The global baby name game – does Muhammad top other nations’ lists?

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/dec/07/baby-name-game-muhammad-other-countries

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Last week, it was widely announced that the most popular boy’s name for babies born in the UK this year was – cue some mild spluttering in the rightwing press – Muhammad (for girls it was Sophia). It shot to the top of the list at the expense, the Daily Mail noted, of royal names such as Harry, William and George, the latter sinking rather unceremoniously to No 13. They shouldn’t have got too worked up: the result came from a survey by website babycentre.co.uk, rather than official figures (the more reliable Office for National Statistics puts Muhammad at No 16). Still, it gives us a good excuse to wonder what other countries around the world are calling their offspring.

United States – Most popular: Noah and Sophia

In what sounds like a highly apocryphal episode from the Old Testament, Noah dethroned Jacob after 14 years at the top of the US boys’ list last year. Whether American parents were anticipating Russell Crowe’s turn as Noah in this year’s Hollywood epic wasn’t made clear by the Social Security Administration, which released the data. (Liam also profited from Jacob’s fall, seizing second place.) In the girls’ list, Sophia came top for the third year running, followed by Emma and Olivia.

Brazil – Miguel and Sophia

Sophia is big in Brazil as well – it tops the girl’s list ahead of Julia and Alice. The name, taken from the Greek for “wisdom”, also crops up in various forms in Germany, Malaysia, Russia (as Sofia), Britain, and Australia (where both Sophie and Sofia grace the top 10). The top three boys’ names in Brazil, meanwhile, are Miguel, Davi and Arthur.

France – Nathan and Emma

Global crazes tend not to have much of an impact on France, which remains classily aloof in its choice of baby names. Although the familiar Emma heads the girls’ list, it is followed by Lola and Chloé, with Manon, Jade, Léna, Lina and Léa not far behind. Nathan is No 1 for boys, with Lucas and Léo, Timéo, Enzo and Raphaël adding some extra je ne sais quoi to the top 10.

India – Aarav and Saanvi

If there’s one thing that’s popular among Indian parents at the moment, it’s the letter A. Saanvi and Aarav take top place in the girls’ and boys’ lists respectively, followed by Aanya, Aadhya and Aaradhya (girls) and Vivaan, Aditya and Vihaan (boys). There isn’t a single name in either top 10 that doesn’t contain the letter. Our old friend Muhammad makes an entry at No 7. Mohamed with only one A, meanwhile, is the most popular boys’ name in Malaysia.

Russia – Artem and Sofia

“A” is a must-have accessory in Russia too. It is the last letter of each of the top eight girls’ names – Sofia, Maria, Daria, Arina, Anastasia, Varvara, Victoria and Anna – and the first of the top two boys’: Artem and Alexander. Only Dmitry, Kirill and Timothy hold out, at Nos 6, 7 and 10 in the boys’ list.