Baby names revealed: Most popular girl and boy names of 2016 and THIS tops the list

Baby names reveal much about our changing world – from Games of Thrones character names topping the list to old-fashioned names coming back in vogue.

The ONS this morning released the top baby names of 2016.

Soon-to-be parents will surely check this list to ensure their baby name is on trend.

So, which were the most popular names of 2016?

Olivia and Oliver were the most popular baby names in the UK, topping the lists for boy and girl names in most regions.

Olivia was the most popular first name given to baby girls born in England and Wales in 2016, replacing Amelia, which has been the most popular girls’ name since 2011.

Oliver remains as the most popular first name given to baby boys in England and Wales in 2016 and has been the most popular boys name since 2013.

There were six new entries into the top 100 most popular boys’ names in 2016 for England and Wales: Albie, Arlo, Ezra, Finn, Jasper and Jesse. These replaced Callum, Connor, Jamie, Kian, Seth and Sonny, which were in the top 100 in 2015.

Muhammad replaced William in the top 10 boys’ names for England and Wales in 2016, compared with 2015.

Commenting on today’s findings, Nick Stripe of the Office for National Statistics said: “With over 696,000 babies born in England and Wales in 2016, and nearly 64,000 different names chosen for them, it’s interesting how relatively stable the top 10 names have been over recent years.

“Olivia replaced Amelia as the most popular name for girls in 2016, returning to the top position it previously held between 2008 and 2010. 

“Oliver remained the most popular name for baby boys born in 2016, having held the top spot since 2013. It is as you move down the rankings you begin to notice social and cultural changes being reflected in name choices. Harper was the girls’ name in the top 100 in 2016 with the biggest rise in popularity over the previous 10 years, whilst for boys it was Jaxon.”

In July the top unisex baby names for boys and girls in the UK were revealed.

Baby name portal Nameberry has revealed which unisex names are most likely to increase in popularity, based on page views earlier this year. 

The top nine names which made the list were: 

Quincy 

Remi

Winter 

Ellis 

Briar 

Indigo

Sage

Sasha 

Ray