These are Greater Manchester’s most popular baby names

The most popular names for newborns in the North West have been revealed.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) released data for the top boys and girls names in the region, from registered births in 2020.

In that year, nearly 315,000 baby boys were born in England and Wales, compared to around 300,000 baby girls.

While the national number one baby names remained the same for a fifth year in a row, the top 10 favourites in the North West have changed.

What are the most popular girls’ names?

Similar to the national figures, Olivia and Amelia claimed the top spot for girls born in the North West region, in the year when lockdown ensued following the Covid-19 pandemic.

They were followed closely by names Ava, Isla and Rosie which were given to over 1,000 North West babies.

Mothers in the North West seemed to favour girls’ names with a flower and natural theme as Ivy, Lily and Willow all made the top 10 in 2020.

Out of the approximate 37,500 counted births in the area, Grace and Isabella completed the final few.

Here are the figures for the most popular girls’ names:

Olivia - 408

Amelia - 388

Ava - 366

Isla - 356

Ivy - 309

Rosie - 303

Isabella - 301

Grace - 280

Lily - 277

Willow - 265

What are the top 10 boys’ names in the North West?

Muhammad was the most popular boy’s name across 7 of the 10 Greater Manchester regions in 2020, seeing 300 more newborns being called Muhammad than the second favourite in the North West.

National favourite Oliver was picked by 591 mothers, as well as Noah, George and Harry following closely in the statistics.

Short names seemed to be popular this year, according to the Office for National Statistics as Leo, Theo and Jack too made the top 10.

Completing the North West’s data for popular baby boy names was Arthur and Thomas.

The 38,950 boys born in the region were based on geography boundaries from May 2021, but births where the names were not stated have been included in the total count.

Here are the figures for the most popular boys’ names:

Muhammad - 824

Oliver - 591

Noah - 534

George - 523

Harry - 512

Leo - 462

Arthur - 449

Thomas - 443

Jack - 315

Theo - 399

What did the ONS say?

Office for National Statistics statistician, Sian Bradford, said that TV and film were slowly becoming more popular for national baby names and that the mothers’ ages play a vital role in the name selection.

“Popular culture continues to provide inspiration for baby names, whether its characters in our favourite shows or trending celebrities,” Sian said.

“Maeve and Otis, characters from popular programme Sex Education, have seen a surge in popularity in 2020. While the name Margot has been rapidly climbing since actress Margot Robbie appeared in the popular film Wolf of Wall Street.”