What are the most popular names for Australian babies?
Consider the most popular names in Australia in 2011:
Position | Boys | Girls |
1 | Oliver | Chloe |
2 | Noah | Sophie |
3 | William | Ruby |
4 | Lachlan | Charlotte |
5 | Ethan | Olivia |
6 | Jack | Lily |
7 | Lucas | Ava |
8 | Charlie | Ella |
9 | Joshua | Emily |
10 | Thomas | Mia |
What is striking is how similar this list is to the one for England & Wales. For both boys’ and girls’ names, there is a 60% overlap in the top ten. All the most popular Australian names are popular in Britain as well with the exception of Lachlan.
I’m fascinated by the different names and naming practices around the world and I have written a major essay on the subject here.