2009’s Most Popular Names for Kids: Oliver and Olivia
It used to be Jack for most boys born in England and Wales for fourteen years on end, but last year Oliver, who had long been coming second on the list, came on top, as show the Office for the National Statistics data on children’s most popular names.
Actually the last year saw no newcomers, just some rearrangement of names with Harry (now place 3) and Alfie (4) moving up the list and the unlucky Jack (2) and Thomas (now 6 against 2008’s 3) sliding down.
The sturdy ones are Joshua (5), Charles (7) and James (9), who didn’t budge from their last positions, but William (now 8) and Daniel (10) exchanged places.
While rivalry is running wild on the boys’ list, things are much quieter on the girls’ one: Olivia and Ruby unchallenged toppers and five non-movers against the boys’ three… Well, here goes –
Popular Names for Girls
- Olivia
- Ruby
- Chloe (most active, rose from place 6)
- Emily
- Sophie (another riser)
- Jessica
- Grace
- Lily
- Amelia
- Evie
Altogether the year 2009 saw 706,248 births. Registered were 26,800 different boys’ names and 34,100 different girls’ names – with more girls’ names it’s funny that their list should prove a more stable one.
A comment from the Office for National Statistics notes “a resurgence in the popularity of names which were perhaps once associated with people of the inter-war generation or earlier” that is running through the beginning of this century.
Source of the image: Photl.
