Peaky Blinders inspires parents to name babies after popular TV show

  • Baby

Alexa is out and Arthur and Ada are in, that's according to the list of the most popular boys and girls' names in the UK.

The success of Peaky Blinders goes some way in explaining the rise of Arthur and Ada, both characters in the BBC TV drama.

But the popularity of technology assistants, most notably Amazon's Alexa, may explain why the number of baby girls who share their name with the new technology has dropped dramatically since 2017.

The rise of parents naming their children Arthur and Ada could be down to the popularity of Peaky Blinders. Credit: PA

“Arthur surged into the top 10 boys’ names for the first time since the 1920s, and Ada jumped into the girls’ top 100 for the first time in a century too, both perhaps inspired by characters in Peaky Blinders," Nick Stripe, from the Office for National Statistics, who compiled the data, said.

"On the flip side, the growth in the use of technology assistants in our homes may help to explain why the number of baby girls named Alexa has more than halved compared with 2017.

"Communicating with young children can be hard enough at the best of times."

The number of baby girls named Alexa has more than halved compared with 2017. Credit: PA

Oliver and Olivia remain the most popular names overall in England and Wales.

It's the sixth year in a row that Oliver has topped the list and the third year in succession for Olivia.

But the number of babies named Oliver and Olivia was down for 2018, this coincided with the lowest birth rate in England and Wales for 80 years, with 657,076 live births in 2018, a decrease of 3.2% on 2017 and 9.9% down since 2012.

The top three list for boys was completed by George in second and Harry in third, perhaps inspired by the Royal family.

Top 10 boys' names in England and Wales in 2018. Credit: PA

While Amelia was the second most common name for baby girls, Ava rose from fourth in 2017 to third in 2018, swapping places with Isla.

Muhammad – the most popular spelling of the boy’s name in the list – was eighth, with 3,507 babies born.

The top 10 list for boys was completed by Noah, Jack, Leo, Oscar and Charlie.

For girls, the most popular list also included Isla, Emily, Mia, Isabella and Ella.

Top 10 girls' names in England and Wales in 2018. Credit: PA

Grayson, Rowan and Tobias appeared in the top 100 for boys for the first time in 2018, having previously never featured in the top 100.

Hunter, the 44th most popular boys’ name in 2018, rose 34 places on the previous year – more than any other inside the top 100.

Ada returned to the top 100 girls' names for the first time since 1924, while Delilah, Ayla and Margot made their first ever appearances – the latter leaping 57 places on the previous year.

Top 100 baby boy names

  • Oliver

  • George

  • Harry

  • Noah

  • Jack

  • Leo

  • Arthur

  • Muhammad

  • Oscar

  • Charlie

  • Jacob

  • Thomas

  • Henry

  • William

  • Alfie

  • Archie

  • Joshua

  • Freddie

  • Theo

  • Isaac

  • James

  • Alexander

  • Logan

  • Edward

  • Ethan

  • Lucas

  • Joseph

  • Sebastian

  • Theodore

  • Finley

  • Max

  • Mohammed

  • Samuel

  • Harrison

  • Benjamin

  • Arlo

  • Daniel

  • Adam

  • Teddy

  • Mason

  • Elijah

  • Reuben

  • Dylan

  • Hunter

  • Reggie

  • Jaxon

  • Rory

  • Louie

  • David

  • Tommy

  • Luca

  • Albie

  • Hugo

  • Zachary

  • Albert

  • Jude

  • Toby

  • Riley

  • Ezra

  • Carter

  • Gabriel

  • Roman

  • Frankie

  • Harley

  • Frederick

  • Ronnie

  • Jake

  • Elliot

  • Louis

  • Jenson

  • Mohammad

  • Stanley

  • Bobby

  • Michael

  • Jesse

  • Finn

  • Jayden

  • Harvey

  • Caleb

  • Jackson

  • Charles

  • Matthew

  • Grayson

  • Blake

  • Liam

  • Elliott

  • Ellis

  • Ralph

  • Jasper

  • Rowan

  • Alex

  • Ryan

  • Felix

  • Luke

  • Dexter

  • Ollie

  • Leon

  • Tobias

  • Sonny

  • Dominic/Kai

Top 100 baby girl names

  • Olivia

  • Amelia

  • Ava

  • Isla

  • Emily

  • Mia

  • Isabella

  • Sophia

  • Ella

  • Grace

  • Poppy

  • Charlotte

  • Lily

  • Ivy

  • Florence

  • Evie

  • Sophie

  • Freya

  • Evelyn

  • Willow

  • Phoebe

  • Elsie

  • Sienna

  • Alice

  • Jessica

  • Rosie

  • Harper

  • Daisy

  • Sofia

  • Isabelle

  • Matilda

  • Ruby

  • Eva

  • Emilia

  • Scarlett

  • Chloe

  • Maya

  • Esme

  • Eliza

  • Millie

  • Imogen

  • Aria

  • Luna

  • Layla

  • Harriet

  • Maisie

  • Elizabeth

  • Penelope

  • Mila

  • Erin

  • Eleanor

  • Lola

  • Violet

  • Bella

  • Rose

  • Emma

  • Holly

  • Molly

  • Thea

  • Ellie

  • Lucy

  • Hannah

  • Lottie

  • Nancy

  • Ada

  • Maria

  • Lilly

  • Zara

  • Aurora

  • Amber

  • Georgia

  • Robyn

  • Gracie

  • Summer

  • Jasmine

  • Annabelle

  • Abigail

  • Darcie

  • Hallie

  • Amelie

  • Bonnie

  • Iris

  • Maryam

  • Beatrice

  • Anna

  • Heidi

  • Orla

  • Arabella

  • Clara

  • Delilah

  • Edith

  • Aisha

  • Francesca

  • Martha

  • Ayla

  • Zoe

  • Lyla

  • Sara

  • Margot

  • Felicity