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When was the last time you met a kid named Merle, or Dillard?

Those names, and others that sound similarly old-fashioned, are from a very particular generation and have been all but pushed out by the current zeitgeist.

Although, fascinatingly, in the UK, these traditional sounding names still hold a lot of weight.

Sky News checked in with the most popular names for boys in England and Wales in 2021, and the top 10 remains similar bar a few changes.

For the sixth consecutive year, Noah has been revealed as the most popular name for boys and Olivia has topped the list for girls.

The changes come with Henry replacing Jack in the list of names for boys, while Freya, Florence, and Willow replaced Isabella, Rosie, and Sophia for girls.

Image: King Henry VIII / vincevoigt/ISTOCK

Since the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) annual series began in 1996, it is the first time that Jack has not been in the top 10.

The top 100 has also welcomed a few new entries, such as Lara, Beatrice, and Sara for girls, and Blake, Brody, Kai, Rupert, Tobias, and Nathan for boys.

Pop culture is taking hold, though, with the ONS mentioning that “noteworthy names from across the cultural spectrum have surged up the charts of late”:

Analysis shows choices can differ depending on the mother’s age, with younger women opting for more modern and shortened names such as Tommy, and older mums choosing more traditional ones like Thomas.

It also reveals the cultural influences that could be driving baby name trends – from Star Wars, Pixar and Peaky Blinders to parents trying to keep up with the Kardashians.

Everyone wants to be like the Kardashians, clearly:

The names Saint (Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s son), True (Khloe Kardashian’s daughter) and Psalm (Kim’s second son) have also grown in popularity, according to the ONS.

Pixar’s highly streamed coming-of-age tale Luca has inspired interest in the name:

Image: Pixar

It rose to 28th spot on the list, going from 1 323 boys named Luca in 2020 to 1 807 in 2021.

The latest trilogy in the Star Wars franchise has also inspired a rise in the boy names Kylo, Lando, and Finn.

Peaky Blinders has had an influence, with the number of Arthurs more than doubling (from 1 559 in 2013 to 3 766 in 2021) since the gangster show took to TV.

The British Royal Family have also been inspiring the masses, with Archie, George, Louis, and Charlotte showing up in the baby section of the hospital ward.

[source:skynews]