The BIGGEST List Of Baby Names For 2016 Has Been Released

Katie Mythen-Lynch

Super moons, Space Odyssey and Star Wars have given parents plenty of cosmic baby name inspiration this year… and there’s a hot new trend for superhero names.

That’s according to the latest Babycentre list of the UK’s top 100 boys’ and girls’ names of 2016.

DC and Marvel Comics’ continued success at the box office saw the names Kara from Supergirl, Harley (and Quinn) from Suicide Squad and Wonder Woman’s alter ego Diana (Prince) all charge up the charts this year.

Felicity (Smoak), from the smash hit comic book series Arrow, flies into the top 100 after a long absence and Thea (Queen) from the same series has also gone up thirteen places.

Deep space inspiration
Names inspired by all things heavenly have been rocketing up the charts. Nova, Orion and Luna have all increased in popularity. Even the name Jupiter has been spotted in the far flung reaches of the baby names universe!

Star Wars names Leia, Kylo, and Finn have all had a boost. And Ezra, from spin-off animation Star Wars Rebels, has had a meteoric rise, entering the top 100 for the very first time in 2016.

Celebrity influence
This year, Rolling Stones rock ‘n’ roll legend Ronnie Woods called his twin girls Gracie and Alice and many other parents have followed suit, with both names rapidly gaining popularity in 2016.
Jamie Oliver’s unusual name choice for his new baby boy, River, saw a last minute surge in popularity, with more babies called River than ever before.
Victoria Beckham’s uncanny ability to spot a trend, or start one, means that Harper is still a popular name choice and is one of this year’s biggest risers, jumping an astonishing 31 places to sit at number 56, while Coleen and Wayne Rooney’s baby name choices are also proving popular, with Kai a new entry to the top 100, and twice as many babies called Kit and Klay compared to last year.

Mother Nature lends a hand
Baby names inspired by nature have been shooting up in 2016 too. Traditional names like Lily, Poppy, Daisy and Holly have all seen their positions rise within the top 50.
However, parents are proving even more creative with their baby name choices, with Eden jumping up to secure a spot in the top 100 and Hazel also leaping up. Outside the top 100, Maple, Forrest, Bluebell and Yew have all featured this year too, some for the very first time.

The top 10 girls’ and boys’ baby names of 2016 were:

GIRLS