A report showing the top baby names for 2023 has been revealed – as well as the inspiration behind them.
And although traditional names are still the favourites, many are being spelled in more unusual ways, with a whopping 17 dedicated to the name Aiden alone.
According to BabyCentre's report, Olivia is still monopolising the top of the list, despite a steady decrease over its popularity since 2016, while the top boy's name was Muhammad. This name was so popular that even slight variations of Mohammed and Mohammad made the top 100, placed at 46 and 48 respectively.
Meanwhile, 'Taylormonia' – which swept the UK and the world this year – has seen Taylor Swift-inspired names surge in popularity. The report found Dorothea quadrupled in registrations and that August, from Swift's Folklore album, rose for boys and appeared in the girl's registration for the first time. Meanwhile, Willow climbed its way into the girls’ list of top 10 names.
The Little Mermaid's co-stars Halle Bailey and Jacob Tremblay also inspired many parents-to-be. Popularity, however, plummeted for royal monikers, including Harry, Meghan, William, and Charles – and certain celebrities, such as Jada and Will.
Previously popular name Matilda fell just below the cut-off of the top 40, as the musical and film slide from the headlines.
Other trends saw witchcraft-related names soar in popularity for girls, which Babycentre credits to the internet's obsession with the WitchTok phenomenon, which has seen practices such as manifestation and hexing attract global audiences. This has subsequently lent itself to names such as Luna increasing in popularity, which just made the top 20.The top 10 names for girls were:
- Olivia
- Amelia
- Isla
- Lily
- Ava
- Freya
- Ivy
- Sophia
- Grace
- Willow
Meanwhile, for boys, they were:
- Muhammad
- Noah
- Theo
- Leo
- Oliver
- Arthur
- George
- Luca
- Freddie
- Jack
