The 100 most popular baby names revealed: Sophia and Muhammad top the list for 2022 - so does YOUR favourite moniker make the list?
- BabyCentre has revealed their top 100 most popular girl and boy names of 2022
- The experts saw a rise in sports, reality TV and 90s-inspired monikers
- After taking top spot for six years, Olivia was knocked into third place
The most popular UK baby names of 2022 have been revealed and Sophia and Muhammad have come out top.
According to BabyCentre, the name Olivia - which topped the Office of National Statistics' list for the past six years - is no longer the UK's favourite moniker.
Over the course of the year, tens of thousands of new parents have registered their children's names on the website, which has allowed BabyCentre's team of experts to compile their top 100 list.
After Noah nabbed top spot in 2021, BabyCentre's research found that it is now the second most popular boys name in the UK in favour of Muhammad, The Mirror reports.
Sarah Redshaw, UK Managing Editor for BabyCentre, said that the organisation has noticed an increase in reality TV-inspired names growing in popularity.
The expert noted that Maya came in ninth spot in the top 100 rankings following the news that Stormzy's ex-girlfriend Maya Jama will be taking over from Laura Whitmore and hosting Love Island next year.
BabyCentre has shared the top 100 baby boy and girls names for 2022. Olivia was knocked off the top spot by Sophia while Muhammad overtook Noah from last year
Meanwhile, Liam, Luca, Alex, Teddy, Zara, Millie and Rosie - names shared by contestants who have featured in recent series of the hit ITV dating show - all appeared within the Top 20 most popular names too.
While Luca took 29th place in the 2021 list, the expert highlighted how it jumped 21 places after Luca Bish finished as a runner-up in this year's series.
Meanwhile, Maura and Ovie - two stars who appeared in the 2019 series - also featured in BabyCentre's Top 100 for the first time.
Sarah told the publication: 'Love Islander names are definitely parents’ type on paper. And BabyCentre parents haven’t been putting all their eggs in the 2022 Love Island basket either.
'It’s possible that the islanders’ continued fame on social media and more reality TV is causing this surge. We now want to keep a watch on the names of 2022 winners Ekin-Su and Davide to see if they become more popular as they go on to bigger things.'
What's more, the expert noted that the names of Friends actors Lisa Kudrow, David Scwimmer and Matthew Perry and Matthew LeBlanc have also grown in popularity as the cult favourite 90s show continues to reach younger audiences on Netflix.
BabyCentre's research also found that the names of female England football stars are rising in popularity following the Lionesses' historic World Cup win this summer - with Leah (Williamson), Lucy (Bronze) and Ella (Toone) all rising through the ranks.
Although experts expected the names of the Royal Family to shoot up in popularity following The Queen's death last month, they noted that Elizabeth still remained in the Top 100 but lingered down in 94th place.
Left: Maya Jama pictured at the MTV Europe Music Awards on November 13, 2022. Right: Maura Higgins' Love Island 2019 promotional image. Sarah Redshaw, UK Managing Editor for BabyCentre, said the name Maya has risen in popularity now that Stormzy's ex-girlfriend is taking over from Laura Whitmore as Love Island host. Maura Higgins appeared on Love Island in 2019. The star's name has appeared in BabyCentre's Top 100 list of most popular girls names for 2022
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