Top baby names 2022: 100 most popular names for newborns ranked - including Lily, Sophia and Noah

A new list released by Babycentre shows Olivia has been knocked off the top spot for the first time in seven years

By Claire Schofield

6th Jul 2022, 2:31pm

The most popular baby names for 2022 have been revealed by Babycentre in its annual mid-year top 100 chart.

The list offers an insight into the current naming trends and shows parents have found a new favourite for baby girls.

Olivia has been knocked off the top spot for girls’ names for the first time since October 2015 (Composite: Kim Mogg / NationalWorld)

Olivia has been knocked off the top spot for girls’ names for the first time since October 2015 (Composite: Kim Mogg / NationalWorld)

Olivia has been knocked off the top spot for the first time since 2015, with Lily now taking the crown as the nation’s most popular name.

Sophia has held onto the number two slot, pushing Olivia down to number three - the lowest ranking for the name in seven years.

As for boys’ names, Muhammed and Noah still remain number one and two respectively, but both Freddie and Harry have dropped out of the top 10.

Jack climbed six places to take the third spot from Oliver, which fell to number six, while Ethan and Oscar made their way into the top spots at numbers eight and nine.

Old fashioned names make a comeback

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee seems to have had an impact on name choices this year, with more old fashioned monikers making their way into the top 100.

Elizabeth climbed two places from 86 to 84, while William and Charlotte saw an increase in popularity.

George remains a firm favourite in the top 10 names for boys, but Andrew on the other hand has long been falling down the ranks, with the trend continuing further in light of the controversies surrounding the Duke of York.

Many TV-inspired monikers have also made their way into the charts, including Peaky Blinders themed names such as Arthur, Alfie, Charlie, Luca and Finley (Finn). Tommy also ranked at number 43, with Grace at number 14, Esme at 31 and Ada at number 51.

The high profile court cases of Amber Heard vs Johnny Depp and the Wagatha Christie case, involving Coleen Rooney and Rebeka Vardy, also appear to have influenced parents’ choices.

After years of being in the top 100, Amber has spectacularly dropped out and no babies have been registered with the name Johnny, with Jonathan also seeing a huge decline.

Wayne, Coleen, and Rebekah have all had zero entries so far this year, and entries for the alternative spelling Rebecca, plus the name of her husband Jamie, have also dropped.

However, plenty of new entries have made their way into the top 100 this year, including Zion, Elliot, Madison and Raya, which are all proving increasingly popular.

Other names that have previously featured in the list and are now missing include Jasmine, Clara, Elodie, Lola and Amelie for girls, and Joseph, Edward, Ronnie, Stanley and Milo for boys.

The top 100 baby names for 2022 in full

Boys’ names

Girls’ names