NO SHOCKS IN THE BABY NAME GAME
OLIVER and Olivia have remained the most popular names for babies born in Wales in 2017, according to data collected by a parenting website.
The figures released by Bounty for the past year reveal the most popular names for boys are Oliver, Jacob and George, while Olivia, Amelia and Ava top the chart for the girls.
Lisa Penny, from Bounty, said: “We think it’s the ability of both Oliver and Olivia to tick the box for being traditional-yet-contemporary which make them so popular.”
According to the data, Oliver was the most popular name for boys in Wales in 2016 and 2017.
Lisa suggested singer Olly Murs and Quidditch captain Oliver Wood from Harry Potter may have played their part in the name’s popularity.
Dr Julia Cresswell, author of the Chambers Dictionary of First Names, said Oliver was a form of the Scandinavian Olaf.
She said associations with olives – a symbol of peace – came later.
Dr Cresswell explained Oliver was never a common name in the UK in the past. It became unusable after the Restoration of the English monarchy in the 1600s due to its associations with controversial military and political leader Oliver Cromwell.
The name came back to prominence after the publication of Charles Dickens’ novel Oliver Twist, which was first published in the 1830s.
Dr Cresswell believes the “modern revival” of the name comes from that novel, also influenced by Oliver! The Musical.
Olivia was the most popular name for girls between 2008 and 2010 and returned to the top spot in 2016.
Bounty think its prevalence may be due to celebrities like award-winning actress Olivia Colman and Made In Chelsea star Olivia Bentley.
Lisa said: “‘O’ names are regarded as particularly cool these days – whether a name starts with an O, ends in an O, or has an O sound somewhere in the middle.”
Dr Cresswell said Olivia fits in with a pattern of girls names starting with a vowel.
She said: “If you look at the most popular girls names you will see that there has been a general favouring of names beginning with vowels.”
According to the data, Oakley was the boys name that grew the most in popularity in Wales in the last year, now ranked at number 89 – an increase of 121 places from the previous year.
Lisa said: “The popularity of Oakley in Wales likely mirrors the trend for choosing last names which make great, strong first names.”
Dr Cresswell observed there had been a “sudden surge” in the use of the name on both sides of the Atlantic. She suggested its use could have been influenced by the Oakley brand of accessories, in the same way that wine brand Chardonnay and fashion brand Chanel also became popular names.
In terms of girls names, Efa grew the most in popularity in Wales in 2017, ranked at 91, up more than 1,000 places from 2016.
Lisa explained it was the Welsh version of the English names Eve, Eva and Ava, which have all risen in popularity across the UK in recent years.
Dr Cresswell noted Efa fits in with the trend for girls names beginning with vowels and suggested parents may be looking for a Welsh version of Eva. She said the name Aoife was popular in Ireland and Scotland and has almost the same pronunciation as Efa.
Dr Cresswell added: “In general there are fewer Welsh names popular in Wales than say 20 years ago.”
Other names that grew in popularity significantly in the last year were, for boys, Theodore (up 78 places), Rory (up 72), Reuben (up 66), Hunter (up 58), and Ezra (up 51).
For girls Nansi was up 443 places, then Elin (up 97), Cadi (up 74), Tilly (up 55), Luna (up 48), Hallie (up 42), Darcey (up 39), and Madison (up 39).
Reflecting on the most important points to consider when choosing a name, Lisa said parents should think about the practical side.
She said: “Our advice would be to warn against calling your baby something too trendy, unpronounceable or difficult to spell. But generally whatever name you choose to give your child they always grow up to make it their own.”
For more information visit Bounty www.bounty.com/ pregnancy-and-birth/baby-names