Following from the Upswing Girls' Names in England and Wales, here is the picture for the boys.
Noticeably, the girls' names, on the whole, had a much steeper upward curve than their masculine counterparts. These boys' names, in general, are taking longer to rise and have a bumpier, more gradual upward curve, often with intermittent plateauing.
Going against this grain, some noticeable spikes can be seen, such as with Riley, Arthur, Jenson, Tommy and Frankie.
Upswing Names in the Top 100:
Similarly, names below the Top 100 also are a little bumpier on their upward path in popularity. Nevertheless they are all progressively rising.
Upswing Names below the Top 100:
Despite his previous reputation as a Cockney bad-boy, diminutive Ronnie is currently in vogue.
Back in 1996, 66 boys (#352) were called Ronnie in E&W. After a few ups, downs and plateaus, Ronnie managed to garner 599 births (#105) in 2012, over a hundred more than the previous peak of 491 babies in 2008.
Fellow, R- diminutive (and, coincidentally, the other Kray twin) Reggie is also rising behind. Only 16 (#898) babies were named Reggie in 1996. It reached triple figures (110) in 2005, and by 2012 there was a swelling 398 births, ranking #450.
Alternative Reginald-diminutive Rex is also enjoying rising usage. From 4 births (#2425) in 1999 to 88 births (#450) in 2012.
Hot on the heels of Arthur, is brother Albert.
In 1996, Albert ranked #261 with 110 births. Ten years later in 2006 it had exactly doubled its number to 220. From that point on its rise has been steeper, more than doubling in birth count within five years. In 2012, Albert ranked #109 with 579 births.
Diminutive Albie is also on the rise, from 17 births (#853) in 1996 to 297 births (#188) in 2012.
Another -ert name with a similarly cosy grandad style is Rupert.
76 (#335) Ruperts were registered in 1996. It fell to 33 births (#568) in 2000 but has since been on the rise. In 2012, Rupert ranked #268 with 176 births.
Felix's rise has been gradual but still quite significant.
In 1996, 149 babies (#210) were given the name. By 2012 that number had risen to 558, ranking at #114.
Maxwell has also been on a steady, if intermittent, rise. In 1996 the name ranked #200 with 160 births. In 2005 it saw a sharp rise to 366 births (#139) and again to 521 births (#125) in 2012.
Maximus barely ranked until the release of the Hollywood blockbuster Gladiator in 2000. That year 34 babies (#554) received the name in E&W and then 114 (#248) the following year.
The name has been rising since. In 2012 it ranked #205 with 269 births.
With Britain's burgeoning multiculturalism, it's not surprising that Arabic Yusuf is on the rise.
In 1996, 91 babies were given the name, ranking #286. It has steadily and consistently risen ever since, and in 2012 it ranked #126 with 507 births.
Similar Musa had only 14 births in 1996. It too has been on a steady rise, reaching #213 in 2012 with 257 births.
Another strong multicultural influence on British names are Polish names, and Filip is one at the forefront.
With only 3 babies given the name Filip in 1998, it has been on a steep upward curve since. In 2012, it ranked #144 with 412 births.
In 1996, only 94 babies (#284) received the name Jasper. It has been rising steadily over the following years, making it's biggest leap in 2010 when it increased by 100 births from the 289 in 2009.
In 2012, Jasper ranked #129 with 482 births.
Brother names Casper and Kasper are also on the rise, though far less smoothly.
Only 4 (#2347) babies were given the name Casper in 1996; in 2012 that number had risen to 127 (#346).
In 2003, Kasper had only 4 births to its name (#2857). Excepting one dip, it too has been rising, ranking #592 in 2012 with 59 births.
Roman ranked #809 in 1999 with 20 births. It has risen considerably since then, hitting triple figures in 2003 (132 births; rank #241). In 2012, 467 babies were given the name, ranking #133.
Rowan is only a few places behind. More familiar than Roman, its climb has been more gradual. In 1996, 172 boys were named Rowan. This number had risen to 473 in 2011 and 449 (#137) in 2012.
Romeo barely ranked at all until the turn of the century. In 1999, 3 babies were given the name.
