These will be the most popular baby names in 2021

Catriona Harvey-Jenner
·4-min read
Photo credit: Getty Images
Photo credit: Getty Images

From Cosmopolitan

  • Olivia and Oliver are still the most popular baby names in the UK

  • In 2020, the UK saw some more unusual baby names topping the lists of most popular

  • Vintage baby names are particularly popular choices in the UK

  • Will 2021's popular baby names continue with a similar pattern? We look at the trends

Whether you're keen to follow the trends with baby names, or if you're desperate to know what everyone else is calling their newborns so your child won't be one of five in a class with the same name, it's always interesting to take a look at what the most popular baby names for boys and girls are set to be in the UK this year, in 2021.

Baby naming site Nameberry has used its expertise to predict what kind of names we'll see showing up on the birth certificates. So, what's likely to top the popularity lists for 2021? Unsurprisingly, the one thing parents won't be taking inspiration from when it comes to naming their children this year is... coronavirus. Which means names that have even the slightest echoes of COVID (Cora, Cordelia, Corey, we're looking at you) are set to be on the decline.

Watch: Most popular baby names in England and Wales revealed

While old fashioned names have been having their moment for the past few years, likely in a bid for parents to make their child more unique, this year the trend is predicted to shift more towards Japanese-inspired names. With "attractive rhythms and straightforward pronunciations," the baby naming experts think monikers such as Aiko, Kaori, Mika and Yuki will be on the rise.

The world's new obsession with cottage-core is also set to have ripples where baby names are concerned, so expect to hear of more babies named Flora, River, Bear, Clover and Silas than ever before. Oh, so wholesome.

Photo credit: Catherine Delahaye - Getty Images
Photo credit: Catherine Delahaye - Getty Images

And in terms of word sounds, Nameberry thinks we'll all go gaga for vowels, becoming big fans of the 'long A' for baby girls (think Ada, Vega, Maeve). Plus, when it comes to middle names, prepare to follow celebrities like Katy Perry (whose daughter Daisy Dove was born in 2020) opting for bird-themed names. Lark, Sparrow, Phoenix and Wren could all be ones you see increasingly chosen as middle names for babies born in 2021.

Of course, while baby naming trends come and go over the years, most seem to stick around for a long stretch of time, so it's also worth seeking inspiration from the baby names that have proven most popular in recent years. Every year, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) releases the most recent baby name data for England and Wales, and their most recent data provides information on which names were most loved among parents in 2019 (you can probably assume that 2020's baby naming patterns will have looked something similar.)

As you might well have guessed, the usual favourites were still lurking at the top (Olivia and Oliver, I'm looking at you), but some new trends also emerged. Like the new obsession with naming babies after characters from Peaky Blinders, with the likes of Tommy, Ada, and Arthur all seeing a surge in popularity.

Photo credit: BBC
Photo credit: BBC

Some of the other boys' names that have grown in popularity in recent years (and so will likely stick around for 2021, too) include Louis, Chester, Hudson, Oakley and Alfred. For girls, the names growing fastest in acclaim include Lara, Mabel, Thea, Bonnie, and Arabella.

Here's the full low down on the most popular baby names right now:

Boys' names popular in 2019 and 2020:

  1. Oliver

  2. George

  3. Noah

  4. Arthur

  5. Harry

  6. Leo

  7. Muhammad

  8. Jack

  9. Charlie

  10. Oscar

  11. Jacob

  12. Henry

  13. Thomas

  14. Freddie

  15. Alfie

  16. Theo

  17. William

  18. Theodore

  19. Archie

  20. Joshua

  21. Alexander

  22. James

  23. Isaac

  24. Edward

  25. Lucas

  26. Tommy

  27. Finley

  28. Max

  29. Logan

  30. Ethan

  31. Mohammed

  32. Teddy

  33. Benjamin

  34. Arlo

  35. Joseph

  36. Sebastian

  37. Harrison

  38. Elijah

  39. Adam

  40. Daniel

  41. Samuel

  42. Louie

  43. Mason

  44. Reuben

  45. Albie

  46. Rory

  47. Jaxon

  48. Hugo

  49. Luca

  50. Zachary

  51. Reggie

  52. Hunter

  53. Louis

  54. Dylan

  55. Albert

  56. David

  57. Jude

  58. Frankie

  59. Roman

  60. Ezra

  61. Toby

  62. Riley

  63. Carter

  64. Ronnie

  65. Frederick

  66. Gabriel

  67. Stanley

  68. Bobby

  69. Jesse

  70. Michael

  71. Elliot

  72. Grayson

  73. Mohammad

  74. Liam

  75. Jenson

  76. Ellis

  77. Harley

  78. Harvey

  79. Jayden

  80. Jake

  81. Ralph

  82. Rowan

  83. Elliott

  84. Jasper

  85. Ollie

  86. Charles

  87. Finn

  88. Felix

  89. Caleb

  90. Chester

  91. Jackson

  92. Hudson

  93. Leon

  94. Ibrahim

  95. Ryan

  96. Blake

  97. Alfred

  98. Oakley

  99. Matthew

  100. Luke

Photo credit: Getty Images
Photo credit: Getty Images

Girls' names popular in 2019 and 2020:

  1. Olivia

  2. Amelia

  3. Isla

  4. Ava

  5. Mia

  6. Isabella

  7. Sophia

  8. Grace

  9. Lily

  10. Freya

  11. Emily

  12. Ivy

  13. Ella

  14. Rosie

  15. Evie

  16. Florence

  17. Poppy

  18. Charlotte

  19. Willow

  20. Evelyn

  21. Elsie

  22. Phoebe

  23. Sophie

  24. Sienna

  25. Alice

  26. Sofia

  27. Ruby

  28. Isabelle

  29. Harper

  30. Matilda

  31. Daisy

  32. Emilia

  33. Jessica

  34. Maya

  35. Eva

  36. Luna

  37. Millie

  38. Eliza

  39. Chloe

  40. Maisie

  41. Penelope

  42. Aria

  43. Esme

  44. Scarlett

  45. Imogen

  46. Thea

  47. Ada

  48. Layla

  49. Harriet

  50. Mila

  51. Violet

  52. Eleanor

  53. Bella

  54. Erin

  55. Elizabeth

  56. Rose

  57. Molly

  58. Hallie

  59. Emma

  60. Lola

  61. Lucy

  62. Bonnie

  63. Ellie

  64. Nancy

  65. Robyn

  66. Zara

  67. Lottie

  68. Hannah

  69. Maria

  70. Aurora

  71. Arabella

  72. Holly

  73. Jasmine

  74. Gracie

  75. Georgia

  76. Delilah

  77. Darcie

  78. Orla

  79. Amber

  80. Amelie

  81. Iris

  82. Anna

  83. Abigail

  84. Ayla

  85. Maryam

  86. Lilly

  87. Annabelle

  88. Sara

  89. Edith

  90. Beatrice

  91. Clara

  92. Summer

  93. Heidi

  94. Margot

  95. Martha

  96. Zoe

  97. Lara

  98. Lyla

  99. Mabel

  100. Felicity

You can find more baby name inspiration for 2020 over on Nameberry.

Follow Cat on Instagram.

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