British Baby Names

Name of the Week

 

 
Friendly and reliable Daniel has been a stalwart
international favourite for centuries.

 

Origin:

From the Hebrew name דָּנִיֵּאל (Daniyyel), composed of the elements דָּן (dan) "a judge" — related to דִּין (din) "to judge, defend, plead" — and אֵל (el) "God." Many, therefore, define it as either "God is my judge" or "God has judged."  Several figures in the Old Testament bear the name: a son of David; a priest; a great sage; and the prophet whose story is told in the Book of Daniel.

Usage:

As the name of a biblical prophet, Daniel can be found in use across medieval Europe. Early British examples include Daniel of Winchester (d.745), Bishop of the West Saxons and Bishop of Winchester, and Daniel, Bishop of Cornwall (fl.937-955). Instances of Daniel or Daniels as a surname also date from the 11th century. At this time, however, the name was not particularly common. There is, for example, only one Daniel is listed in the extensive 1292 Subsidy Roll of London, and none at all in the Subsidy of 1319. A handful of Biblical names came to the fore in the 16th and 17th centuries, however, and Daniel was one of the first to make an impact. Smith-Bannister's frequency tables rank Daniel as the 35th most popular name from 1538-1549. It was #21 by 1610-1619 and #15 in 1690-1700. The increased levels of immigration from Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries most likely played a contributing factor to this higher usage in Britain. For example, we know that in 1565 a German by the name of Daniel Houghsetter was given licence to open mines in Cumberland, Westmorland and Cornwall*.  The 1841 UK census records 57,483 males named Daniel (72% living in England, 15% in Scotland, 12% in Wales). The number had risen to 67,326 in 1861; 73,501 in 1881; and 72,603 in 1900 (61% in England, 22% in Scotland, 17% in Wales).  It ranked #40 (1201 births) in 1890 and #53 (1131 births) in 1900.  In the 20th century, Daniel was never out of the Top 100 in England and Wales. Starting at #57 in 1904, it fell to #82 by 1944 but the steadily began rising again, to #16 in 1974 and #4 in both 1984 and 1994. It reached a peak, at #2 (10,338 births) in 1996 and has ever so gradually declined over the preceeding decade: #4 from 1997-98, #5 from 1999-2004, #6 from 2005-07, #8 in 2008, #10 in 2009, #11 in 2010 and #14 in 2011 with 3,928 births.  In Scotland, Daniel has ranked highly throughout the 20th century: #21 in 1900; #33 in 1950; #51 in 1975; and #13 in 2001. In 2011 it ranked #6 with 362 births.

Famous Bearers:

History: * St Daniel the Stylite (c. 409—493), a saint of the Eastern Orthodox, and Roman Catholic and Eastern Catholic Churches. * Daniel I of Galicia (c.1202—1264), King of Galicia. * Sultan Daniyal Mirza (1572—c.1602), son of Emperor Akbar the Great and Viceroy of Deccan. * Daniel Defoe (1660—1731), English author. * Daniel Purcell (c. 1664—1717), an English composer. * Daniel Bernoulli (1700—1782), Swiss mathematician.  * Daniel Boone (1734—1820), American pioneer, explorer and adventurer. Contemporary: * Daniel Craig (b.1968), British actor. * Daniel Radcliffe (b.1989), British actor. Literature and Other Media: * Daniel Deronda (1876), a novel by George Eliot. * Daniel, a song by Elton John. Other: * Daniel, a French rocket. * 2589 Daniel is a main-belt asteroid.

Variants:

Danilo (Spanish, Portuguese, Serbian), Daniele (Italian), Deiniol (Welsh)

Pronunciation:

DAN-yul  [key]

Possible Diminutives:

Dale, Dan, Danny, Danko, Neil

Sibling Names:

Hannah     Lucy     Sophie     Amy     Charlotte     Laura  Matthew     Thomas    Joshua     James     Benjamin     Jacob

Name Lists:

Popular Biblical Names   Gorgeously Georgian   Dickensian Names   Astronomical Names

 

If you like Daniel you may also like:   Gabriel, Samuel, Adam, Raphael, Michael, Elliott, Russel, Damian, Adrian, Nathaniel

 

Name of the Week

 

A bright and vibrant flower that is worn with pride
by millions of Brits every November. 

