Top 10 most popular baby names for boys and girls…

Top 10 most popular baby names for boys and girls revealed with new number one

The top 10 most popular baby names have been revealed and there's a new name at number one for the first time in eight years.

Noah has been crowned the most popular baby name for boys, replacing Oliver which held on to the top spot for the best part of a decade. For girl names, the most popular remains the same, with Olivia clinging on to the number one spot for the sixth year in a row.

The Office for National Statistics compiled the most popular first names for baby boys and girls in 2021 using birth registration data. There were some big changes to the top 10, as Henry replaced Jack - the first time Jack hasn't featured in the top 10 since the ONS's annual series began in 1996.

For families due to welcome a new arrival, choosing the perfect name can be an arduous task, but the top 10 - and the 90 following it - can offer plenty of inspiration. Freya, Florence and Willow replaced Isabella, Rosie, and Sophia for girls, while new entries to the top 100 this year include Lara, Beatrice and Sara for girls, and Blake, Brody, Kai, Rupert, Tobias and Nathan for boys.

James Tucker, head of Health and Life Events Analysis at the Office for National Statistics, commented: "Noah has replaced Oliver as the most popular name for boys in 2021, moving Oliver into second place and ending an eight-year reign at the top. Olivia remained the most popular girls name in 2021, having held the top spot since 2016. Interestingly, Noah was not top in any of the English regions, but has risen up the ranks in most regions since last year to take first place overall.

"While Noah and Olivia are enjoying their places at the top, some names could be in danger of falling out of favour. Leslie has had relatively little popularity in recent years with fewer than seven boys named each year since 2018. Others such as Clifford, Nigel and Norman have not fared much better with ten or fewer boys being named. Girls' names such as Glenda and Kerry, that were more common before, are also becoming endangered and we have seen less than five girls being named each year since 2018.

"Popular culture continues to influence parents' baby name choices. Today we have also published analysis exploring cultural influences that could be inspiring baby name trends, from hit TV shows to musical icons."