OFFICIAL: the most popular baby name in Ireland for 2018 has been revealed

Hardly a surprise, this one.

Think back to the year of your birth - what was the most popular name for boys? Was it Jack? It probably was. Now think back to about a decade ago - what was the most popular baby name for boys? Was it Jack again? It probably was, yeah. Jack has been reigning supreme since the dawn of time and the incredibly universal and painfully popular name shows no sign as stopping as it becomes the most popular baby name for boys for 2018. Shocker. According to the Central Statistics Office, Jack has come top for baby boys again, with Emily being the most commonly used baby name for girls in 2018. Jack has been the most popular baby name for boys since 2007, apart from in 2016 when James edged himself to the top. But then after that, Jack was king again. Sound. 3,712 baby boy's names were registered last year, with James coming second, Noah third, Conor fourth, and Daniel fifth. 4,779 girl's name were registered in Ireland during the same period. Grace was the second most popular, Emma the third, Sophie fourth, and Amelia fifth. CSO's Carol Anne Hennessy said that the trends show a considerable shift from popular Irish baby names over the past. Specifically, over 50 years ago. "Back in 1968, John, Patrick, Michael, James and David were the names most favoured by parents of new born baby boys," she said. "Interestingly, not one of the top five names for girls appeared in the top 100 names a half century earlier. "Mary, Catherine, Margaret, Ann and Anne were the most popular names for baby daughters in 1968, with 2,364 baby girls named Mary in that year. In 2018, there were 460 baby girls named Emily, 19.5 percent of the number of girls given the name Mary in 1968." The times, lads. They movin'.