Harry and Amelia are top baby names for first time ever

Harry and Amelia were the most popular first names given to babies born in England and Wales in 2011, replacing Oliver and Olivia from 2010.

Amelia climbed four places to take Olivia’s crown as No. 1 girls’ name. Harry jumped two places to top spot in boys’ names, pushing Oliver into second place.

Major movers include Jacob, climbing five places from 12 to 7 to replace George in the boys’ top 10. Ava and Isabella replaced Evie and Chloe in the 10 most popular names for baby girls: both climbed two places from numbers 11 and 12 to numbers 9 and 10 respectively.

The top 10 names and changes in rank for boys and for girls in England and Wales are as follows:

 

Baby Names 2011 is published today by the Office for National Statistics. The bulletin shows new entries in the top 100 most popular girls’ names in 2011 including Bella at number 69, Willow at 75 and Elsie at 87.

There were new entries in the top 100 most popular boys’ names including Tommy at number 65, Blake at 79, and Frankie at 84.

In England, Harry was the most popular boys name in seven of the regions. Jack was the most popular in the North East, and Daniel the most popular in London. In Wales, Oliver was the most popular name for boys.

Lily was the most popular name for girls in four of the English regions and Wales. Olivia came top in two regions (North West and Yorkshire and The Humber), Amelia in two regions (East and West Midlands) and Isabella proved most popular in London.

The most popular names for boys and girls by region are as follows:

Read the full ONS Baby Names 2011 statistical bulletin.

Next publication:
Summer 2013

Issued by:
Office for National Statistics, Government Buildings, Cardiff Road, Newport NP10 8XG

Media contact:
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Statistical contact:
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Email:  vsob@ons.gsi.gov.uk

Background notes

1. The baby names statistics have been derived from final annual births registration data and includes all live births occurring in England and Wales in 2011.
2. In 2011, there were 723,913 live births in England and Wales with over 28,000 different boys’ names and just over 35,000 different girls’ names registered.
3. The published ranks have been produced using exact spelling of first names given on the birth certificate. Grouping names with similar pronunciation would change the ranks. Although some groupings are straightforward, others are more a matter of opinion, and thus raw data are given so users can group if they wish.
4. Births where the name of the baby was not stated (13 boys and 8 girls in the 2011 dataset) were excluded from all the ranks. Births where the usual residence of the mother was not in England and Wales or not stated (98 boys and 97 girls in the 2011 dataset) were excluded from the regional ranks and from the separate England and Wales ranks.

5. Special extracts and tabulations of baby names data for England and Wales are available to order for a charge (subject to legal frameworks, disclosure control, resources and agreements of costs, where appropriate). Such enquiries should be made to:

   Vital Statistics Outputs Branch
   Health and Life Events Division
   Office for National Statistics
   Segensworth Road
   Titchfield
   Fareham
   Hampshire
   PO15 5RR
   Tel: +44 (0)1329 444 110
   E-mail: vsob@ons.gsi.gov.uk

   The ONS charging policy is available on the ONS website.

6. We would welcome feedback on the content, format and relevance of this release. The Health and Life Events user engagement strategy is available to download from the ONS website. Please send feedback to the postal or email address above.
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8. Details of the policy governing the release of new data are available by visiting www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/assessment/code-of-practice/index.html or from the Media Relations Office email: media.relations@ons.gsi.gov.uk