Which Irish names are making a comeback?
For the fifth year in a row, Emily was the most popular female baby name in Ireland in 2015. Emily finished the year ahead of Emma, Ava, Sophie and Amelia – rounding out the top five – and is again number one among girls’ baby names. Emily has ruled the roost without interruption since 2010.
Jack, again, took the crown on the male list as it has for the past eight years. Apart from slight changes in the order, the top five male baby names in 2015 – Jack, James, Daniel, Conor and Sean – are exactly as they have been since 2007. Only one new name has even made even the top 100 boys’ list. As it happens, four out of five of the top five male names have remained in the top five since 1998, almost two whole decades.
George has leaped in popularity both last year and this year, probably thanks to England’s Prince George who probably has won some fans in Ireland based on the number of new-born baby boys sharing his name. George rose from 103rd to 90th.
Ollie also continues to stride up the table, rising most in popularity of all the names on the list. Ollie moved from 87th in 2014 to 66th place in 2015.
On the girls’ side, Annabelle, Mila, and Rosie were three new names to make the top 100, with Mila being the highest climbing name on either list, rising from 142nd place in 2014 to 88th place in 2015.
Emily & Daniel were the most popular baby names on passport applications in Ireland last year.
Out of the 4,487 different girls’ names registered are some more unusual ones, including Paris, Nelly, Dakota, Kim, Pixie and Sabina.
On the male list, which saw 3,475 different boys’ names registered, we may be able to detect the influence of One Direction given the popularity of Zayn among other outsider choices including Barra, Pauric, Gus, Romeo and Otis.
Zayn made the top 100 baby names in Ireland. Words fail me.
Interestingly, the statistics recently published by the Irish Central Statistics Office compare the names chosen by parents who both stated they were Irish nationals, compared to parents who claimed another nationality.
Jack also remained the popular choice for a boy among UK parents, while Noah was the most popular choice for Europeans from countries other than Ireland or the UK. Muhammed was the most popular choice for boys whose parents came from outside Europe.
Isla and Chloe were the top picks for girls' names among UK parents while Chloe, Emma, and Julia were popular with other European parents. In 2015, Fatima was the name of choice for baby girls born in Ireland to parents who are not from Europe.
The recent data also compared the top names of 2015 to those in 1965 when John and Mary reigned supreme.
Of this year’s top five boys’ names, only James appeared in 1965's top five while none of 2015’s top girls’ picks were in 1965’s top monikers. In 1965, Mary, Margaret, Catherine, Anne, and Ann came top of the pile, of which, Mary was the only name to even make the top 100 in 2015.