Olivia and Oliver

Just recently the lists of the most popular children’s names has been published. I’ve always been interested in names and naming, perhaps because I have an unusual name, and a story behind my name. I was named after my great grandmother, and my sister, Anne, was named after another. Our other two great grandmothers were Kate and Fanny… I can’t see either of us as a Kate, and as for the other name… I’m not sure it’s very popular now! If we had been boys and great-grandfathers’ names were being considered, we’d have had the choice of Reuben, Tom/Thomas, William or Louis all very current with today’s baby boys!

In the list I have found which is nearest to when my sister and I were born, these are the top ten girls names:

1. Susan
2. Linda
3. Christine
4. Margaret
5. Janet
6. Patricia
7. Carol
8. Elizabeth
9. Mary
10. Anne

No Lois’s but there’s Anne at #10. My second name is Elizabeth which comes in at #8, my sister is Veronica which was #98 when she was born! I’m not sure what I would have been called if I had been a boy, I think possibly Alexander – which doesn’t appear on my contemporaries list:

11. David
12. John
13. Stephen
14. Michael
15. Peter
16. Robert
17. Paul
18. Alan
19. Christopher
20. Richard

Now here is the latest list of popular names, in rank order, girls first:

1. Olivia
2. Amelia
3. Isla
4. Ava
5. Mia
6. Ivy
7. Lily
8. Isabella
9. Rosie
10. Sophia

I think there may have been some older girls called Isabel/Isobel when I was at school, but none that I can remember, and I knew of one Rose, but as for the rest, I’m not sure there were any girls I knew of with those names!  .. and boys

1. Oliver
2. George
3. Arthur
4. Noah
5. Muhammad
6. Leo
7. Oscar
8. Harry
9. Archie
10. Jack

I remember when I was very young, maybe five or six I had a little Chinese friend called Oliver, but he was the only one I ever knew or knew of. I wonder what next year’s trends will be?

My featured image is of me and my school friends aged eleven; if anyone recognises themselves, do get in touch!!