This week the ECHO revealed the most popular baby names for 2023 so far.
There are some names on the list that have been topping it for a number of years, as more and more parents choose the modern names. However there are some new names on the list in 2023 that have not featured in the top 100 in recent years.
In their annual mid-year top 100 charts, BabyCentre has offered a a sneak peek at the current baby naming trends ahead of the final results at the end of the year and a new girls' name has nabbed the top spot. Olivia, which was the most commonly-chosen name for a baby girl from 2015 until 2021.
READ MORE: Top 20 old-fashioned baby names set to make a comeback in 2023
In 2022, Olivia was overtaken by Sophia. With Sophia now in second place, Olivia has fallen to third, according to the latest figures. Lily is the most popular girls' name, with Freya and Amelia finishing off the top five. With boys' names, there have been no changes at all in the top five since December of 2022, however, some unexpected names have slipped into the top 100.
New girls names that have made the top 100 this year include: Ariella , Sarah, Lyra, Hazel and Riley.
New boys names that have made the top 100 this year include: John, Austin, Mateo, Sam and Ahmed.
Pop culture often influences names which could be a reason why Austin and Ariella could be growing in popularity. Austin Butler has been in the news over the last 12 months thanks to his Oscar nominated performance as Elvis Presley.
While Ariella could be a nod to Disney Princess Ariel from the newly released Little Mermaid live action remake. More traditional names such as Sarah, John and Sam could be having a resurgence because children are being named after their parents.
Sarah Redshaw, managing editor for BabyCentre, said: "As more and more people work in the comfort of their homes and gardens post-pandemic, and away from the bright lights of city office blocks, nature-themed names have blossomed. New parents have also been branching out to tree-inspired names Willow, rooting itself at 14th place, and Hazel, which was a new entry to the top 100 at 72."
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