 

Origin:

The name of a flower: originally papaver in Latin, which later became popæg in Old England.  For thousands of years, the white and red poppy has been known for its medicinal properties; particularly as a pain relief, sedative, or for reducing anxiety. For this reason, and the association with opium, the flower was also portrayed as having magical qualities. Poppy seeds are now also used nutritionally in cooking. In Victorian floriography, the poppy symbolises bashfulness or consolation. More prominently, in the minds of most Britons, the poppy symbolises remembrance for fallen soldiers in war. The connection between poppies and war dead has existed at least since Waterloo (1815) — poppies were seen to grow on the site of the fallen — but it is only in the last few decades that the British Legion's Poppy Appeal has become a huge nationwide campaign to fundraise and commemorate on Remembrance Day by wearing poppies.

Usage:

Since at least the 13th century, Poppy has been used as an uncommon surname. Most likely, it started as a nickname taken from the flower.  A handful of early examples of Poppy as a first name date from the 18th century. They are almost exclusively middle names (used for both sexes), which indicates an adoption of the surname. It wasn't until the latter half of the 19th century, when the floral craze began to rise in Britain, that Poppy began to gain usage as a first name. At this time, however, it was not particularly popular. It certainly did not rival other floral favourites like Daisy, Lily, Rose and Violet.  Poppy is recorded 6 times on the 1871 census (all female); 11 times in 1881; 46 times in 1891 and 94 times in 1900. Interestingly, 99% of the usage of Poppy at this time was confined to England, with only a handful in Scotland and Wales.  The aftermath of WWI put the poppy more firmly to the foreground. In Flander's Fields (1915) by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae famously referred to the poppy, and this was the inspiration for American teacher Moira Michael, who suggested the wearing of a poppy as a symbol of memorial. It was adopted by American Legion in 1920 and the British Legion in 1921. The impact of this on the name Poppy in England and Wales is marked: 1904: 8 births registered. 1915: 9 births registered. 1919: 8 births registered. 1920: 20 births registered. 1921: 28 births registered.  1922: 46 births registered.  Fascinatingly, the highest concentration of girls registered with the name Poppy from 1921 to 1931 fall within the October-November-December registration quarter, coinciding with Remembrance Day. The registration of Poppys in 1926 looked like this for example: Jan-Feb-Mar: 4 registrations. Apr-May-Jun: 4 registrations. Jul-Aug-Sep: 3 registrations.  Oct-Nov-Dec: 33 registrations.  Despite the higher usage of the name in November in England and Wales, Poppy never broke into the Top 100 until the late 1990s. In 1996 Poppy ranked #92 (537 births), and was #84 (617 births) in 2001. From that point it began to swiftly climb up the rankings: #45 in 2004; #28 in 2007; #16 in 2010. In 2011 Poppy ranked #14, with 2,932 births, in England and Wales (#14 in England, #21 in Wales). The highest concentration of those births were in November (351 births) when it ranked the third most popular girl's name in November. In Scotland, Poppy ranked #46 with 116 births.

Famous Bearers:

Contemporary: * Poppy Montgomery (b.1975), Australian actress. * Poppy Jhakra (b. 1984), British actress. * Poppy Delevingne (b. 1986), British model. Literature and Other Media: * Poppy Pomfrey, Hogwarts' nurse in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter franchise.  Other: * HMS Poppy, two ships of the British Royal Navy have been given this name.

Variants:

Poppie

Pronunciation:

POP-ee  [key]

Possible  Longer Forms:

Calliope, Cassiopeia, Hippolyta, Leopoldine, Parthenope, Penelope, Perpetua, Persephone, Philippa, Proserpina, Proserpine, Prospera, Zipporah

Sibling Names:

Ella     Lucy     Mia     Grace     Bella     Freya  Jack    Max     Archie     Adam     Freddie     Luke

Name Lists:

The Language of Flowers

 

If you like Poppy you may also like:   Polly, Ruby, Penny, Lilly, Lottie, Tilly, Darcy, Elsie, Kitty, Ottilie

 

 

Top 100 Most Popular Names in England and Wales 2011

The stats are finally out. Hot off the press, the most popular names in England and Wales for 2011 have just been released, and there the number 1 spots look a bit different! Oliver and Olivia are out — Harry and Amelia have shifted into the #1 spot.

Back in the Top 100 are Blake, Francesca and Lydia. New to the Top 100 for the first time this year are Tommy, Frankie, Elijah and Jackson for boys, and Bella, Willow, Elsie and Kayla for girls. (Five out of eight isn't bad).

