The official 2013 names list has been published by the Office of National Statistics (15th August 2014) and below are the top baby names in England and Wales for 2013.
More than 35,000 different girls' names were registered in 2013 - compared to 27,000 for boys.
Boys:
Oliver has secured the number one spot in the official Top Baby Boy Names 2013. Meanwhile, Jack climbs one to second place and Harry drops two places to take third. Oscar was the highest climbing in the Top 10, rising ten places to no. 7.
Biblical names continue to be popular with parents, with Jacob, Noah, Ethan, Reuben, Gabriel and many others all securing places in the coveted top 100 list.
Teddy was new to the boys' top 100, ranked number 86 alongside other newcomers Ibrahim, Ronnie, Felix, Austin and Albert. Theodore jumped 19 places to become 78th most popular boys' name.
Shortened names like Alfie, Teddy, Freddie, and Archie are just a few examples of the charming pet names that have made it through to the top 100.
Looking at the Royal baby connection, George appeared in the top 10 names in every month bar January until the Prince’s birth in July, after which its popularity appeared to decrease.
Regionally Jack beat Oliver to the number one spot in the East and North East, whilst Muhammad was the most popular name in London and Mohammed in the West Midlands.
Top 10 most popular baby boy names 2013
- Oliver
- Jack
- Harry
- Jacob
- Charlie
- Thomas
- Oscar
- William
- James
- George
Click here to see the full Top 100 Boy’s Names 2013
What’s in a name? Click here to see the origins and meanings of the Top 10 boys’ names
Girls:
Parents are playing safe again with the official Top Baby Girl names 2013. Amelia tops the list for the third year running, beating Olivia and Emily into second and third.
Poppy was the only new girl’s name that made the top ten, rising six places to no. 7, but Elsie surged higher than any other name in the top 100, rising 23 places to number 47. Sophia, Matilda, Evelyn, Willow, Ivy, Mollie and Violet also showed strong increases in popularity. Brand new into the top 100 came Victoria, Darcy and Beatrice.
TV programmes and films appear to be having an effect. There were 72 babies named Skyler - the name of the lead female character in Breaking Bad and more than 1,000 girls now have the name Amelie after the French film was released in 2001.
Amelia and Olivia were the top two names across all regions, followed in the battle very closely by Emily and Ava; except in London where Isabella was the third most popular and in the South West where Poppy climbed to the third spot.
Top 10 most popular baby girl names 2013
- Amelia
- Olivia
- Emily
- Ava
- Isla
- Jessica
- Poppy
- Isabella
- Sophie
- Mia
Click here to see the full Top 100 Girls’ Names 2013
What’s in a name? Click here to see the origins and meanings of the Top 10 girls’ names
There are a few things to consider when choosing a name;
• Family heritage on both sides
• How the first name matches up with the family name
• If you are picking a middle name, does it flow with the first and last name and what will the initials spell out.
• Can you shorten the name and will you be happy with that name sticking instead of the given name you have chosen.
Fun Fact - did you know?
Several countries - such as Germany, Sweden, China and Iceland - restrict what you can call your baby!! In the case of Iceland, it's about meeting certain rules of grammar and gender, and saving the child from possible embarrassment. There is a list of 1,853 female names and 1,712 male ones, and parents must pick from these lists or seek permission from a special committee.