At My Nametags, we get a unique insight into the names that are proving popular amongst British parents. With such a diverse range of names making the top 200 baby names list over the last 10 years, we were interested to find out more about the history behind Britain’s favourite names.
Using data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), we analysed the decade’s most popular baby names and discovered that British parents are drawing inspiration from all corners of the globe when it comes to naming their children.
In fact, we found that almost half (45 percent) of the top 200 baby names in the UK have international origins, with inspiration drawn from everywhere from Greece to Japan.
Interestingly, many of the names on our list have multinational origins themselves. For example, the name Sophie originated in France, but derives from the older Greek name, Sophia. This demonstrates just how international the influences on the UK’s most popular names are.
To help you discover where Britain’s most popular names are from, we’ve created a handy interactive map. Simply hover your cursor over a region to discover which common British names originate from this area.
