Let's take a look at the movers and shakers below the Top 100 that are storming the charts and making themselves heard. 2012 saw yet another rise in hyphenated names, some Muslim favourites and a whole host of American-style surnames.
Top billing for girls is Emeli, a spelling no doubt inspired by Scottish singer-songwriter Emeli Sande. This spelling has not charted at all in the data since 1996 but went in at #916 (40 births) in 2012.
For boys, Braxton was moved up the most places within the top 1000. Other surnames such as Baxter, Presley, Hunter, Archer, Parker and Lawson also went up more than 200 places each.
Below is a chart I've put together of the top 20 boys' and girls' names within the 2012 England and Wales Top 1000 whose rank increased the most since 2011. The first number denotes the name's rank in 2012.
| 569 |
BRAXTON |
+829 |
| 927 |
COLTON |
+761 |
| 947 |
CRISTIAN |
+741 |
| 901 |
HENDRIX |
+699 |
| 837 |
PERRY |
+685 |
| 927 |
KELLAN |
+673 |
| 962 |
AUSTEN |
+638 |
| 866 |
BERAT |
+636 |
| 977 |
HARLOW |
+623 |
| 927 |
AYYUB |
+595 |
| 837 |
MALAKI |
+561 |
| 927 |
DENNY |
+520 |
| 977 |
TAIO |
+470 |
| 947 |
EMILIS |
+451 |
| 719 |
JOHAN |
+439 |
| 927 |
KYMANI |
+415 |
| 719 |
HUZAIFA |
+405 |
| 805 |
ALEXANDROS |
+404 |
| 947 |
TYSON |
+394 |
| 837 |
ROAN |
+375 |
|
| 916 |
EMELI |
+4869* |
| 934 |
ARFA |
+2615 |
| 916 |
AAYAT |
+2269 |
| 536 |
AMELIA-LILY |
+1739 |
| 712 |
HAREEM |
+1313 |
| 955 |
ABIHA |
+1195 |
| 281 |
JORGIE |
+786 |
| 768 |
AMELIA-GRACE |
+670 |
| 975 |
OLIVIA-GRACE |
+633 |
| 955 |
TERESA |
+590 |
| 738 |
LOLA-MAE |
+589 |
| 284 |
HARPER |
+574 |
| 825 |
ELERI |
+549 |
| 624 |
AYAT |
+544 |
| 975 |
RUMAISA |
+514 |
| 812 |
SKYLER |
+483 |
| 902 |
ELSIE-MAY |
+472 |
| 647 |
HARLOW |
+470 |
| 825 |
ETTA |
+470 |
| 857 |
ALARA |
+470 |
|
* The lowest rank, given for a birth count of 3, in 2011 was #5785 which would give Emeli gains of more than 4869.
This chart is a bit misleading as you'll notice the top of the chart is full of lower ranking names. This is because low ranking names only need to increase in birth count by a small number to rise significantly in rank. The higher ranks are far more competitive and a much larger increase in birth count is needed to make any gains. In 2012, Raymond increased by 85 places (#767 to #682), but in reality only 9 more babies were given the name than in 2011 (40 births to 49 births). Luca went up 3 places (#61 to #64) in 2012, but, as a Top 100 name, it had to work a lot harder for its gains, increasing by 135 births (982 to 1,117). So, +3 places = +135 extra births at #61 but +85 places = +9 extra births at #682.
Some names have actually gone up in rank, but down in birth count. Holly, for example, has moved up from #26 to #25 but declined in birth count from 1,971 to 1,937.
To put it into a clearer context, the following is a rank of the top 50 boys' and girls' names within the Top 1000 whose birth count increased the most since 2011.
