Royals, and Sex Education, see jump in preference for Archie and Otis

Meghan and Harry holding their son Archie
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex holding their son Archie during a meeting with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Mrs Tutu in Cape Town
PA

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle appear to have boosted Archie in the name ranks since the birth of their son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor.

Archie joined the ranks of the top 10 boys’ names given to children in England and Wales for the first time in 2020, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Figures show 2,944 babies were named Archie in 2020, up from 2,544 in 2019.

Netflix comedy-drama Sex Education contributed to a surge in popularity for names Maeve and Otis - from its characters Otis Milburn and Maeve Wiley.

Otis was among the “largest movers” in the top 100 boys’ names list, rising 28 places to 96th. Maeve has risen 124 places since 2019 to reach 94th in the rankings.

The name Margot has also been rapidly climbing the rankings since actress Margot Robbie appeared in the popular 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street.

Sian Bradford, of the ONS, said: “Archie jumped into the top 10 boys’ names for the first time, driven by younger mothers as well as the obvious royal link, while on the girls’ side, Ivy rose to sixth place.

“Popular culture continues to provide inspiration for baby names, whether it’s characters in our favourite show or trending celebrities.

Sex Education Asa Butterfield as Otis Milburn and Emma Mackey as Maeve Wiley
Asa Butterfield as Otis Milburn and Emma Mackey as Maeve Wiley
Netflix/PA

Ivy and Rosie replaced Grace and Freya in the top 10 girls’ names.

Olivia, shared by actress Olivia Colman, has remained as the most popular girls’ name for five years in a row.

Margot Robbie at the EE British Academy Film Awards 2020
PA

Parents aged 35 and over continued to choose more traditional names, while younger parents opted for more modern and shortened names, the ONS said.

“We continue to see the age of mothers having an impact on the choice of baby name,” Ms Bradford said.

“Oliver and Olivia held on to the top spots as the most popular boys’ and girls’ names in 2020 but some interesting changes took place beneath them.”

In total, 4,225 baby boys were named Oliver in 2020, down from 4,932 the previous year, while a total of 3,640 newborn girls were named Olivia, down from 4,082.

It is the first time Charlie has not been in the top 10 since 2005, slipping to 12th place with a total of 2,810 babies named Charlie in 2020, down from 3,355 in 2019.

Despite Oliver being the top boys’ name for England and Wales, regionally it was only top in the North East.

Muhammad was top in four regions of England and Arthur in three regions.

In Wales, Noah was the top boys’ name but only the fourth most popular name in England and Wales combined.

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