The most popular baby names in England and Wales

The latest baby name figures have been released by the Office for National Statistics. In England and Wales there was a common thread at the top of the 2020 charts for a fifth consecutive year. Oliver was the most popular name for boys, while for girls it was Olivia. Names with a potentially royal inspiration were also popular, as can be seen by George and Harry making the number two and eight spots for the boys, respectively.

Siân Bradford at the ONS' Vital Statistics Outputs Branch gave some more background: "We continue to see the age of mothers having an impact on the choice of baby name. Archie jumped into the top 10 boys’ names for the first time, driven by younger mothers as well as the obvious Royal link. While on the girls’ side Ivy rose to sixth place. Popular culture continues to provide inspiration for baby names, whether it’s characters in our favourite show or trending celebrities. Maeve and Otis, characters from the popular programme ‘Sex Education’, have seen a surge in popularity in 2020. While the name Margot has been rapidly climbing since actress Margot Robbie appeared in the popular film ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’."