Popular baby names 2023: Holly, Phil, Meghan and Harry fall out of fashion
The most popular baby names of 2023 (so far) have been revealed and the list shows that the news cycle certainly impacts the appeal of some monikers.
Celebrity news and gossip clearly has an influence on baby names, with Holly, Phil, Harry and Meghan all falling out of favour with parents-to-be.
BabyCentre has revealed the UK's most popular baby names of 2023 (so far) and there has been something of a shake-up in the monikers mums and dads are choosing.
According to the research, some of the shifts in name trends this year could be caused by controversies in the celebrity world, as This Morning presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield have both seen their first names plummet in popularity.
Read more: Piers Morgan says Phillip Schofield is 'struggling' but that he'll 'be back' - Yahoo Celebrity UK, 2-min read
Despite ranking highly in previous years, Holly has completely dropped out of the top 100 this year, and Phil has only had one registration in 2023 so far.
When it comes to royal inspiration, the name Harry has also fallen in the rankings, toppling 10 places from 13 to 23, while Meghan - and the alternative spelling, Megan - has also witnessed a drop in registrations.
When it comes to the names topping the list last year's most popular girls' moniker, Sophia, has been pushed off the top spot by Lily - which has increased in popularity after finishing in second at the end of 2022.
Elsewhere in the charts Ivy tumbled out of the top 10, tumbling six places to number 16. This made way for Mila, which soared an impressive 31 places, landing in at 10th place.
For the boys, Muhammed stayed at the top, while non-movers Noah, Theo, Leo and Oliver also remained popular picks, hanging on tightly to the remainder of the top five positions. Arthur, on the other hand, leapt up five places to number six knocking Jack down a spot.
Keep scrolling for the full top 20 lists.
2023's biggest baby name trends
While real-life gossip has been turning parents off of certain monikers, on-screen drama is a whole other story, with names inspired by TV shows skyrocketing in popularity this year.
As fans of Succession waved goodbye to the final season, family patriarch Logan leapt six places to 48, while wayward son Roman hopped nine places to 47.
Kendal (one of Logan's son's Kendall) also saw its first registrations, but Siobhan or Shiv didn’t see a major climb. Sarah Snook on the other hand, the actor who played the Roy family’s only daughter, could have inspired Sarah to come in as the second highest new entry at number 58.
Succession isn't the only TV show having an impact on monikers. Following the release of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, the namesake soared to number 25, Violet also rose 19 places while Penelope climbed 14 places to number 60.
Disney-inspired names still dominate
Names inspired by the release of Disney’s The Little Mermaid also made a splash in the half-year charts. New entry Ariella dove straight into the top 100 at 86 while Ariel remained popular. Sebastian, the Jamaican-accented crab also influenced parents-to-be rising 24 places to number 38.
Redshaw adds: “Film and TV have always been strong influences for parents, and this year is no exception.”
Gen X returns to the name charts
In a move away from the trend of old-fashioned style baby names, parents seem to be adapting an 80s vibe and going for classic Gen X monikers with John and Sarah both making their debuts in the top 100.
The retro-inspired monikers were also joined by high risers David, up 23 places to 36, and James up 25 places to 35.
Cottagecore inspires floral monikers
Cottagecore – the social media aesthetic depicting a homely, romanticised life in nature – could be behind a rise in flower-inspired names. Lily topped the chart while Jasmine, climbed 28 to number 67. Dahlia is also proving popular seeing a doubling in registrations.
For the full Top 100 list visit BabyCentre
Top 20 most popular boys' names of 2023 (so far)
1. Muhammad +0
2. Noah +0
3. Theo +0
4. Leo +0
5. Oliver +0
6. Arthur +5
7. Jack -1
8. Freddie +2
9. George -2
10. Luca -2
11. Henry +4
12. Ethan -3
13. Oscar +1
14. Jude +28
15. Alfie +7
16. Archie +1
17. Jacob +9
18. Liam +7
19. Charlie -3
20. Thomas -1
Top 20 most popular girls' names of 2023 (so far)
1. Lily +1
2. Sophia -1
3. Olivia +0
4. Amelia +2
5. Freya +2
6. Aria +2
7. Ava -2
8. Isabella +4
9. Isla -5
10. Mila +31
11. Grace +3
12. Layla +34
13. Maryam +23
14. Willow +9
15. Elsie +7
16. Ivy -6
17. Ella +1
18. Evelyn +16
19. Evie -4
20. Mia -7
