The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has unveiled its annual figures on the most popular baby names in England and Wales and it certainly makes for an intriguing read. The Royal Family appear to have inspired newborn parents choosing monikers too, as a few recogniable names have risen in the ranks.
There's also a new regal contender in the statistics, as Beatrice landed a spot in 2021's data and it hadn't featured in the previous year. Popular culture and tradition have continued to influence the choices that parents make, as the list has been influenced by the Kardashians, musical artists and Peaky Blinders characters.
When it comes to boys, the name Archie shot up the chart as it moved from 19th to 9th place, while Louis moved up four spots from 54th in 2020 to 50th place in 2021. This appears to be influenced by the birth of royal children, as Prince Archie was born in 2019 and Prince Louis 2018.
While the names of the late Queen's grandchildren have spiked in popularity, other royal names were less favoured in 2021 than the previous year. Both Harry and William fell down in the ranks despite Archie and Louis being a hit. Harry dropped down from 5th to 7th place, while William went from 17th to 21st.
While royal girl's names featured on the list, a few were less popular in 2021, as Charlotte fell from 18th to 25th and Zara dropped slightly from 66th to 69th.
However, the new regal kid on the block is a significant contender, as the name Beatrice managed to squeeze into the top 100 girl's names, landing 99th place.
The name Elizabeth shifted from 55th to 60th place, but owing to the late Queen 's sad passing, next year's statistics could prove to be a different story.
Megan didn't appear in the ONS' list for 2021 in any spelling variation, but it didn't land a spot in 2020 either.
The new data, released today, shows that mums aged over 35 are more likely to favour more traditional names like Thomas, while younger parents plumped for shorter versions, like Tommy.
Noah reigned supreme as the most popular boys' name for 2021, knocking Oliver from the top spot, meanwhile England and Wales' favourite girls name remains Olivia - a title that has been at the top of the list for six years in a row.
Were you inspired by the Royal Family when you chose your baby's name? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at ellie.fry@reachplc.com
