Oliver and Olivia still top names
THE most popular baby names in Wales have been revealed – and Oliver and Olivia are at the top for the second year running.
Olivia, Amelia, Isla, Ava, Isla and Ella were the top five names for girls in Wales in 2017, the Office for National Statistics said.
Oliver, Noah, Jacob, George and Theo were the most popular names for boys.
The names are also top in most local authorities in Wales, but there are some areas that buck the trend.
In Ceredigion, Jac and Osian are the most popular names for boys, while in Gwynedd the top two names are Hari and Efa.
Nationally, despite the top of the lists remaining steady, there are eight new names appearing in the top 100 baby names lists – two for boys, and six for girls.
The data shows the six new female entries were Aurora, Orla, Edith, Bonnie, Lyla and Hallie, replacing Lexi, Zoe, Maddison, Sarah, Felicity and Lydia.
Hunter and Ralph replace Aaron and Jasper in the top 100 names for boys.
There is little regional variation in the top-choice names for girls, with Olivia coming top in every region in England and Wales, and Amelia coming second in every area apart from the South West, where Isla took the second spot.
There was more variety in the naming of boys, with Muhammad coming top in London, the West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber.
But Oliver was consistently popular, coming first or second in every region
TOP 10 NAMES IN WALES, 2017
across England and Wales.
Most of the top 10 baby names of 2007 have declined in popularity, with the names Thomas, Daniel, Ruby, Grace, Jessica and Chloe all given to at least 50% fewer babies in 2017 than they were 10 years previously.
Harry, Oliver and Jack are showing no signs of slowing in popularity, with all three names having also been in the top five 10 years ago.
Nick Stripe, from the Office for National Statistics, said: “Although Oliver and Olivia remained the most popular baby names in 2017, some fascinating changes took place beneath them.
“Leo entered the boys’ top 10 for the first time, whilst Hunter rocketed into the top 100, also for the first time, reaching number 78.
“Sarah, the most popular name for baby girls throughout much of the 1970s and 1980s, dropped out of the top 100 for the first time since our records began in 1904.
“Brand new entries into the top 100 for girls include the names Aurora and Hallie.”