Tastes change with every generation, be it music, fashion or the name you bestow upon your offspring.
It’s not always easy to quantify the way music and fashion tastes evolve and change, but when it comes to baby names, you’d better believe there are people writing that shit down.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS), the people in charge of knowing about numbers and that, have revealed the 10 most popular names given to boys and girls in England and Wales in 2016. And here’s the thing, the top names in both gender are almost identical.
For the girls, the top name is Olivia. For the boys, it’s Oliver. There’s a trend here…
Olivia Wilde and Oliver Cromwell, together at last
The results were based on names on birth certificates, the ONS said, with Olivia replacing Amelia as the most popular name. Oliver held on strong, fending off challengers like Harry and George. Muhammad entered the top 10 for the first time, the 8th most popular name in England and Wales, ahead of Thomas and Oscar.
ONS spokesman Nick Stripe said: “With over 696,000 babies born in England and Wales in 2016, and nearly 64,000 different names chosen for them, it’s interesting how relatively stable the top 10 names have been over recent years.
“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.”
Top 10 girls’ names in England and Wales
1. Olivia – 5,017
2. Amelia – 4,777
3. Emily – 3,551
4. Isla – 3,476
5. Ava – 3,285
6. Isabella – 2,729
7. Lily – 2,722
8. Jessica – 2,703
9. Ella – 2,702
10. Mia – 2,662
Top 10 boys’ names in England and Wales
1. Oliver – 6,623
2. Harry – 5,284
3. George – 5,263
4. Jack – 4,751
5. Jacob – 4,485
6. Noah – 4,305
7. Charlie – 4,190
8. Muhammad – 3,908
9. Thomas – 3,898
10. Oscar – 3,894
