I was reading the paper the other day and there was an article about the most popular names for babies as they had appeared in the births column of the newspaper:
For boys –
1st – Arthur and Henry
2nd – Edward and William
3rd – George
4th – Alexander, Frederick, Jack, Oliver and Thomas
…and for girls –
1st – Margot and Matilda
2nd – Isabella and Ottilie
3rd – . Florence
4th – Eliza, Jemma and Olivia
5th Beatrice and Poppy
This is just from the parents who read this particular paper… looking at names from other records it’s slightly different. Here are the top ten girls with only Olivia and Isabella putting in an appearance:
- Sophia
- Olivia
- Emma
- Ava
- Isabella
- Aria
- Riley
- Amelia
- Mia
- Layla
… and here are the top ten boys from the same source with only Oliver on both lists (unless you count Jack/Jackson) – William and Alexander are in the top twenty-five, however:
- Jackson
- Liam
- Noah
- Aiden
- Caden
- Grayson
- Lucas
- Mason
- Oliver
- Elijah
Names fascinate me, and I try and keep up to date with fashions so I give my characters names which are likely for people of their age and status!
Lois Elsden 
There are some odd names on those lists. I prefer the more traditional, especially the Norman English names but then I have to accept that I am getting old!
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The traditional names are coming back… the great thing with writing fiction is I can use all sorts of names for my characters! Actually, I do try really hard to get them right in terms of age, class etc
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We have a pretty bar maid working at my local called Eliza and her and I like to kid each other. We all know her to be native Indian but she looks more like pictures I’ve seen of Nefertiti. A Chinese chap came into the bar a few months ago and fell in love with her thinking she was Chinese too. He was dumbfounded to learn she was pure native.
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It really makes a pub when you have great bar staff… ours are good, particularly Chris who must be the smiliest barman in the world!
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She doesn’t drop her H’s like Eliza Doolittle either.
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