British parents are finding baby name inspiration in everything from politics and the royals to climate change activists and pop culture, a new report has found.
According to parenting website BabyCentre, which analysed the most-popular baby names of 2019 so far through parent registrations on the site, there are various trends influencing parents’ choices.
However, despite a resurgence of 80s names as well as some celebrity influence, both of last year’s most-popular names have remained in their respective places, with Olivia leading the way for girls and Muhammed the most-popular choice for boys.
Following Olivia is Sophia, which has remained the second-most popular name, and Lily, which BabyCentre speculates may be the lasting influence of the Harry Potter series on millennial parents.
Ava, Freya and Isabella are also popular girl choices for 2019 in fourth, eighth, and ninth, respectively, while Penny, Hannah and Emma are making a comeback.
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Jay-Z and Beyoncé catch some tennis at the US Open in September, four months before the birth of Blue Ivy
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Gwyneth Paltrow and her daughter Apple
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David Beckham with sons Romeo, Brooklyn and Cruz. In 2011, Victoria Beckham gave birth to the couple’s first daughter, named Harper Seven
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Bono and wife Alison Hewson named their third child Elijah Bob Patricius Guggi Q
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Several years on from his first appearance out of the window of a Berlin Hotel, Michael Jackson’s youngest son Prince Michael Jackson II, affectionately known as ‘Blanket’
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Prog rock legend Frank Zappa’s children were named Dweezil, Moon Unit and Diva Muffin
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Sylvester Stallone had two daughters with first wife Sasha Czack, who he called Sage Moonblood and Seargeoh. He toned things down a little with his latter three children with present wife Jennifer Flavin, naming them Sophia Rose, Sistine Rose and Scarlet Rose
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Geri Halliwell with daughter Bluebell Madonna
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Jamie and Jools Oliver with their daughters Poppy Honey Rosie and Daisy Boo Pamela. The couple also have a third daughter called Petal Blosson Rainbow and a son called Buddy Bear Maurice
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Good Charlotte punk rocker Joel Madden has a son named Sparrow James Midnight with wife Nicole Richie, adopted daughter of Lionel
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Heavy metal singer Jonathan Davis and his former porn star wife Deven have two sons called Pirate Houseman and Zeppelin Houseman
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Former Fall Out Boy bass player Pete Wentz and singer Ashlee Simpson with their son Bronx Mowgli in Disneyland before the couple’s divorce
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Jay-Z and Beyoncé catch some tennis at the US Open in September, four months before the birth of Blue Ivy
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Gwyneth Paltrow and her daughter Apple
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David Beckham with sons Romeo, Brooklyn and Cruz. In 2011, Victoria Beckham gave birth to the couple’s first daughter, named Harper Seven
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Bono and wife Alison Hewson named their third child Elijah Bob Patricius Guggi Q
Getty Images
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Several years on from his first appearance out of the window of a Berlin Hotel, Michael Jackson’s youngest son Prince Michael Jackson II, affectionately known as ‘Blanket’
Getty Images
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Prog rock legend Frank Zappa’s children were named Dweezil, Moon Unit and Diva Muffin
Getty Images
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Sylvester Stallone had two daughters with first wife Sasha Czack, who he called Sage Moonblood and Seargeoh. He toned things down a little with his latter three children with present wife Jennifer Flavin, naming them Sophia Rose, Sistine Rose and Scarlet Rose
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Geri Halliwell with daughter Bluebell Madonna
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Jamie and Jools Oliver with their daughters Poppy Honey Rosie and Daisy Boo Pamela. The couple also have a third daughter called Petal Blosson Rainbow and a son called Buddy Bear Maurice
Getty Images
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Good Charlotte punk rocker Joel Madden has a son named Sparrow James Midnight with wife Nicole Richie, adopted daughter of Lionel
Getty Images
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Heavy metal singer Jonathan Davis and his former porn star wife Deven have two sons called Pirate Houseman and Zeppelin Houseman
Getty Images
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Former Fall Out Boy bass player Pete Wentz and singer Ashlee Simpson with their son Bronx Mowgli in Disneyland before the couple’s divorce
Getty Images
Botanical names Willow and Ivy both made it into the top 20, while a focus on the climate crisis saw an increase in registrations for Greta after Greta Thunberg, and David, which may be the influence of David Attenborough.
“Robyn, Raven, Rowan and Sage were also boosted as a new generation of parents are increasingly conscious of climate crisis,” the site said.
According to BabyCentre, a registration for the name combination Blair Margaret proves “politics is no longer divided on party lines”.
For boy names, Muhammed has proved its lasting power, while Oliver, which held the second place spot for years, dropped two spots to be replaced by Noah.
Prince George may be behind the popularity of his moniker, which came in at third place, while his new cousin Archie’s name was 18th.
TV shows also proved to be a major baby name influence for both boys and girls, with an increase in registrations for Otis, Evie and Maeve from Sex Education, as well as Penny from the Big Bang Theory.
Love Island fans and new parents are using former season two contestants Kady, Scott, Nathan and Cara as inspiration, while Game of Thrones fans have paid tribute to the show by naming their children names such as Maisie for Maisie Williams and Emilia for Emilia Clarke.
Baby Centre senior editor Lorna Marsh said: “The rise in box-set names makes us wonder if the Netflix-and-chill generation are shunning the fad for naming babies after the place they were conceived in favour of that evening’s choice of TV!”
As always, celebrity couples are also influencing parents, with Cara and Ashley, Joe and Sophie, and Ryan and Eva seeing an increase on the charts.
According to the site, the rankings are the result of analysing thousands of parent registrations of baby’s born or due in the first six months of the year. Each year, the site has more than 50,000 registrations.
The full lists of top 20 names for girls and boys of 2019 are below.
Most popular girl names
- Olivia
- Sophia
- Lily
- Ava
- Mia
- Isla
- Amelia
- Freya
- Isabella
- Emily
- Aria
- Evie
- Grace
- Isabelle
- Ella
- Ivy
- Sophie
- Willow
- Charlotte
- Elsie
Most popular boy names
- Muhammad
- Noah
- George
- Oliver
- Charlie
- Harry
- Leo
- Arthur
- Jack
- Freddie
- Jaxon
- Ethan
- Jacob
- Theo
- Oscar
- Alfie
- Henry
- Archie
- Joshua
- Thomas