They replaced Aidan, Bradley, Sam, Brandon, Kieran, Maisy, Tilly, Aimee, Libby, Alexandra and Laila, which have fallen out of the Top 100 since 2010.

Jenson, Dexter, Arthur and Riley were the highest climbers within the Top 100 for boys, while Eliza, Evelyn, Sofia and Harriet have made the most gains for girls. 

Here is a run down of the Top 100 names combined for England and Wales. I have included the change in ranks from 2010 in the third column for easy comparison:

Top 100 Boys' Names 2011			.	Top 100 Girls' Names 2011
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 68 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100	HARRY  OLIVER  JACK  ALFIE  CHARLIE  THOMAS  JACOB  JAMES  JOSHUA  WILLIAM  ETHAN  GEORGE  RILEY  DANIEL  SAMUEL  NOAH  OSCAR  JOSEPH  MOHAMMED  MAX  DYLAN  MUHAMMAD  ALEXANDER  ARCHIE  BENJAMIN  LUCAS  LEO  HENRY  JAKE  LOGAN  TYLER  JAYDEN  ISAAC  FINLEY  MASON  RYAN  HARRISON  ADAM  LEWIS  EDWARD  LUKE  FREDDIE  MATTHEW  LIAM  ZACHARY  CALLUM  SEBASTIAN  CONNOR  JAMIE  THEO  TOBY  HARVEY  MICHAEL  NATHAN  HARLEY  KAI  DAVID  AARON  ALEX  CHARLES  AIDEN  LEON  MOHAMMAD  LUCA  TOMMY  FINLAY  JENSON  ARTHUR  LOUIS  RHYS  OWEN  REUBEN  OLLIE  LOUIE  GABRIEL  BOBBY  CAMERON  DEXTER  BLAKE  STANLEY  KIAN  EVAN  JUDE  FRANKIE  ELLIOT  HAYDEN  ASHTON  JOEL  CALEB  BAILEY  ELIJAH  TAYLOR  ROBERT  KAYDEN  KYLE  FREDERICK  BEN  REECE  JACKSON  JOHN	+2 -1 -1 — — — +5 +2 -1 -3 +2 -3 +12 -3 -1 +2 +2 -3 -2 +3 -5 +9 -2 — -3 -7 +9 +6 — -2 +1 -6 +4 +1 +11 -6 +5 +1 -12 +3 -3 +3 -2 -11 +6 -6 +11 -4 — — +3 -5 - -6 +2 — +7 -3 -7 +2 +5 -2 +4 +6 +91 +2 +29 +14 +1 -5 -12 -1 -10 — +3 +7 -16 +20 +26 +8 -9 -6 +3 +24 — -6 -10 -7 -2 -11 +29 +5 -3 +5 -21 -1 -24 -14 +40 -6		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 88 90 91 92 93 94 95 95 97 98 99 100	AMELIA  OLIVIA  LILY  JESSICA  EMILY  SOPHIE  RUBY  GRACE  AVA  ISABELLA  EVIE  CHLOE  MIA  POPPY  ISLA  ELLA  ISABELLE  SOPHIA  FREYA  DAISY  CHARLOTTE  MAISIE  LUCY  PHOEBE  SCARLETT  HOLLY  LILLY  ELLIE  MEGAN  LAYLA  LOLA  IMOGEN  EVA  SUMMER  MILLIE  SIENNA  ALICE  ABIGAIL  ERIN  LACEY  HANNAH  JASMINE  FLORENCE  ELIZABETH  LEXI  MOLLY  SOFIA  MATILDA  EMMA  BROOKE  AMY  AMBER  GRACIE  AMELIE  ROSIE  LEAH  KATIE  MAYA  ELEANOR  GEORGIA  EMILIA  ELIZA  FAITH  BETHANY  EVELYN  ISABEL  ANNA  HOLLIE  BELLA  PAIGE  HARRIET  ESME  ZARA  LEXIE  WILLOW  ROSE  MADISON  JULIA  ANNABELLE  ISOBEL  NIAMH  MADDISON  MARTHA  SKYE  LAUREN  CAITLIN  ELSIE  KEIRA  REBECCA  SARAH  HEIDI  ZOE  MARIA  MARYAM  AISHA  TIA  NICOLE  KAYLA  FRANCESCA LYDIA	+4 -1 +1 +2 -2 -4 — +1 +2 +2 -1 -4 — +2 +7 +2 - +9 — -5 -1 -8 -2 +4 -1 -1 +12 +1 -6 +14 +2 -6 +4 -4 -3 +11 +6 -4 -4 -4 -10 -1 +11 +5 +1 -4 +15 +5 -1 -5 -13 — -2 +1 +4 -6 -17 -1 +2 -4 +10 +31 +2 -5 +22 -8 -4 +1 +35 -7 +15 +2 +3 -6 +37 +14 -10 -1 +10 -5 -3 -1 +2 -11 -15 -20 +21 -16 -6 -7 +2 -8 -2 +5 +1 -16 -5 +21 +3 +7

