X Factor link mooted after Dungannon’s favourite baby names revealed

The General Register Office has announced that Harry replaced James as the top boy’s name last year in the local district, while Ameila has emerged from outside the top 20 to replace Anna, Cara and Niamh as the top girl’s name.

Interestingly, Harry and Amelia were also the most popular names in 2011 for the whole of England and Wales.

Reports in the national press had linked the rise in popularity of the two names to the recent emergence of the X Factor’s Amelia Lily and Harry Styles

Dungannon was the only district in Northern Ireland which had both Harry and Amelia as the top baby names, evidence perhaps that the X Factor tops Strictly in the local TV ratings battle.

In Cookstown, the most popular baby names were Daniel and Sophie, while in Magherafelt they were Charlie and Aoife.

The name Harry is enjoying a resurgence across Northern Ireland, after also coming tops in the district council areas of Craigavon, Ballymena, Coleraine and Larne.

Across Northern Ireland, Jack has been the most popular boy’s name, while James has held second position for the second year running.

Daniel was the third most popular name in 2012 climbing from fifth place in 2011. This year Riley and Noah have increased in

popularity to reach the top 10 from ranks 18 and 13 respectively.

For girls, Sophie remains the most popular girl’s name in Northern Ireland for the third year in a row. Emily has climbed from third place in 2011 to second place in 2012 and Grace has fallen from second place in 2011 to third place in 2012.

Katie, which had fallen out of the top 10 names last year has re-entered, ranked eighth. Amelia and Aoife have increased in popularity to enter the top 10 in 2012 ranked fourth and tenth, from ranks 33 and 15 respectively in 2011.

The majority of the top 10 boys’ names from a decade ago are present in the top 20 in 2012, with one exception, Ben, which has fallen from eighth in 2002 to rank 33 in 2012.

Only Katie remains in the top 10 girls’ names, dropping however from third most popular in 2002 to eighth in 2012. Chloe, Emma and Sarah, all in the top 10 in 2002, are present in the top 20 in 2012.

In the top 100 boys’ names, Bobby has risen 65 places from rank 124 in 2011 to rank 59, Blake has risen from rank 111 to rank 71 and Olly has risen from rank 131 to rank 93 in 2012.

Ruairi and Cameron which both fell from the top 100 last year have both re-entered at rank 73.

The greatest drops from the top 100 of last year were Calum, down 93 places over the year to rank 187, Padraig, down 49 places to rank 137 and Conan, down 28 places to rank 127.

Amelia is the only new name to enter the top 20 girls’ names in 2012, rising 29 places to rank four in 2012. Aoife was the highest climber within the girl’s top 20 between 2011 and 2012 rising from rank 15 to rank 10.

Chloe, Lily and Olivia, remain in the top 20 girls’ names in 2012, but have fallen out of the top 10.