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Most popular baby names in England and Wales in 2015

New data from the Office for National Stastics reveals changing social and cultural attitudes 

Siobhan Fenton
Social Affairs Correspondent
Friday 02 September 2016 15:38 BST
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Most popular UK baby names of 2015

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The most popular baby names in England and Wales have been revealed. The most popular names for girls and boys- Oliver and Amelia- remain the same as last year.

The second and third most popular boy’s names are Jack and Harry respectively. Meanwhile, the second and third spots among baby girls go to Olivia and Emily respectively.

The name George has shot up the list, from 7th place last year to 4th place this year. Among girls, the name Poppy has seen a marked decrease in popularity dropping from 5th place last year to just 10th place this year.

The list's publication follows recent research which found close to a fifth of parents regret the name they give their child.

Almost a third, 32 per cent, said they regretted their child’s first name within the infant's first six weeks.

New entries to the top 100 for boys include- Jaxon, Roman, Reggie and Carter.

New entries to the top 100 for girls include- Penelope, Mila, Clara, Arabella, Maddision and Aria.

The figures have been released by the Office for National Statistics. Commenting, statistician Nick Stripe said: “At ONS, we produce data that shows how society is changing, socially and economically. The names people choose for their children can reflect social trends and are of interest to social researchers and parents-to-be.”

Maps by Esri UK

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