Here are the 20 poshest baby names. Would you give any of these to your bundle of joy?
Horace or Otterly?
Horace or Otterly?
Picking a name for your baby can be a right old minefield - as even those of us who haven't reproduced yet can attest. Do you stick with a common classic or try something unusual but potentially divisive? Go for an easily abbreviated option or tap into your creative side with something a little more conceptual, which sounds pretty but also requires your future adult child to spell their name exhaustively every time they nip to the bank? 'No, actually, it's Phineas with a silent P.'
The most popular baby names will vary according to where you live in the UK, but according to the Office for National Statistics names ending with 'a' are big news right now for girls, with the three top spots being taken up by Amelia (1) Olivia (2) and Isla (3).
For boys it's still looking pretty traditional, with Oliver, Jack, Harry and Jacob featuring in the top ten, along with the Christian name of our new Prince George.
But what about the poshest baby names? Users of Mumsnet have voted in their very own list of the 20 plummiest baby names. Starring on the largely male line-up are Horace, Hugo, Mungo and Cuthbert (according to this selection giving your little boy a name ending with 'o' seems to register high on the posh-o-meter) though girls names Octavia, Tuppence and Otterly also occupy positions 18, 19 and 20. Despite being the name of one of our tiniest royals, Charlotte doesn't actually make the list - though interestingly, statistics show women called Charlotte are highly likely to have babies themselves this year.
Here's the top 20. Number one? Horace...
1. Horace 2. Hector 3. Millicent 4. Django 5. Merlin 6. Tristan 7. Inigo 8. Tybalt 9. Cosmo 10. Merville 11. Algernon 12. Araminta 13. Jago 14. Lucious 15. Mungo 16. Crispin 17. Cuthbert 18. Octavia 19. Tuppence 20. Otterly
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What about the more bizarre selections? Reddit users have also put together the 20 worst baby names. We think name number one will lead to a lifetime of one poor person having to reassure people that it's 'not a typo':
1. Elizabreth 2. Mhavryck (Pronounced 'Maverick') 3. Aliviyah (Pronounced 'Olivia') 4. Baby (Author's note: 'Yup. That's the name') 5. Little Sweetmeat (Author's note: 'Swear to God') 6. Nevaeh (Note: Read it backwards) 7. Danger 8. North West 9. Harley-Quinn 10. Beberly
The 10 most popular baby names* According to the Office for National Statistics
Girls
1. Amelia 2. Olivia 3. Isla 4. Emily 5. Poppy 6. Ava 7. Isabella 8. Jessica 9. Lily 10. Sophie
Boys
1. Oliver 2. Jack 3. Harry 4. Jacob 5. Charlie 6. Thomas 7. George 8. Oscar 9. James 10. William
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