Most-popular baby names in Worthing and Adur revealed

Data from the Office for National Statistics has revealed the top choices for names given to babies across England and Wales in 2020.

In Worthing, 11 newborns were called Olivia, making it top of the list for girls. And for boys, Noah was the favourite, with 13 babies in the area given the name last year.

Naming trends have changed in Worthing compared to 2019, when the top girls’ names were Lily and Poppy and the favourite for boys was Arthur.

In Adur, Isla topped the list for girls, with seven newborns given the name. Henry was the most-popular boys’ name, with six babies in the area given the name last year.

In 2019, the top girls’ name in Adur was Olivia, while the favourites for boys were Jacob, Noah and Oliver.

Oliver and Olivia were the favourite names nationally last year. The figures show Oliver, George and Arthur took the top-three places for boys in England and Wales, while Olivia, Amelia and Isla were most-picked for girls.

Oliver has held onto the top spot for boys for the past eight years, while Olivia has been at the girls’ number one spot nationally for five years in a row.

The ONS figures show Ivy and Rosie entered the top-ten girls’ names for the first time last year, replacing Grace and Freya.

And a potential royal influence saw Archie approach the top of the charts, becoming the ninth-most-popular name and shunting Charlie out of the top-ten for the first time since 2005.

ONS statisticians found that naming trends differed depending on a mother’s age, with older mothers more likely to choose more traditional names and younger mothers more-modern or shortened versions of classic names.

For mothers under 25, the top boys’ names were Noah, Archie and Leo, while for those aged 35 and above they were Oliver, George and Jack.

Younger mothers chose Amelia, Ava and Olivia as their favourite girls’ names, but Charlotte replaced Ava in the top-three for parents over 35.

Sian Bradford, from the ONS, said: “Oliver and Olivia held onto the top spots as the most popular boys’ and girls’ names in 2020 but some interesting changes took place beneath them.

“Popular culture continues to provide inspiration for baby names, whether it’s characters in our favourite show or trending celebrities.

“Maeve and Otis, characters from the popular programme ‘Sex Education’, have seen a surge in popularity in 2020 while the name Margot has been rapidly climbing since actress Margot Robbie appeared in the popular film ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’.”

The top-ten girls’ names in England and Wales in 2020 were: Olivia (3,640 babies); Amelia (3,319); Isla (2,749); Ava (2,679); Mia (2,303); Ivy (2,166); Lily (2,150); Isabella (2,052); Rosie (2,035) and Sophia (2,028).

The top-ten boys’ names were: Oliver (4,225); George (4,100); Arthur (4,052); Noah (4,042); Muhammed (3,710); Leo (3,314); Oscar (3,268); Harry (3,209): Archie (2,944) and Jack (2,900).