With certain names Wales and England tell a very different story, and 2011 was no exception.

For boys, the Top 10 looks much the same with the exception of Riley, Ethan and Dylan ranking in Wales, compared to England's James, Joshua and William. Within the Top 100 there is a much greater variation.

Boys' names that only rank in the Top 100 names in Wales: Morgan, Harri, Osian, Jac, Tomos, Cai, Iestyn, Ioan, Ellis, Ieuan, Zac, Cian, Mckenzie, Cole, Iwan, Levi, Jackson, Elis, Jay, Rowan, Tristan.

Boys' names that only rank in the Top 100 names in England: Muhammad, Edward, Charles, Mohammad, Tommy, Finlay, Arthur, Louis, Louie, Bobby, Stanley, Jude, Frankie, Hayden, Elliot, Bailey, Robert, Taylor, Elijah, Frederick, Kyle, Reece, Ben, John, Aidan. 

In the girls' Top 10, Wales boasts Seren, Ella, Mia and Megan, while England ranks Jessica, Grace, Sophie and Isabella. There is, again, a much bigger variety between England and Wales within the Top 100.

Girls' names that only rank in the Top 100 names in Wales: Seren, Ffion, Cerys, Carys, Lowri, Nia, Mali, Elin, Lois, Maisy, Lili, Cadi, Efa, Bethan, Alexis, Lillie, Alys, Darcy, Leila, Macey.

Girls' names that only rank in the Top 100 names in England: Matilda, Emma, Bethany, Harriet, Zara, Rose, Julia, Annabelle, Elsie, Rebecca, Lauren, Keira, Sarah, Heidi, Zoe, Maria, Maryam, Aisha, Nicole, Francesca.

Here are the individual Top 100 for Wales, and for England in 2011:

Top 100 Names in Wales				.	Top 100 Names in England
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 19 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 36 38 39 40 41 41 41 44 45 46 47 48 48 50 50 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 65 67 68 69 70 70 72 73 73 74 76 76 78 79 79 79 82 83 83 83 86 87 87 89 89 91 92 92 92 92 96 96 96 96 96	OLIVER  JACK  JACOB  RILEY  ETHAN  ALFIE  HARRY  DYLAN  THOMAS  CHARLIE  LOGAN  JOSHUA  WILLIAM  RHYS  JAMES  SAMUEL  NOAH  JAYDEN  MASON  TYLER  FINLEY  DANIEL  MAX  LEO  JAKE  EVAN  RYAN  OSCAR  MORGAN  GEORGE  LUCAS  JOSEPH  HARRISON  BENJAMIN  CALLUM  HARRI  OSIAN  THEO  LEWIS  JAC  HARLEY  OWEN  TOMOS  ISAAC  ARCHIE  GETHIN  KAI  CAI  OLLIE  LEON  LIAM  ALEXANDER  ASHTON  CONNOR  HARVEY  LUKE  KIAN  CAMERON  IESTYN  JENSON  IOAN  COREY  MICHAEL  ADAM  ALEX  ZACHARY  AARON  BLAKE  CALEB  ELLIS  MATTHEW  AIDEN  HENRY  OWAIN  KAYDEN  IEUAN  TOBY  CODY  DEXTER  JAMIE  LUCA  ZAC  CIAN  MCKENZIE  SEBASTIAN  DAVID  COLE  FREDDIE  IWAN  REUBEN  LEVI  JACKSON  JOEL  MOHAMMED  NATHAN  ELIS  GABRIEL  JAY  ROWAN  TRISTAN	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 33 33 36 37 38 39 39 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 48 50 51 52 53 54 55 55 57 57 59 59 61 62 62 62 65 66 67 68 68 68 68 72 72 72 75 76 77 78 79 79 79 82 82 82 85 85 87 88 88 90 91 91 91 91 95 96 96 96 96 96	LILY  AMELIA  AVA  RUBY  OLIVIA  SEREN  EMILY  ELLA  MIA  MEGAN  SOPHIE  GRACE  EVIE  FFION  CHLOE  FREYA  JESSICA  ISABELLA  SOPHIA  LILLY  POPPY  ISABELLE  ELLIE  MAISIE  SUMMER  ERIN  LACEY  PHOEBE  LAYLA  MILLIE  LOLA  DAISY  BROOKE  ISLA  LEXI  EVA  LUCY  HOLLY  GRACIE  IMOGEN  SIENNA  SOFIA  CERYS  SCARLETT  ABIGAIL  MOLLY  HOLLIE  CARYS  CHARLOTTE  LEXIE  LOWRI  JASMINE  FAITH  ROSIE  LEAH  NIA  CAITLIN  KATIE  KAYLA  MADISON  MALI  AMY  ELIN  LOIS  HANNAH  MARTHA  TIA  AMBER  GEORGIA  MADDISON  MAISY  ALICE  AMELIE  LILI  WILLOW  CADI  ESME  EMILIA  EFA  ISOBEL  MAYA  BELLA  EVELYN  ISABEL  BETHAN  NIAMH  FLORENCE  LYDIA  PAIGE  ELIZABETH  ALEXIS  ANNA  LILLIE  SKYE  ELEANOR  ALYS  DARCY  ELIZA  LEILA  MACEY		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 73 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 88 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 96 96 99 100	HARRY  OLIVER  JACK  CHARLIE  ALFIE  THOMAS  JAMES  JACOB  JOSHUA  WILLIAM  ETHAN  GEORGE  RILEY  DANIEL  SAMUEL  OSCAR  NOAH  MOHAMMED  JOSEPH  MAX  MUHAMMAD  ALEXANDER  ARCHIE  DYLAN  BENJAMIN  LUCAS  HENRY  LEO  JAKE  TYLER  LOGAN  ISAAC  JAYDEN  FINLEY  RYAN  HARRISON  MASON  ADAM  LEWIS  EDWARD  FREDDIE  LUKE  MATTHEW  LIAM  ZACHARY  CALLUM  SEBASTIAN  JAMIE  CONNOR  TOBY  HARVEY  THEO  MICHAEL  NATHAN  HARLEY  KAI  DAVID  AARON  ALEX  CHARLES  AIDEN  MOHAMMAD  LEON  TOMMY  FINLAY  ARTHUR  LUCA  LOUIS  REUBEN  JENSON  LOUIE  OWEN  BOBBY  OLLIE  GABRIEL  STANLEY  DEXTER  CAMERON  BLAKE  RHYS  JUDE  FRANKIE  HAYDEN  KIAN  ELLIOT  JOEL  BAILEY  ROBERT  TAYLOR  ELIJAH  FREDERICK  KYLE  REECE  CALEB  ASHTON  BEN  EVAN  KAYDEN  JOHN  AIDAN	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 70 72 73 74 75 76 76 78 79 80 81 82 83 83 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100	AMELIA  OLIVIA  LILY  JESSICA  EMILY  SOPHIE  GRACE  RUBY  AVA  ISABELLA  EVIE  CHLOE  MIA  POPPY  ISLA  ELLA  ISABELLE  SOPHIA  FREYA  DAISY  CHARLOTTE  LUCY  MAISIE  SCARLETT  PHOEBE  HOLLY  LILLY  ELLIE  IMOGEN  LAYLA  LOLA  EVA  MEGAN  SUMMER  MILLIE  ALICE  SIENNA  ABIGAIL  HANNAH  ERIN  FLORENCE  JASMINE  LACEY  ELIZABETH  MOLLY  LEXI  MATILDA  EMMA  SOFIA  AMY  AMBER  BROOKE  AMELIE  GRACIE  ROSIE  LEAH  KATIE  MAYA  ELEANOR  GEORGIA  EMILIA  ELIZA  BETHANY  FAITH  EVELYN  ISABEL  ANNA  HARRIET  BELLA  PAIGE  ZARA  HOLLIE  ESME  ROSE  JULIA  ANNABELLE  WILLOW  LEXIE  ISOBEL  MADISON  NIAMH  MADDISON  ELSIE  SKYE  REBECCA  LAUREN  MARTHA  KEIRA  CAITLIN  SARAH  HEIDI  ZOE  MARIA  MARYAM  AISHA  NICOLE  FRANCESCA  TIA  LYDIA  KAYLA

Statistics supplied by the Office for National Statistics.  