This number jumped up to 30 (#656) in 2003 -- the year of Romeo Beckham's birth.
In 2012, it ranked #279 with 168 births.
Surname-styled, Carter ranked #755 in 1996 with only 20 births. It hit triple figures in 2002 with 106 births (#267) and in 2012 ranked #135 with 461 births.
Another C-occupation name, Cooper has seen an even steeper rise. Only 5 babies were given the name in 1997 and it only broke the Top 1000 in 2004 (#731 with 31 births). It has been on a swift upward curve since, ranking #211 in 2012 with 258 births.
Downton Abbey-esque Carson ranked #2189 in 2003 with 6 births. It has been making gains each year since, and ranked #367 in 2012 with 115 births.
Cuddly Teddy has been going from strength to strength in recent years. With Edward steady at #36 and Theodore at a rising #97, it's perhaps not surprising. In 1996, Teddy ranked #755 with 20 births. It broke the Top 200 in 2010 and was #141 with 422 births by 2012.
Shorter form Ted garnered only 10 births in 1997. It hit triple figures in 2006, and in 2012 ranked #226 with 227 births.
Though Eddie hasn't fared quite as well as the Teds, it is, nevertheless, on the rise. In 1996, 34 babies were given the name, ranking #520. Its steady climb since ensure it ranked #321 in 2012 with 139 births.
Eli has seen quite a sharp rise in the last few years. In 1996, 31 babies were given the name (#552). By 2009, that number had risen to 134 (#308), and almost doubled that in 2010 when 248 boys were given the name (#206). In 2012, 402 babies were given the name, ranking at #145.
Lengthier Elias ranked #567 in 1997 with 31 births. It reached triple figures in 2006 and was #247 in 2012 with 198 births.
Arlo also shared Elias' rank (#247, 198 births) in 2012, but has seen a much steeper upward curve. In 2001, only 6 babies were given the name.
It's biggest jump came in 2010, when it went from 58 births (#567) in 2009 to 132 (#311).
Milo looked to be waining in usage before 2005, but since then it has been on the up. In 2005, 147 babies (#238) were given the name. It has been steadily rising since, and in 2012 it ranked #161 with 361 births.
Alternative spelling Mylo has seen a much sharper rise. Only 5 babies were given the name in 2004, and that number had more than ten-fold in four years. Exactly 100 babies (#392) were given the name in 2011 and 144 (#314) in 2012.
Rocco is another brief -o name which is on the rise. It did not rank at all until 2000 (the year when Madonna gave the name to her son), which saw 6 babies given the name. In 2012 it ranked #185 with 301 births.
Layton is another surname which is gaining attention as a first name. In 1996, 23 babies were given the name, ranking #680. It hit triple figures in 2005 (#264) and in 2012 ranked #163 with 360 births.
In the Combined Spellings ranks, Layton ranked #84 in 2012.
Leighton was originally more popular than Layton, ranking #369 in 1996 with 60 births. It too, has seen a steady rise, ranking #167 in 2012 with 354 births.
Proving that the -ton ending has potential, Braxton is at the beginning of a sharp spike.
Before 2010, it had only ranked twice: in 2004 and 2005, both at 6 births. 2010 saw 3 babies born with the name, 17 in 2011 (#1398) and 63 (#569) in 2012.
As with the girls, Beau is also proving popular for the boys -- even more so, in fact. In 2000, Beau ranked #817 with 20 births. It reached the Top 300 in 2004 when 106 babies were given the name, and had risen further still to #172 with 341 births in 2012.
Other swift word-names are also on the up.
Chase ranked #853 in 1996 with 17 births. It made a significant rise in 2009 when 144 boys (#294) were given the name and by 2012 it ranked #218 with 246 births.
Heath was given to 4 babies in 2001. By 2006, it had moved from 33 births to 60 (#550) and was #349 in 2012 with 125 births.
It's hard to tell whether Joey will maintain its recent stark jump upwards; only time will tell. The obvious reason for such recent success lies with the fame of Joey Essex. In 1996, 22 boys were named Joey. That number had risen to 86 (#493) in 2010, 165 (#273) in 2011 and 336 (#176) in 2012.
