Pregnancy & Birth
The name game
Whether it is, or was, a great debate or an easy decision for you and your partner, you can't avoid the name game and everyone is on the clock... you have nine months, ready, set GO!
It was when I started primary school that I realized originality couldn’t have been a factor when my parents had decided on my name. I was one of three Sarah’s (all spelled with an “h”) in my class and I even shared a middle name with one of them. I am sure that if I was to check the vital statistics records in Canada for that year it is likely that Sarah was, at the very least, in the top 10 names for girls. Names, like fashion trends, change with each season and year and are destined to come full circle. It’s like the old saying “what once was old is new again.”
According the Office for National Statistics, the popularity of names can be influenced by names of famous figures or current celebrities and what they name their own babies. However, it can also be influenced by other factors such as the religious, cultural and/or ethnic identities of parents or the names of family, friends or fictional characters. As such, there is a great diversity of baby names.
Here’s what some of our members have to say about “the name game”
For middle names we wanted a family name so we went for my grandmothers first and second name in Lily Grace. We wanted a family name but were concerned that family members from the other side or from the other countries would be put out but we decided as long as we were happy with our decision that was all that matters.
~Karen
Top tip: Never tell anyone what you are thinking of calling your baby, only tell them the name once you have chosen. If you tell them in advance what you are thinking of, they will probably give an honest opinion whether they like it or not. Once the decision is final, they will always tell you what a lovely name you have chosen.
~Naomi Thorley
Boys
Oliver
Jack
Harry
Jacob
Charlie
Thomas
Oscar
William
James
George
Girls
Amilia
Oliva
Emily
Ava
Isla
Jessica
Poppy
Isabella
Sophie
Mia
Top ten baby names, boys & girls 2013, England & Wales **
Rank change since 2012
+1
+1
-2
+1
-1
-
+10
+1
+1
+2
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
More information:
Office for National Statistics (2014) Births and Deaths in England and Wales 2013, available at:
www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob1/birth-summary-tables--england-and-wales/2013/index.html
**Baby names in England and Wales, 2013, Office of National Statistics – publication date August 14, 2014
In 2013, there were 698,512 live births in England and Wales (ONS, 2014), with over 27,000 different boys’ names and over 35,000 different girls’ names registered. The top 10 names only account for 13% of all names in 2013.
What hasn’t changed in a decade…
In 2013, 5 of the top 10 most popular boys’ names were also in the top 10 in 2003: Oliver, Jack, Thomas, William and James.
In 2013, 4 of the top 10 most popular girls’ names were in the top 10 in 2003: Olivia, Emily, Jessica and Sophie.
Rank change since 2012
-
-
+1
+2
+3
-3
+6
+2
-
-3