Name of the Week

Falling in nicely alongside popular Charlie, Harry and Harvey, 
Harley has stormed the Top 100 in E&W in the past decade with a count of thousands. 

 

Origin:

From the Old English elements hara "hare" and lēah "clearing, glade, meadow, wood". It was first used as a place name in both Shropshire and West Yorkshire, and later became a habitational surname.

Usage:

As a surname turned first name, Harley has been used since the 17th century. The surname itself was used by the aristocracy (much like Percy, Sidney, Cecil and Howard), particularly associated with the Earls of Oxford — the famous Harley Street and Oxford Street in London was named for Edward Harley "Lord Harley", 2nd Earl of Oxford. On the 1851 UK census, 54 males were named Harley. This number had risen to 159 by 1881, and to 306 in 1911. The name saw some usage for women in the late 19th century, but it was extremely rare. It did not come into more regular use for girls until the late 20th century, alongside similar sounding Hayley and Carly.  The popularity of Harley is a very recent phenomenon. In 2000 Harley ranked #183 with 186 births; in the previous four years it had plateaued at much the same rank. By 2003 it had crept up to #143 (312 births), and then took a dramatic leap to #102 (554 births) in 2004, and then to #70 (959 births) in 2005. To put that usage in perspective, in 1996 186 boys were given the name; in 2006, 1092 boys were registered — a 600% increase in just ten years.  Why the sudden leap in 2004/5? Similar-sounding Top 50 names such as Charlie, Harry, Harvey and Finley no doubt helped paved the way, while popular TV drama Footballers' Wives featured a character named Harley Lawson from 2004 - 2005. Since 2006, the name has steadily risen in the Top 100 in England and Wales. In 2010 it ranked #57 with 1304 births (#55 in Wales, #56 in England). Spelling variations included Harlee (18) Harlie (13), Harleigh (6), Harli (6) and Harly (3), with hyphens Harley-Jay (17), Harley-James (9), and 4 named Harley-Jack (4), and Harley-Joe (4). Back in 1996, the usage for boys (186 births) was very nearly matched for girls (111 births). Since then, however, the name has slightly declined as a feminine name. In 2010 Harley ranked #616 for girls in England and Wales with 62 births. Spelling variants included Harleigh (21), Harlie (17), Harlee (5) and Harli (5). In Scotland the name is far less popular and still very unisex, much like it was in England and Wales in the late 90s. In 2010 the name ranked #148 (36 births) for boys and #345 (10 births) for girls, shifting to #205 (21 births) for boys and #249 (16 births) for girls in 2011.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer(1661 — 1724) was Lord High Treasurer for Queen Anne. He was the first to hold the title of "Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer" which was passed down through the Harley family. *Harley Granville-Barker (1877 — 1946) was an English actor and playwright. * William Sylvester Harley(1880 — 1943) was an American mechanical engineer and co-founder of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company.  * Harley Parker (1915 — 1992) was a Canadian artist and professor. Popular Culture: *Harley Alexander-Sule (b.1991) is co-member of Brit act Rizzle Kicks. Other: * Harley-Davidson (or simply "a Harley") is a well-known brand of motorbike.  * Harley Benton is a well known brand of musical instruments, particularly guitars. * Harley Street is a famous street in London, known for its high concentration of private medical practices.

Variants:

Harlie, Harlee, Harleigh, Harly, Harli, Harlea

Pronunciation:

HAR-lee [key]

Possible Diminutives:

Hal, Lee

Sibling Names:

Skye     Lacey     Miley     Alexis     Megan     Alicia  Lewis     Bailey     Cole     Ryan     Kai     Corey

 

If you like Harley you may also like:   Harvey, Riley, Harrison, Marley, Taylor, Logan, Harris, Harlan, Charlie, Farley

 

Top 100 Names in England and Wales 2010

Well the stats are finally out for 2010 in England and Wales! 

The top 10 really hasn't moved all that much for girls or boys. Lily seems to have shot up from #8 to #4 so no doubt the combined spellings (which I'm working on now) will show that it is still #1. It seems I was right when I said a few weeks ago that Jenson would be a fast climber, as it is now #96. Fellow racing driver, Lewis, has made a small fall. 