Like Joey, Rylan is another famous namesake to see his name emulated. From 5 births in 1996, Rylan saw 50 births (#589) by 2007, and 171 (#273) in 2012.
Though lower ranking, Dougie is showing a similar curve to Joey. It, too, is perhaps inspired by Dougie Poynter. In 2009, Dougie ranked #1749 with 12 births. The number had risen to 38 (#798) in 2011 and 91 (#434) in 2012.
In 1996, Ralph ranked #427 with 47 births. By 2006, the number of babies given the name had reached 107 ranking #326, and was #193 with 287 births in 2012.
Not far behind is Eric, though with a shallow curve. In 1996, 98 babies were named Eric, putting it at #280. In 2012, Eric ranked #234 with 220 births.
In 1996, 209 babies (#163) were named Alan. It declined to #296 at 98 births in 2003, but has since been back on an upward curve.
In 2012, 330 babies were named Alan, putting it at #178.
12 boys were named Brody in 1996. It began to pick up more usage after 2002 and had 103 births (#364) in 2008. Since that point it has been marching upwards, ranking #203 in 2012 with 273 births.
Buddy is currently enjoying a steep upward curve, no doubt helped by little Buddy Bear Maurice Oliver. Before 2008, no more than 17 babies received the name in any given year. 35 babies (#832) were given the name in 2010, 66 (#528) in 2011 and 122 (#356) in 2012.
Similar sounding Bodhi is still low ranking, but definitely showing potential. 15 babies were given the name in 2006. This number had risen to 32 (#897) in 2010 and 55 (#634) in 2012.
Also benefiting from the wave of occupational surnames is Fletcher. In 1996, Fletcher ranked #853 with 17 births. The name spiked at #240 with 157 births in 2006, and #220 in 2012 with 237 births.
Parker ranks lower but is on a steep upward trend. It first ranked in 2004 with 3 births. 26 babies (#1055) were given the name by 2010, 51 (#647) in 2011 and 93 (#425) in 2012.
Similarly, Baxter has gone from 6 births in 2006, to 22 (#1171) in 2010 and 29 in 2011. Its biggest spike was in 2012 when it ranked #671 with 50 births.
Unlike many boys' names, Rufus has had a very smooth rise upward. In 1996, 31 babies (#552) were given the name. By 2006, 117 babies received the name, ranking #301. By 2012, the number had almost doubled to 218 births and a rank of #236.
Similar sounding Raphael sits at the same rank as Rufus (#236, 218 births). Back in 1996, 47 babies were given the name, putting it at #427. In 2004, the number rose to 117 births (#272) and 199 (#240) in 2011.
Rafferty did not rank at all until 2000, and since then it has been steadily climbing. 10 babies were given the name in 2001, 58 in 2009, 96 in 2010, 106 in 2011 and 131 (#338) in 2012.
Striking Hunter is at the beginnings of a steep rise. In 2006, 11 babies were given the name, ranking #1643. The number had risen to 52 in 2010 (#625) and 78 in 2011 (#473). It then made a particularly marked leap in 2012 when it ranked #238 with 212 births.
Hudson had no more than 20 births in any given year before 2005. It jumped up little in 2007 when 58 babies (#538) were given and again in 2012 when 169 boys received the name, ranking #277.
Archer had seen more turbulent fluctuation in usage, but sign are it's on the up. 3 boys were given the name in 2000, rising to 31 in 2006. It dipped slightly, recovered by 2010 and rose to 44 births (#718) in 2011 and 79 births (#484) in 2012.
Vintage Wilfred has also had a jumpy rise upwards, but its gains are still quite significant. In 1996, 14 boys received the name. By 2003, that number was 51 which doubled to 107 in 2006. In 2012, 157 babies were given the name, at a rank of #293.
Two other Edwardian favourites, Ernest and Walter, show a similar picture.
Ernest ranked #2074 in 1998 with only 5 births. 53 babies (#610) were given the name in 2009, and had doubled by 2012 to 109 births, ranking it #382.
9 boys were named Walter in 1996, and it stayed very consistent in usage up until 2006, when 33 babies were registered. It has been rising since, and in 2012, 69 boys were named Walter, giving it a rank of #534.
