00:00The most popular baby names in England and Wales for 2024 have just been revealed and there are some notable newcomers.
00:10Athena and Yaya have entered the top 100 names for the first time as published by the Office for National Statistics.
00:18Our journalist Duncan Falconer brings us more information on this topic.
00:24Yet for boys, Mohamed holds the top spot for the second year in a row followed by Noah and then Oliver, mirroring last year's rankings.
00:32Mohamed was the most popular boys name in five of England's nine regions though it was only ranked 57th in Wales.
00:38On the girls side, Olivia and Amelia remain in the top two as they have for the past three years.
00:43Lily has now moved into third overtaking Isla.
00:46In total 2,761 baby girls were named Olivia in 2024, making it the most popular name in seven English regions and in Wales.
00:55Baby naming expert S.J. Strum, author of Baby Name Envy, says she wasn't surprised to see Olivia top the list again but admits she was a little disappointed.
01:04It's a name everyone loves. It was Louise in the 90s, Sarah in the 80s she said.
01:09Olivia's a great pick as a timeless name but we're seeing fewer and fewer Olivias being born.
01:14People are now looking for more unique names.
01:17Strum says that while traditional names continue to dominate, many parents are increasingly influenced by pop culture.
01:24She points to names like Margot which may have risen in popularity thanks to actress Margot Robbie and Otis from the hit Netflix show Sex Education.
01:34It's said that parents are taking inspiration from the world around them in following their passions.
01:40When it comes to boys, it's said British parents remain largely traditional namers, aiming to set them up to succeed in the workplace.
01:50That's right, but old-fashioned names are also making a comeback.
01:53Arthur, for example, is now in the top 10, a name that wouldn't have featured so highly 15 years ago.
01:59This trends part of what baby name expert Claire Green from the site Nameberry calls the 100 year rule.
02:06She said we tend to use names which are just old enough not to be a grandparent name but maybe the next generation up from them.
02:13They're outside living memory and part of the love for all things vintage.
02:18Because of that, she said, we might start seeing names like Susan or even Roger appear in the next generation.
02:24Names inspired by nature are also holding strong with Lily, Poppy and Ivy all landing in the girls top 10.
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