IN A year where people have been watching more TV than usual it seems popular shows on Netflix and the BBC have inspired the most popular names of 2020.
As the year draws to a close BabyCentre have announced the top 100 names for boys and girls with thousands of parents sending their children’s names to the website.
Olivia, a name that has held top spot for the past four years has been replaced by Sophia while Muhammad remains the most popular name for boys.
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It’s clear parents have been inspired by their favourite characters having watched more TV during two national lockdowns amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Tiger has seen a rise in popularity this year inspired by Netflix hit, Tiger King, unsurprisingly for fans of the show, there has also been a drop in how popularity for the names Joe and Carol, the feuding duo from the show.
BBC comedy Normal People, based on the book by Sally Rooney, has gained more fans this year and with it the name Connell made it into the top 100 boys names for the first time.
Heroin of highly-rated HBO and BBC series I May Destroy You, Arabella, has inspired parents this year climbing 30 places to number 57.
The Last Dance was one of the biggest TV hits of 2020. The Netflix documentary followed NBA legend Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls teammates, with particular focus on his final season with the Bulls.
The miniseries may have inspired on of the biggest climbers in the boys names chart this year, climbing 28 places to 54.
Most popular names for boys
Here is a list of the top 20 names for boys, a full list of the top 100 can be found here.
1. Muhammad
2. Noah
3. Oliver
4. Arthur
5. Leo
6. Freddie
7. George
8. Theo
9. Charlie
10. Jack
11. Harry
12. Oscar
13. Ethan
14. Archie
15. Finley
16. Alfie
17. Joshua
18. Jacob
19. Thomas
20. Isaac
Most popular names for girls
Here is a list of the top 20 names for girls, a full list of the top 100 can be found here.
1. Sophia
2. Olivia
3. Amelia
4. Lily
5. Isla
6. Ava
7. Mia
8. Aria
9. Freya
10. Isabella
11. Ella
12. Ivy
13. Emily
14. Grace
15. Isabelle
16. Rosie
17. Poppy
18. Evie
19. Charlotte
20. Hannah
Most endagered names
It's bad news for Kirstys or Jordans who top the list of endagered girls names. Shauna and Shannon have also seen a drop in popularity.
For the boys, it seams Mitchells and Kierans could be on their way out as they top the list of the most endangered names for boys. Fewer parents are opting for Ross, Brandon and Craig too.
Sarah Redshaw, UK managing editor for BabyCentre, said: "A global pandemic has had us looking for ways to find optimism, reflected in a rise in positive and heroic names.
"TV really showed its impact when the name Connell made an appearance for the first time after the Normal People hero, played by Paul Mescal, dominated TV chat, along with his chain.
"And with staying in forcibly becoming the new going out we’ve all been turning to social channels to keep us feeling part of a community, reflected in the increasing influence that Insta stars are having on us.
"With tech acting as a lifeline for work, staying in touch with our loved ones and keeping us entertained it remains to be seen whether Zoom, Nintendo or Tik Tok will appear in next year’s list!"
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