followed by Oliver in third, meaning the top three remained the same from 2023. Olivia and Amelia were the two most popular baby girl names for the third year in a row, but Isla dropped out of the top three and was replaced by Lily. Olivia has been in the top three girls' names every year since 2006, with 2,761 girls given the name in 2024, while Muhammad has been in the top 10 for boys since 2016. The rankings, put together by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), are compiled using the exact spellings of names given at birth registration, meaning similar names with different spellings are counted separately. The data shows that three variant spellings of Muhammad made the list of the top 100 baby boys' names. Muhammad ranked first, with 5,721 boys being given the name, while Mohammed came in 21st with 1,760 and Mohammad came 53rd with 986. The rankings show a continued fall in the popularity of royal names, with George ranked sixth with 3,257 babies being given the name and William coming in 27th. Louis came in 47th for boys and Charlotte ranked 23rd for girls. The list also shows unique names that have been used less than five times. For the boys, there was the likes of Cuthbert, Crispin, Awesome and Beckham, and for girls there was Orchid, Poem, Sicily and Everest.
The Independent
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
The UK's top baby names and the most unusual ones revealed
Muhammad has once again topped the list of most popular baby boy names in England and Wales, marking its second consecutive year at number one, official figures show. The name has remained in the top 10 since 2016. Noah and Oliver held onto their second and third positions respectively, mirroring 2023's rankings. For girls, Olivia and Amelia remained the top two choices for the third year running. However, Isla dropped out of the top three, replaced by Lily. Olivia's enduring popularity is clear, having featured in the top three every year since 2006, with 2,761 girls given the name in 2024. The rankings are based on the exact spellings of names given at birth registration, meaning similar names with different spellings are counted separately. The data, published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), shows that three variant spellings of Muhammad made the list of the top 100 baby boys' names in England and Wales in 2024. Muhammad ranked first with 5,721 boys being given the name, while Mohammed came in 21st with 1,760 and Mohammad came 53rd with 986. The ONS found that names continued to fall in popularity on the whole. Their data found that George ranked sixth overall with 3,257 babies being given the name and William came in 27th. Louis came in 47th for boys while Charlotte ranked 23rd for girls. Other popular names for boys in the top 10 included Arthur, Leo, Luca, Theodore, Oscar and Archie, while the top names for girls include Ivy, Florence, Freya, Poppy, Ava and Elsie. The ONS revealed the more unusual names given to babies born in 2024. Names given to baby boys less than five times in 2024 include Cuthbert, Crispin, Awesome and Beckham. Names given to baby girls less than five times include Orchid, Poem, Sicily and Everest.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Most popular names for baby boys and girls in 2024 revealed
Muhammad was the most popular name for baby boys in England and Wales in 2024, figures show. It was the second year running that Muhammad topped the list, having been in the top 10 since 2016. Noah came in second, with Oliver in third, just as they did in 2023. Olivia and Amelia held the top two spots for baby girl names for the third year in a row, but Isla dropped out of the top three after being replaced by Lily. Olivia has been in the top three for girls' names every year since 2006, with 2,761 girls given the name in 2024. The rankings were created using the exact spellings of names given at birth registration, meaning similar names with different spellings were counted separately. The data, published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), shows that three variant spellings of Muhammad made the list of the top 100 baby boys' names in England and Wales in 2024. Muhammad ranked first with 5,721 boys being given the name, while Mohammed came in 21st with 1,760 and Mohammad came 53rd with 986. Royal names continued to fall in popularity on the whole. George ranked sixth with 3,257 babies being given the name and William came in 27th. Louis came in 47th for boys and Charlotte ranked 23rd for girls. Names given to baby boys less than five times in 2024 include Cuthbert, Crispin, Awesome and Beckham. Names given to baby girls less than five times include Orchid, Poem, Sicily and Everest.
