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Emily replaces Chloe as the most popular name for girls

Maxine Frith,Social Affairs Correspondent
Tuesday 06 January 2004 01:00 GMT
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Chloe has lost its status as the most popular girl's name in Britain for the first time in seven years, according to a list published yesterday.

Figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show Emily was the most chosen name for girls in 2003. Ellie was second and Chloe was third.

Jack remains the most popular boy's name, although Robert dropped out of the top 50. The name Alfie rose 31 places to 18th, possibly because of the popularity of Shane Richie's character Alfie Moon in EastEnders.

Despite a 1980s boom in the number of children named Kylie, analysts say that celebrity status does not usually lead to a rise in popularity of particular names. The top 50 for 2003 is dominated by traditional names such as William, James, Sophie and Jessica.

A spokesman for the ONS said: "[Alfie] may be one of the rare examples of names from popular culture actually making an impact on the lists. Despite suggestions at the time of her death, the name Diana is not popular and did not rise significantly." Diana is 526th on the list.

Other boys' names rising in popularity include Kian and Harvey. Daisy, Freya and Ruby climbed the list for girls.

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