Despite the SSA holding back the US data release due to Covid-19, Britain has released their top 100 for 2019 this week. So, I thought I’d review the rise and fall of some of England and Wales' favorites. After all, any data where Imogen is above Emma and George is above Noah has to be incredibly different from US data! This analysis is based on the collective British data, not the separate English and Welsh data, so I may compare the communal stats to the numbers in each country as well as US data for 2018. Now, let’s get into this data, starting with the top 5 names for each gender.
The Victors: Top 5
Olivia pushed through for her third year in a row of placing first, and her triumphant victory didn’t surprise me, given her relentless popularity globally. Oliver took the crown for team blue for the sixth year in a row, thanks to his charming nickname Ollie and truly British feel, a feat that didn’t shock me either. Both Oliv- names have been widely used in both Europe and overseas, and their sound obviously engages expectant parents. However, I didn’t anticipate George and Amelia to both stay at #2, but I’m glad they did. George owes most of his fame to the little prince, and Amelia to her sweetly feminine sound and abundant nicknames. Neither British staple lives up to its popularity across the pond, where George hovers below the top 100 at #127 and Amelia just makes the cut for the top 10 at #8, but flourish in England and Wales.
Both names at #3 this year jumped from #4 last year, and those two are Noah and Isla. A biblical favorite and a relatively new on-trend I- girl name, the pair are on their way up. I predict that Isla will eclipse Amelia next year, but Noah will fall back to #4 as the name descends in the US. Arthur and Ava are occupying the fourth spot this year, with Arthur hopping up from #7 last year and Ava dropping from her #3 title in 2018. With Arthur gaining so much momentum not only in Europe but also in the US, I can only guess that he will take over Noah’s #3 spot come next year's data. However, I think Ava will only descend further, possibly to #4 or #5 in upcoming stats. Meanwhile, Harry and Mia currently have taken the fifth place. It’s an upgrade for Mia, who was #6 last year, but a fall for Harry, who was lucky enough to snag the #3 spot last year, probably influenced by the avalanche of press on Prince Harry and his wife Meghan. Given the fact that Harry didn’t hold up his top 3 status after the royal wedding and the birth of Prince Harry’s son, I doubt he’ll make much of a comeback come 2020 data. Mia’s fate will likely depend on her sister name Amelia, as they share many similar sounds, so I’m interested to see how that plays out.
High Risers: Names That Rose 15+ Spots
Leading the pack of high risers for the boys is Tommy, a charming English nickname that sat at #50 last year, and leaped 24 spots to land at #26. I don’t think Tommy will catch on in the US quite yet, but with a lead like that, Tommy is headed for the top 10 in Britain. Another notable group in the high risers is a three way tie between Oakley, Hudson, and Chester, three names that were just introduced to the top 100 this year, and each flew 22 spots up the charts to land in the top 100. Oakley is teetering just inside the top 500 for the US, at #459, so the intense #98 Oakley receives in Britain just foreshadows a big jump for Oakley in the US next year. Hudson has been a huge success in the US, ranking at #54 last year, so I’m not surprised to see him also start to catch on in Europe as well. Britain isn’t exactly known for contemporary surname names, though, so I doubt Hudson will have another jump that big next year. The final boy name that rose over 15 spots this year is Louis. While sound-alike name Louie also rose (6 spots), Louis sprung 16 spots from #69 to #53, most likely a nod to the prince of Cambridge.
The biggest girl name this year for Britain is Hallie, an addition to the nickname name collection. Hallie was launched into stardom this year, jumping a whopping 21 spots: from #79 in 2018 to #58 in 2019. I attribute her massive fortune to other wildly successful British nickname names like Millie and Hattie that have been leaping up the charts for the past few years. Hallie could become the next Lilly/Milly/Hattie craze overseas as well, and I see her continuing to climb in England and Wales. Another addition to the nickname name trend, Bonnie has also been given a big boost up the charts, jumping 19 spots and landing at #62 this year. Just based on past trends, I think Hallie will have a much better shot of catching on worldwide than Bonnie, but I still find this cutesy choice charming. Moving down the list, with all of the Addie names getting a solid rep, it’s not surprising that Ada herself had enough use to lift her from #65 to #47 this year. The final girl name to make the cut for the high riser clique is Arabella, the frilly, feminine favorite with nicknames Bella and Ari built in. Skipping 17 spots to land at #71, this newly rediscovered combination of our favorite sounds is having a boatload of success on multiple continents, and, if all goes well, will most likely continue to rise.
My Favorites: My Personal Top 3
I honestly find the British baby name list one of the cutest, most stylish groups of names, so picking some solid favorites was incredibly difficult. However, my #1 for both genders was obvious: Beatrice (90) and Theodore (18). I adore the vintage flavor as well as the darling nicknames, so those two were a no brainer. Beatrice’s popularity is just right for me in the US, at #573, but Theodore is sadly getting further out of my range as he gets to #44. My #2s are quite the wildcards, but still names that I’ve loved for a while. Imogen (45) and Reuben (44) don’t make for the greatest sibling names because of the shared endings possibly leading to very similar nicknames (Gen and Ben…yikes). For my third place winners, I had to call it a tie, with Eliza (38) and Phoebe (22) neck and neck for the girls and Hugo (48) and Frederick (65) for the boys. If you wish to break the tie, feel free to comment your favorites down below, as well as your personal top 3 from the new data.
Sincerely,
~Delphina Moon
What are your favorites of the new British name data? Which do you prefer: Eliza or Phoebe? Frederick or Hugo?
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