You can see the Top 100 Names in a quick spreadsheet:

Top 100 Boys Names 2010
Top 100 Girls Names 2010

Here is a quick break down of the Top 20 in both England and Wales separately:

Top 20 in England: 1. Olivia 2. Sophie 3. Emily 4. Lily 5. Amelia 6. Jessica 7. Ruby 8. Chloe 9. Grace 10. Evie 11. Isabella 12. Ava 13. Mia 14. Maisie 15. Daisy 16. Poppy 17. Isabelle 18. Charlotte 19. Ella 20. Lucy

Top 20 in England: 1. Oliver 2. Jack 3. Harry 4. Alfie 5. Charlie 6. Thomas 7. William 8. Joshua 9. George 10. James 11. Daniel 12. Jacob 13. Samuel 14. Ethan 15. Joseph 16. Mohammed 17. Alexander 18. Noah 19. Oscar 20. Lucas

Top 20 in Wales: 1. Ruby 2. Olivia 3. Lily 4. Amelia 5. Seren 6. Ava 7. Chloe 8. Megan 9. Sophie 10. Mia 11. Emily 11. Maisie 13. Grace 14. Evie 15. Isabelle 16. Ellie 17. Ffion 18. Ella 19. Isabella 19. Jessica

Top 20 in Wales: 1. Oliver 2. Jack 3. Ethan 4. Jacob 5. Thomas 6. Alfie 7. Dylan 8. Charlie 9. Joshua 10. Logan 11. Harry 12. William 13. Jayden 14. Daniel 15. Rhys 16. Riley 17. Tyler 18. Samuel 19. Morgan 20. Evan

Many more posts analysing the stats to come. I'm working on the combined spellings now and will be looking at the greatest risers and fallers.

 

Most Popular Welsh Girls' Names

Welsh girls names have had a harder time in the survival stakes compared with their male counterparts. Several Welsh male names have maintained wide popularity across the centuries -- even during heavy anglicisation and oppression of the language. In contrast, very few traditional Welsh girls names were used in the in the 18th and 19th century until the late Victorian revival. Gwenllian is the only female Welsh name found in the 1841, 1851 and 1861 census that was used popularly. 

Many of the female Welsh names popular today are either historical revivals or modern coinages dating from 1890 onwards. 

 

Seren - The Welsh vocabulary word for "star" has becoming a big hit in Wales in recent years. In 2009 it was the third most popular name having first come into use as a name in the mid 20th century. 

Megan - This most well-known Welsh diminutive for Margaret/Marged, currently ranking at #5, has been a longstanding favourite. The popularity of Margaret throughout the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries has ensured that this pet form has remained strong and, as with many diminutives, it now stands solidly on its own. Internationally it is often erroneously confused as being an Irish name. 

Ffion - The Welsh word for "foxglove", in reference to the red colour, ranked at #11 in 2009 and has been used since 1920. Ffiona, the Welsh form of Fiona is found at the same time, which has given rise to the mistaken meaning of Ffion. 

Cerys - Ranked at #23 in 2009. Its meaning, "love", has made it a popular choice, and namesake Cerys Matthews, lead singer of Catatonia made it famous. It is first found in birth records in 1930. 

Carys - From the same route as Cerys. It ranked #33 in 2009 and is first recorded in 1903. 

Bethan - As the most well-known standard Welsh diminutive of Elizabeth, Bethan shares a similar history to Megan. In the De Situ Brecheniauc the name appears as one of the daughters of Brychan, the 5th century king of Breconshire. It has been used as a stand alone name since 1910 and ranked #54 in 2009. 

Nia - The Welsh version of the Irish Niamh. It was unused as a name until T Gwynn Jones used it to translate Niamh in Tir na n-Og, which was based on the Irish legend and published in 1916. It ranked #59 in 2009. 

Elin - The Welsh version of Ellen or Helen ranked #61 in 2009.

Lowri - The Welsh version of Laura which ranked (joint) #68 in 2009. The mother of William Morgan, who translated the bible into Welsh in 1588, bore this name.

Mali - Welsh diminutive of Mary and equivalent to Molly. Ranked (joint) #68 in 2009. 

Catrin - The Welsh version of Catherine which ranked #82 in 2009. Owain Glyndwr had a daughter with the name. Catrin of Ferain (c.1540-1591) was a welsh noblewoman known as "the mother of Wales" due to her many descendants and social links. 

