Amelia and Oliver Crowned Most Popular New South Wales Names in 2020

A newborn baby. Lawkeeper/iStock

New South Wales (NSW) parents love affair with traditional names continues with Oliver, Noah, William, Amelia registering as some of the most popular baby names in the state, according to the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriage (BDM).

Oliver has been NSW’s favourite boys’ name for seven straight years since overtaking William in 2014, while Noah, having remained in the top four since 2012, closely follows.

Meanwhile, parents of girls have also leaned towards more traditional names with Amelia climbing up from the third position to claim the crown for the top girls’ name, beating Olivia and Charlotte for the first time.

The tendency towards more traditional names echoes the trend noted by BDM in 2020 which revealed that names that were popular in the 1980s such as Rebecca, Amanda, David or Christopher are no longer in fashion today.

“Parents want their children to stand out and choosing a unique name is a big part of that.” BDM Registrar Amanda Ianna noted in the press release.

“We are seeing parents avoiding the common names of their own generation and looking instead at the names of their grandparents and great-grandparents for inspiration,” she said.

Parents are choosing more traditional names for their children in New South Wales.inarik/iStock

Traditional Scottish names are also growing in popularity, with the Gaelic word for island, Isla, jumping 18 spots in the list to be ranked fourth, while Ava, Chloe, Grace and Sophia remain in the top ten.

Lucas, Liam and Henry also gained ground in the boys’ list, while Mia, Jack, Thomas and James remain in the top 10 but moved down the ranks.

Older botanical themed names also continued to be a popular source for parents, with names such as Willow, Lily, Ivy, Violet and Rose also remaining in the top hundred.

The move to more traditional names the McCrindle website argues is a sign baby name books are on the wane. According to McCrindle prior to the baby name books of the 80s parents usually choose names based on family and religious traditions, whereas in the digital age, they are influenced by a variety of digital resources and are seeking strong individual names.

The top 10 Baby Names in NSW in 2020

GIRLS

1- Amelia (3 last year)

2- Olivia (2)

3- Charlotte (1)

4- Isla (5)

5- Mia (4)

6- Ava (6)

7- Chloe (7)

8 - Grace (8)

9- Sophia (9)

10- Zoe (12)

BOYS

1 - Oliver (1)

2- Noah (2)

3- William (3)

4- Leo (5)

5- Lucas (6)

6- Henry (7)

7- Liam (10)

8- Jack (4)

9- Thomas (8)

10- James (9)