Popular UK baby names: English and Welsh

Top girl names in the UK

Some of the top female names in England and Wales match American favorites closely. The names Isabella, Olivia and Ava, for example, appear both in the US top 5 and the UK top 20. In some cases, the popular names are not the same but similar: Sophia is a growing favorite in the United States, while new UK parents prefer Sophie.

In 2010, the most popular name for a baby girl in England and Wales was Olivia (Olivia is No. 3 in the US), followed by Ruby, Emily and Grace, all names of English origin. Emily and Grace are also hugely popular in the US, but Ruby hasn't been used much in America since 1945. Like Isabella, the names Ava, Olivia, Emily and Grace, some names are popular in both the United Kingdom and the United States: Lily, Chloe, Hannah, Mia, Ella and Brianna.

There are significant differences, too. Names that are on the top 25 list in England and Wales but not in the US include Amelia, Charlotte, Daisy, Ellie, Evie, Jessica, Katie, Lucy, Megan, Millie and Summer. Surprisingly, however, the following names English and Welsh names are more popular in the US than in the UK: Madison, Addison, Alexis, Alyssa, Ashley, Elizabeth, Hailey and Taylor.

Then there's the name Holly. Holly ranks No. 20 in the UK, but moved to the top spot when its various spellings (Hollee, Hollie) are added in. The Holly movement hasn't found its way to the US yet, where the name peaked in the mid 1970s, and hasn't made the top 100 since 1992.

Top 2010 Baby Girl Names in the UK

According to the Office for National Statistics, here is the list of top girl names in the UK:

1. OLIVIA
2. RUBY
3. EMILY
4. GRACE
5. JESSICA
6. CHLOE
7. SOPHIE
8. LILY
9. AMELIA
10. EVIE

Check out the top 100 girl names in the US here!

Next page: Top boy names in the UK