Cadi - One of the Welsh diminutives of Catrin which ranks at #90 in Wales. It has been used as a stand alone name since the 1980s. 

Mari - The Welsh form of Mary which ranked #100 in 2009. 

 

 

Most Popular Welsh Boys' Names

When thinking about the most popular names in Wales Olivia, Ruby, Jack and Oliver top the list. But instead of concentrating on the most popular names in Wales, let us take a look at the most popular "Welsh" names in Wales. Quite obvious you might think, but with Wales' long historical struggle to hold on to its language, Welsh names have travelled a difficult and bumpy road. Let's take a look at which ones are currently standing strong.

I'll start off with the boys today. 

 

Dylan - A mythical figure in the Mabinogian whose myth and name are associated with the sea, and was most likely an ancient Celtic god of the sea. The name was unused in Wales in the 18th and 19th centuries and is first found in rare use at the end of the Edwardian period. Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) brought the name into popular usage. In 2009 it was the 2nd most popular boys name in Wales. 

Rhys - Currently ranks #7 in Wales in 2009. Rhys has been used consistently since the middle ages as a strong Welsh favourite. 

Evan - Standard anglicised form of Ieuan via Iefan and Ifan. All are Welsh forms of Iohannes. This spelling has been popular in Wales for centuries, particularly in the 18th and 19th, and has given way to the surnames Evans and Bevan. In 2009 Evan ranked #16 in Wales. 

Morgan - Morgan ap Athrwys was king of Morgannwg (Glamorgan), to which he gave his name, in the 8th century. The earlier form Morcant/Morgant was borne by a post-Roman early British king. As with Rhys and Evan, Morgan has had sustained usage in Wales for centuries both as a first name and a surname. It ranked #18 in 2009.

Owen - The well known Anglicised spelling of Owain which ranks at #32 in Wales. Owen has been used commonly used in Wales for centuries. This spelling became more popular in the 18th and 19th century with the general anglicisation and suppression of the Welsh language. 

Cai - The Welsh form of Caius. Cai appears as one of King Arthur's knights in the tale of Culhwch and Olwen in the Mabinogion. Cai ranks at #33 and Kai at #69. The name has only been in use since the 1970s and became popular in the last two decades. 

Osian - The Welsh version of the Irish Oisin, a great poet in Irish legend. It was used rarely from the 1880s onwards until it picked up favour in the 50s. It ranked at #40 in 2009 . 

Gethin - Originally a descriptive nickname meaning "swarthy" that was used for Rhys Gethin, a strong lieutenant of Owain Glyndwr. It is found as a first name from the beginning of the 20th century onwards and currently ranks #48. 

Ieuan - An old Welsh spelling of Iohannes which ranked #52 in 2009. It was long eclipsed by the anglicised spelling, Evan, until the resurgence of Welsh names at the end of the 19th century when it was revived. Welsh writers Evan Evans (1731-1788) and Evan Jones (1820-1852) used Ieuan as their bardic name. 

Ioan - Another Welsh variant of Iohannes, most well known for being borne by actor Ioan Gruffudd. It ranked #53 in 2009. 

Ellis - A common Welsh surname most likely derived from the Welsh name Elisedd, although the English surname comes from the name Elias. It ranked #63 in 2009. 

Owain - The original Welsh spelling of Owen, Owain currently ranks at #66 in Wales. Owain Glyndwr (Owen Glendower) was a 14th century Welsh hero who founded Welsh parliament and led a revolt against the English. Owain ab Urien was a Welsh prince in the 6th century who became incorporated into Arthurian legend as a knight of the Round Table. 

Iwan - Another form of Iohannes which ranked #73 in 2009. 

Iestyn - Welsh form of Justin. Iestyn ap Gwrgant (c.1045 - 1093) was ruler of Morgannwg. The name was revived in the Edwardian era and currently ranks at #74 in Wales. 

Sion - Welsh equivalent to the Irish Sean, and therefore a variant of Iohannes. Sion Cent was a 15th century poet. The name ranked at #84 in 2009. 

Steffan - The Welsh form of Stephen. There was a British saint of this name who is commemorated at Llansteffan in Carmarthenshire.In 2009 it ranked #96. 

Lloyd -  Like Rhys, Evan, Morgan and Owen, Lloyd maintained its popular usage in Wales even through the suppression of the Welsh language in the 18th and 19th centuries. It currently ranks at #97. 

 

The top 100 also features Welsh spellings of common names such as Tomos, Jac and Harri.