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NAME GAME

The baby names to avoid based on where you live revealed – and why Harry is a big no no in Hertfordshire

CHOOSING a baby name is no easy feat, especially if you want to pick one to stand out from the crowd.

And if you do want to avoid your little one sharing a name with five other people in their class then new research has revealed the most common monikers in your area.

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NINTCHDBPICT000709335529Credit: Getty

New analysis of ONS (Office for National Statistics) baby name data by , reveals the UK’s ‘children’s name capitals’, the areas of the country where you are most likely to encounter a child with a certain name.

Here we reveal the most common names in each region - and why Kate and William should avoid the South East!

SOUTH WEST

Oliver has topped the charts as one of the UK’s most popular boys name for some years.

However, there is a higher concentration of them born in the South West than anywhere else in the UK. You are also more likely to find an Amelia in the region than anywhere else in the country.

SOUTH EAST

The names William and Charlotte top the charts in the South East.

LONDON

You are most likely to find an Alexander or an Isabella in the nation’s capital.

EAST OF ENGLAND

Parents across East Anglia are more likely to name their child either Harry or Holly than families elsewhere in the UK.

EAST MIDLANDS

You are most likely to meet an Oscar or an Isla in the East Midlands than anywhere else in the UK.   

WEST MIDLANDS

The West Midlands has the highest concentration of Mohammeds in the UK. For girls, it’s Maisie that appears more frequently in the region than anywhere else.

WALES

Wales has the highest density of children named Dylan and Megan.

NORTH WEST

Olivia has topped the charts as the most popular baby girls name for a few years now but the North West has the highest concentration of Olivias in the UK.

Thomas is also preferred by more parents in the North West than in any other region.

NORTH EAST

Jack has ranked highly in the baby name charts for decades, but it’s in the North East where you are most likely to find a child named Jack. For girls, it’s Emily.

YORKSHIRE AND THE HUMBER

You are most likely to come across a child named Charlie or Evie in Yorkshire and the Humber.

SCOTLAND

Scotland has the highest density of boys named Lewis and girls named Sophie.  

NORTHERN IRELAND

In Northern Ireland, parents prefer to name their child either James or Grace.

Data from ONS detailing the most popular baby names between 2001 – 2019 was analysed to create a list of the most common names amongst children aged between 0-18 across the country. 

The total number of babies given each name was then divided by the total number of babies born in each region during the time period to provide a true representation of name density per region.

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Lars B. Andersen, Managing Director at My Nametags, comments: “At My Nametags we see thousands of names every day and we were interested to understand the patterns of where certain names appear most commonly in the UK. It also serves as a list of common parents for parents to avoid if they want they’re child to stand out in the classroom.

“Our analysis revealed some interesting insights, so we have created an interactive map to help people browse the data and discover the name trends in their region.”

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