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Top 100 baby names of 2016 revealed – and celebs DO influence

Is your child's name on the list?

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Parenting site BabyCentre has released its official top 100 baby names of 2016 and some of them definitely come as a surprise.

Celebrities are a source of inspiration for new parents naming their children, so what isn’t surprising is that people are copying their idols.

Wayne and Coleen Rooney’s names for their children, Kit and Klay, have been extremely popular compared to last year.

The Beckham’s daughter Harper has become a young trend-setter, as her name has jumped up from place 31 to place 56 in he girl’s list.

But Olivia stands at the top for most popular girls name, and Oliver for the most popular boy.

The name River also jumped up after Jamie Oliver picked the name for his newborn son.

There has also been a rise in names inspired by nature, such as Lily which is second in the girls list, with Poppy, Daisy and Holly not far behind.

The site also highlights how comic-book inspired names such as Harley and Quinn (Suicide Squad) and Thea (Arrow) have moved up the list.

There has also been an increase in galactic-themed names such as Nova, Orion and Luna.

Managing editor of BabyCentre said: “Luna is one of the highest new entries and with 2016 being all about Major Tim Peake’s epic space adventure, Star Wars and super moons, it’s no wonder names like this have seen a rise.”

Biggest risers in the baby name charts include, Jenson, Stanley and Darcie.

Here are the top 10 girls’ and boys’ names compared to their ranking last year.

The top 10 girls’ names

1. Olivia (non-mover)

2. Lily (+1 place)

3. Sophia (-1 place)

4. Emily (non-mover)

5. Amelia (non-mover)

6. Ava (new entry, +5 places)

7. Isla (new entry, +5 places)

8. Isabella (+2 places)

9. Isabelle (-2 places)

10. Sophie (-2 places)

The top 10 boys’ names

1. Oliver (+1 place)

2. Muhammed (-1 place)

3. Noah (+1 place)

4. Harry (+2 places)

5. Jack (-2 places)

6. Charlie (+1 place)

7. Jacob (-2 places)

8. George (+4 places)

9. Ethan (-1 places)

10. Henry (+8 places).

Is your child’s name on the list?


Nancy Brown
Associate Editor