Wales' most popular baby names in 2020 revealed

Netflix and members of the Royal Family had a big influence

Author: Ellis MaddisonPublished 19th Oct 2021

The most popular baby names given to new-borns in 2020 have been revealed, with Noah and Olivia topping the lists for Wales.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows that 227 baby boys were named Noah and 218 girls were named Olivia in Wales, making them the most popular names in the country last year.

See Wales' top-ten baby boy and girl names in 2020 and the number of times they were used:

Boys' names

Noah - 227
Oliver - 207
Leo - 197
Theo - 190
Finley - 175
Arthur - 173
George - 167
Archie - 153
Oscar - 153
Charlie - 143

Girls' names

Olivia - 218
Amelia - 158
Isla - 130
Rosie - 127
Ava - 117
Lily - 117
Mia - 115
Ella - 114
Willow - 114
Freya - 113

What are the most common names in England and Wales?

ONS Data shows that Oliver was the most common boys name in England and Wales for the eighth year in a row, despite Noah being the most common in Wales alone.

Olivia was the most popular name given to girls in England and Wales for the fifth consecutive year, which is in line with the name's pole position in Wales' top-ten.

Archie replaced Charlie in the top-ten list for boys, thanks to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's recent baby, while Ivy and Rosie replaced Grace and Freya in the girls' list.

The data also reveals that popular Netflix show Sex Education had an influence on what parents decided to name their children, with names like Maeve and Otis both increasing in popularity.