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| Baby names: Peaky Blinders 'may have inspired' choices | Baby names: Peaky Blinders 'may have inspired' choices |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| TV drama Peaky Blinders may have inspired some of the most popular baby names in England and Wales, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said. | TV drama Peaky Blinders may have inspired some of the most popular baby names in England and Wales, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said. |
| Arthur entered the top 10 for boys for the first time since the 1920s, with Ada in the top 100 girls' names for the first time in a century. | Arthur entered the top 10 for boys for the first time since the 1920s, with Ada in the top 100 girls' names for the first time in a century. |
| The ONS said girls named Alexa also halved in a year, possibly due to potential confusion with Amazon's Echo. | The ONS said girls named Alexa also halved in a year, possibly due to potential confusion with Amazon's Echo. |
| Oliver and Olivia retained the number one spots. | Oliver and Olivia retained the number one spots. |
| There were 5,390 boys named Oliver born in England and Wales in 2018, down from 6,259 the year before. | There were 5,390 boys named Oliver born in England and Wales in 2018, down from 6,259 the year before. |
| George was second for boys with 4,960. | George was second for boys with 4,960. |
| Olivia was the name of 4,598 baby girls, down from 5,204 but still ahead of Amelia in second, with 3,941. | Olivia was the name of 4,598 baby girls, down from 5,204 but still ahead of Amelia in second, with 3,941. |
| Statistician Nick Stripe said: "Oliver and Olivia remained the most popular baby names in 2018, although there are the first signs that Oliver's six-year reign as the number one name for boys is under threat. | Statistician Nick Stripe said: "Oliver and Olivia remained the most popular baby names in 2018, although there are the first signs that Oliver's six-year reign as the number one name for boys is under threat. |
| "Arthur surged into the top 10 boys' names for the first time since the 1920s, and Ada jumped into the girls' top 100 for the first time in a century too, both perhaps inspired by characters in the BBC TV drama Peaky Blinders." | "Arthur surged into the top 10 boys' names for the first time since the 1920s, and Ada jumped into the girls' top 100 for the first time in a century too, both perhaps inspired by characters in the BBC TV drama Peaky Blinders." |
| Arthur and Ada are key members of the Shelby family featured in the Bafta-winning series. | Arthur and Ada are key members of the Shelby family featured in the Bafta-winning series. |
| Mr Stripe said the fall in babies named Alexa was possibly due to "the growth in the use of technology assistants in our homes", adding: "Communicating with young children can be hard enough at the best of times." | Mr Stripe said the fall in babies named Alexa was possibly due to "the growth in the use of technology assistants in our homes", adding: "Communicating with young children can be hard enough at the best of times." |
| There were 811 babies named Ada, seeing it rise 49 places from 2017 to be the 65th most popular name for girls. | |
| Alexa fell from 301 baby girls in 2017 to 118 in 2018. | |
| The ONS only provides figures when there were at least three babies given the same spelling of a name. It does not reveal names taken by only one or two babies to protect their privacy. | The ONS only provides figures when there were at least three babies given the same spelling of a name. It does not reveal names taken by only one or two babies to protect their privacy. |
| Figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland have already been published. | Figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland have already been published. |
| Olivia and Jack were the most popular names in Scotland, while in Northern Ireland the most popular boys' name was a tie between Noah and James, with Grace the most popular for girls. | Olivia and Jack were the most popular names in Scotland, while in Northern Ireland the most popular boys' name was a tie between Noah and James, with Grace the most popular for girls. |
| The 'Markle sparkle' | |
| The name Meghan doubled in popularity in 2018 compared with the year before, coinciding with the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. | |
| There were 101 babies given the name compared with 49 the year before, making it the 431st most popular name for girls. | |
| Harry stayed one of the most popular boys' names but conceded second place to George, despite Harry Kane and Harry Maguire starring in England's journey to the World Cup semi-finals. | |
| The name Khaleesi - a made up word for "queen" used by the character Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones - was given to 56 girls in 2018, down from 76 the year before. However, there was no series aired last year. | |
| The ONS data showed a rise in the number of babies named Harper since 2011, the year David and Victoria Beckham's daughter was born. | |
| The name is now the 27th most popular for girls. | |
| What inspired you when choosing your baby's name? Or is there a story behind your name? | What inspired you when choosing your baby's name? Or is there a story behind your name? |
| Use the box below to tell us your story and we could be in touch. | Use the box below to tell us your story and we could be in touch. |