The most popular names for babies born in Watford last year have been revealed in new Office for National Statistics (ONS) data.
Sophia was the most popular girls’ name in 2022, with eight newborns given that name, surpassing Maya, which was also selected eight times.
Olivia, Amelia, and Isla topped the list of newborn girl names in England and Wales for the second year in a row, with Olivia remaining the top-ranked name since 2016.
Meanwhile, Muhammad was the most common boy’s name in Watford, accounting for 23 infants. This replaced Noah in 2022, who was picked for 15 infants.
The rankings were based on the exact spellings of names found on birth certificates, therefore similar names with different spellings were counted individually.
Three versions of ‘Muhammad’ were among the top 100 baby boy names in England and Wales. Muhammad ranked top with 4,661, followed by Mohammed in 28th place with 1,601 and Mohammad in 68th with 835.
According to data given by the Office for National Statistics, Muhammad was the most popular boys’ name in four of England’s nine districts, and the 63rd most popular in Wales.
New baby names in the top 100 include Hazel, Lilah, Autumn, Nevaeh, and Raya for girls, as well as Jax, Enzo, and Bodhi for boys.
For infant girls, seasonal names became more popular, with Autumn and Summer rising in popularity, particularly during their respective seasons; both names are in the top 100.
In December, the names Holly, Robyn, and Joseph became increasingly popular.
Pop culture also appears to influence baby names.
Following the summer blockbuster film Barbie, starring Margot Robbie, there were an additional 215 baby girls named Margot compared to 2022. The name was placed 44th among the top 100 most common baby girl names.
In 2023, pop music artist names increased, including Billie, Lana, Miley, and Rihanna for girls, as well as Kendrick and Elton for boys.
Royal names remained popular; George was placed fourth with 3,494 infants, down from third with 3,699 the previous year.
Charlotte ranked 23rd for females with 1,373, up three spots from 2022, but being given to fewer babies.
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