The TOP 20 baby names of 2019 so far

Parenting website BabyCentre is behind the list and said influences as diverse as politics, our favourite binge TV, the climate crisis and celebrity power couples are making their mark on the charts.

It analysed the most popular baby names of 2019 so far in the UK, through parent registrations on the site.

At the top of the girls’ chart, Olivia remains steadfast, followed by Sophia, which keeps its number two spot, and top three newcomer Lily which ousts Mia.

Freya stormed up 15 places into the top ten at number eight with Isabella another new entry, rising three places to number nine.

For boys, Muhammad remains at the top.

Oliver has dropped two places, losing the number two spot it has held for years to Noah while George has risen to number 3.

The rest of the top ten was largely stable with no new entries although Jaxon, a meteoric riser last year, narrowly missed out on the top ten after soaring another 13 places to number 11.

Top 20 girls' names

1. Olivia

2. Sophia

3. Lily

4. Ava

5. Mia

6. Isla

7. Amelia

8. Freya

9. Isabella

10. Emily

11. Aria

12. Evie

13. Grace

14. Isabelle

15. Ella

16. Ivy

17. Sophie

18. Willow

19. Charlotte

20. Elsie

Top 20 boys' names

1. Muhammad

2. Noah

3. George

4. Oliver

5. Charlie

6. Harry

7. Leo

8. Arthur

9. Jack

10. Freddie

11. Jaxon

12. Ethan

13. Jacob

14. Theo

15. Oscar

16. Alfie

17. Henry

18. Archie

19. Joshua

20. Thomas

On its website, BabyCentre said: "As Brexit hangs in the balance and there is another change in prime minister, UK politics are in turmoil. So parents are increasingly plumping for strong and stable names, especially those with a 1980s twist. Whatever anyone’s thoughts on the decade’s politics, we can safely say they were a little more settled than they are now.

"Parents of baby Michaels and Maxines are compensating for the current turmoil with solid choices. Jason, John, David, Penny, Hannah and Emma are also making a comeback. And there was even a registration for the unusual name combination of Blair Margaret.

"Another hot topic dominating the headlines might also be behind the rise of David, which is up 15 places to number 74. As the climate crisis escalates, eco-conscious parents could be looking to campaigner David Attenborough for inspiration. Registrations were also on the up for Greta after Greta Thunberg’s rise to fame in early 2019."

Animal and botanical names are also on the up. Willow is new into the top 20 while Ivy climbed two places to number 16. Robyn, Raven, Rowan and Sage were also all boosted.

Some parents were even inspired by actors' names from the fantasy epic Game of Thrones. Maisie (Williams, who played Arya) and Emilia (Clarke, the actor behind Daenerys) both stormed up the charts. 

Character names Tyrion and Theon rose in popularity and 2019 has even seen one registration for the unusual double character name combination of Arya Cersei.