Noah has emerged as the most popular name for boys and Olivia has topped the girls’ list for the sixth year in a row, but there have been some surprise exits in the top 10.
Henry replaced Jack in the top 10 boys’ names in England and Wales in 2021, while Freya, Florence and Willow replaced Isabella, Rosie and Sophia for girls.
It is the first time Jack has not been in the top 10 since the Office for National Statistics’ annual series began in 1996.
Muhammad was the most popular boy’s name in four of the nine English regions.
New entries into the top 100 include Lara, Beatrice and Sara for girls, and Blake, Brody, Kai, Rupert, Tobias and Nathan for boys.
Olivia was the most popular girl’s name in all regions of England and Wales except the East Midlands where Amelia was the most popular girl’s name.
The analysis shows that choices can differ based on the age of the mother, with younger women opting for more modern and shortened names such as Tommy, and older mothers choosing more traditional names such as Thomas.
It also reveals the cultural influences that could be driving baby name trends, from Star Wars, Pixar and Peaky Blinders to parents trying to keep up with the Kardashians.
Pixar’s much-hyped coming-of-age tale last year, Luca may have boosted interest in the name, as the number of boys named Luca jumped from 1,323 in 2020 to 1,807 in 2021, making the made it the 28th most popular name for boys.
The number of newborn children named Kylo, Lando and Finn has also increased in recent years, which may be due to the latest trilogy of the Star Wars franchise.
The Arthurs have more than doubled since the famous Birmingham gangster family hit TV screens in Peaky Blinders – from 1,559 in 2013 to 3,766 in 2021.
The names Saint (son of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West), True (daughter of Khloe Kardashian) and Psalm (Kim’s second child) have also grown in popularity, according to the ONS.
Musical names like Ezra and Mabel have also been climbing the charts.
And the names Archie, George, Louis and Charlotte have risen in rank following the royal births.
“Famous figures, both real and fictional, have long set baby naming trends, and it looks like 2021 was no exception. While it’s not possible to know exactly what was behind the decisions of parents, some notable names from across the cultural spectrum have risen in the charts recently,” the ONS said.
