Justyna Jankowska with baby Borys Pic:Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust
Harry and Amelia were the most popular baby names of 2011, according to data announced at University Hospital Lewisham.
The Office for National Statistics revealed 7,523 children in England and Wales were named Harry, while 5,054 were called Amelia.
Perhaps down to the popularity of Prince Harry, Harry Potter or even One Direction Singer Harry Styles. While X factor finalist Amelia Lily could have influenced the choice of girls name.
It is the first time since 2009 that Oliver and Olivia were not at the top spot. In 2010 Harry came third and Amelia fifth.
Justyna Jankowska, 32, from Ladywell, who recently gave birth at the Lewisham Birth Centre at the hospital named her son Borys, which was ranked 852nd this year: “Both my husband and I are Polish and we live here in London. Borys’ grandparents live in Russia and Denmark, so we wanted to give Borys a name that would suit all four countries.”
Meanwhile Jacob, the seventh most popular name replaced George in the top ten, and Isabella replaced Chloe, both names of characters in the Twilight series.
The Office for National Statistics said: “The popularity of names can be influenced by names of famous figures or current celebrities and what they name their own babies. However, it is an individual choice which can be influenced by a number of other factors such as the religious, cultural and/or ethnic identities of the parents or the names of family, friends or fictional characters”.
The top ten names only account for 14 per cent of all names in 2011. Last year there were 723, 913 live births in England and Wales with over 28,000 different boys names and just over 35,000 girls names registered.
