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Baby Names in Northern Ireland 2018

Date published: 23 July 2019

Topics: Births, deaths and marriages,  Baby Names

NISRA published the most popular names given to babies whose birth was registered in Northern Ireland during 2018.

The top 10 baby names in Northern Ireland, 2018 were:

Boys:

1. James  – 217 Babies

1. Noah  – 217 Babies

3. Jack  –  201 Babies

4. Charlie  – 191 Babies

5. Daniel  – 154 Babies

5. Jacob  – 154 Babies

7. Oliver  – 151 Babies

8. Harry  – 150 Babies

9. Thomas  – 142 Babies

10.  Leo  – 137 Babies

Girls:

1. Grace  – 221 Babies

2. Emily – 203 Babies

3. Olivia  – 178 Babies

4. Sophie  – 155 Babies

5. Ella  – 151 Babies

6. Amelia  – 140 Babies

7. Isla  – 135 Babies

8. Anna  – 128 Babies

9. Lily  – 125 Babies

10. Lucy  – 124 Babies  

This is the second time that Grace has been the most popular girls’ name, a position held jointly with Emily in 2013. James has been the most popular boys’ name in each of the past four years, joined by Noah this year for the first time. 

Leo joined the boys’ top 10 for the first time in 2018.  Within the boys’ top 100, the highest climbers in popularity between 2017 and 2018 were Tommy, Theo and Hunter.

Axl, Blaze, Hendrix, Phoenix and Wolf were some of the less common names given to baby boys in 2018.

Within the girls’ top 100, the highest climbers in popularity between 2017 and 2018 were Rosie, Sadie and Saoirse.

Some of the less common names given to baby girls in 2018 were Disney, Hermione, Moana, Storm and Zandaya.

Full publication available here.

Video to accompany publication available here.

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  • Official Statistics producer – Upholding Trust, Quality and Value
  • General Register Office - registration and certification of life events relating to births, deaths and marriages
  • nidirect.gov.uk – the official government website for Northern Ireland citizens
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