George and Charlotte (but not Louis) make 2018 top baby names list

Last year, baby name experts predicted what we’d all be calling our babies this year.

It was based on some of the of-the-moment trend parents-to-be were taking name inspiration from, such as a growing love of the moniker Corbyn, and a preference for naming your baby after a character from Game of Thrones – welcome to the world baby Aria.

The insight provided a useful guide for soon-to-be mums and dads on the monikers that pre-school teachers will be calling out in a few years time, while also giving an indication about the names they might want to avoid if they’re keen on giving the newborn a name that’s totally unique.

But were their predictions right?

Parenting site and baby naming experts Babycentre have now revealed the most popular names of 2018 so far

Olivia is still up there in the popularity stakes, holding onto her naming crown to stay top of the charts.

Sophia follows in a close second, while Amelia, Maya, Harper and Layla have all flown into the top 20.

The naming experts certainly called it when it came to GOT providing namespo as Aria is the only new entry into the top 10.

For boys, Muhammad stays at the top, with Oliver and Noah also proving typically popular.

Freddie and Alfie were both new entries into the top 10 while Arthur, Henry, Archie and Theo clawed their way into the top 20.

While the top names remained fairly classic, further down the list there were some other interesting trends emerging.

The royal effect

We’ve already seen the influence Prince George and Princess Charlotte have had in terms of influencing baby names, but with a third baby for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – welcome to the world Prince Louis – and a royal wedding, parents-to-be have been sent into a royal frenzy.

Victoria, Zara, Mia and Charlotte have all climbed the rankings, along with Princess, which broke into the top 100 this year.

Charlie, George, Arthur, and Henry also made the list.

Surprisingly though, BabyCentre reports that there’s been no significant change for Meghan or Megan yet, or Louis, but they predict that could all change by the end of the year.

Unusual spellings

It seems parents are trying out unusual spellings of favourite names, such as Jaxon which is now a more popular choice than Jackson for the very first time.

Parents also favoured using x, y and z when choosing an unusual spelling. Jaxon was joined by Kaylub, Liyam, Fyn, Jayson and Zayden in our boys’ registrations while Madyson, Roze, Wynter and Maizie all entered the list.

The #MeToo influence

The Weinstein scandal has meant parents are steering clear of the name Harvey, which has dropped by over 30% in the boys’ top 100.

More positively, the #MeToo movement has influenced baby names in terms of the women who have come forward. Alyssa (Milano, who started the viral hashtag) has featured in the list this year, and she’s joined by other trailblaizers for the movement such as Ashley (Judd), Rose (McGowan), Gwyneth (Paltrow) and Jennifer (Lawrence).

Super hero/es

2018 has been the year of the Super Hero movie and that seems to have influenced parents in their naming choices.

‘Justice League’ proved most popular with high climbers including Ezra (Miller, who plays The Flash).

The cast of the latest ‘Avengers’ movie also had some influence as Zoe (Saldana, who played Gamora) also rose up the chart this year.

Other key stars, including Scarlett Johannson, Elizabeth Olsen and Sebastian Stan as well as Tom Hiddleston and Tom Holland have also remained firm naming faves.

Commenting on the results, Lorna Marsh, BabyCentre associate editor, told The Mirror: “We wonder if the surge in weird and wonderful spellings is down to BabyCentre parents rebelling against a relatively unchanging top ten.

“By choosing an unusual spelling of a popular choice, parents can shake up the status quo while still playing it relatively safe with their children’s names.”

Top 20 Girls names so far:-

Olivia

Sophia

Amelia

Lily

Emily

Ava

Isla

Aria

Mia

Isabella

Isabelle

Ella

Charlotte

Grace

Evie

Maya

Harper

Sophie

Layla

Freya

Top 20 Boys names so far:-

Muhammad

Oliver

Noah

George

Harry

Leo

Charlie

Jack

Freddie

Alfie

Oscar

Arthur

Henry

Jacob

Archie

Joshua

Theo

Ethan

Lucas

Logan

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for non-stop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyleUK.

Read more from Yahoo Style UK:

The meaning behind Zara and Mike Tindall’s baby name

The baby names that could hint at your child’s future success

Is it ever ok to steal someone’s baby name?