Emily and Daniel top list of most popular names
The highest new entries on passports list are Zuzanna and Kacper
EMILY and Daniel topped the list as the most popular names on passport applications for infants in Ireland last year.
The Passport Service revealed that more than 130,000 passports were issued to infants last year. There were 134 infant passports issued to girls named Emily and 162 to boys named Daniel.
The top-20 list of names for girls and boys shows a limited number of Irish names and quite a few Eng- lish names, a trend that has been evident for some years now.
Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan said of the list of most popular children’s names: ‘I was particularly pleased to see that Charlie remains popular at number 11 even if it has dropped slightly.
‘The list of most popular names reflects the continued overall pop- ularity of traditional Irish names, such as Aoife and Oisín, while also highlighting the vibrant multiculturalism of today’s Ireland, with Zuzanna and Kacper the highest new entries [both are Polish names]. I would also like to take this opportunity to remind Irish people to check the validity of their passports and those of their families, and to consider renewing now, ahead of the summer rush.
‘Last year, almost 630,000 passports were issued, a quarter of which in May and June.’
Laura Haugh, the creator of MummyPages.ie, told the Irish Daily Mail: ‘It is not surprising that the baby names Emily and Daniel top the list for new Irish passport applications. These names have been amongst our nation’s favourites for the last ten years when you look at the statistics from the CSO.
‘Within our MummyPages community, we are seeing a noticeable return to more traditional baby names of late. Our sense is that mums in Ireland are moving away from naming their children after celebrities and pop stars, instead opting for a name that has special meaning or symbolism for the parents and will stand the test of time.
It seems the celebrities we look up to are doing the same, with Robbie Williams calling his daughter Theodora Rose Williams, Lily Allen named her daughter Ethel May and Elton John and David Furnish calling their son Elijah Joseph Daniel.
She added: ‘Our mums often comment that while names like Rihanna, Beyoncé and Apple sound great when referred to within showbiz circles, they can’t imagine their children pursuing more serious careers with these names.’