| 14 |
NOAH |
+625 |
| 21 |
TYLER |
+605 |
| 8 |
RILEY |
+599 |
| 31 |
MASON |
+498 |
| 20 |
LEO |
+470 |
| 52 |
ARTHUR |
+349 |
| 30 |
ISAAC |
+330 |
| 54 |
JENSON |
+318 |
| 57 |
BOBBY |
+317 |
| 19 |
MUHAMMAD |
+307 |
| 24 |
HENRY |
+303 |
| 55 |
TOMMY |
+301 |
| 66 |
FRANKIE |
+290 |
| 88 |
HUGO |
+276 |
| 23 |
ARCHIE |
+257 |
| 5 |
JACOB |
+239 |
| 46 |
HARLEY |
+235 |
| 44 |
THEO |
+222 |
| 66 |
BLAKE |
+215 |
| 41 |
SEBASTIAN |
+212 |
| 135 |
CARTER |
+187 |
| 18 |
MAX |
+177 |
| 105 |
RONNIE |
+173 |
| 176 |
JOEY |
+171 |
| 71 |
JUDE |
+156 |
| 36 |
EDWARD |
+153 |
| 29 |
LOGAN |
+151 |
| 97 |
THEODORE |
+150 |
| 25 |
LUCAS |
+142 |
| 133 |
ROMAN |
+139 |
| 61 |
LUCA |
+135 |
| 238 |
HUNTER |
+134 |
| 70 |
DEXTER |
+122 |
| 75 |
ELLIOT |
+121 |
| 38 |
FREDDIE |
+117 |
| 35 |
HARRISON |
+102 |
| 211 |
COOPER |
+101 |
| 12 |
GEORGE |
+97 |
| 90 |
SONNY |
+96 |
| 82 |
ELIJAH |
+91 |
| 106 |
OLLY |
+89 |
| 60 |
MOHAMMAD |
+88 |
| 150 |
SPENCER |
+87 |
| 109 |
ALBERT |
+86 |
| 148 |
REGGIE |
+85 |
| 193 |
RALPH |
+75 |
| 68 |
REUBEN |
+73 |
| 188 |
ALBIE |
+71 |
| 95 |
ELLIOTT |
+71 |
| 277 |
HUDSON |
+70 |
|
| 1 |
AMELIA |
+2,007 |
| 8 |
ISLA |
+652 |
| 88 |
IVY |
+323 |
| 26 |
MILLIE |
+271 |
| 13 |
POPPY |
+271 |
| 21 |
SCARLETT |
+261 |
| 23 |
LOLA |
+233 |
| 24 |
EVA |
+232 |
| 54 |
HOLLIE |
+210 |
| 58 |
BELLA |
+204 |
| 89 |
DARCEY |
+199 |
| 15 |
SOPHIA |
+194 |
| 70 |
ELSIE |
+189 |
| 3 |
JESSICA |
+181 |
| 7 |
MIA |
+178 |
| 57 |
EVELYN |
+163 |
| 84 |
MOLLIE |
+158 |
| 6 |
AVA |
+158 |
| 215 |
AMELIA-ROSE |
+146 |
| 281 |
JORGIE |
+143 |
| 160 |
MILA |
+140 |
| 48 |
ROSIE |
+139 |
| 65 |
ESME |
+137 |
| 284 |
HARPER |
+131 |
| 72 |
ANNABELLE |
+126 |
| 34 |
FLORENCE |
+125 |
| 169 |
BEAU |
+123 |
| 39 |
MOLLY |
+122 |
| 69 |
WILLOW |
+120 |
| 138 |
HOPE |
+103 |
| 122 |
IRIS |
+100 |
| 294 |
ARIA |
+97 |
| 71 |
ZARA |
+96 |
| 67 |
HARRIET |
+95 |
| 104 |
SEREN |
+91 |
| 164 |
EMELIA |
+90 |
| 179 |
ANAYA |
+89 |
| 43 |
SOFIA |
+87 |
| 75 |
MADISON |
+86 |
| 81 |
MARYAM |
+84 |
| 205 |
AOIFE |
+80 |
| 198 |
SKYLA |
+79 |
| 132 |
LYLA |
+78 |
| 270 |
INDIE |
+76 |
| 194 |
AYLA |
+76 |
| 168 |
JESSIE |
+70 |
| 536 |
AMELIA-LILY |
+68 |
| 267 |
MYLA |
+68 |
| 100 |
VIOLET |
+67 |
| 302 |
CORA |
+66 |
|
The names that went up the most outside of the top 100 are Carter, Ronnie, Joey, Roman, Hunter, Cooper, Olly, Spencer, Albert and Reggie for boys and Amelia-Rose, Jorgie, Mila, Harper, Beau, Hope, Iris, Aria, Seren and Emelia.
Amelia-Lily, Jorgie and Harper appear in both the polls, making the most gains in both rank and birth count.
