Olivia and Oliver remain the most popular baby names in England and Wales according to statistics released today, but just how many parents chose them in Kent?

Across the county it was in Tonbridge and Malling that the highest number of new parents opted for Oliver with 2.9% of babies born there last year given the name.

Out of 698 babies, which arrived to mothers living there, 20 of them took on the name that would eventually turn out to be the most popular nationwide for the eighth year in a row.

Sevenoaks wasn't far behind with 2.4% of little boys also taking the name while Medway, Canterbury and Gravesham were among the places in Kent to have the least number of boys named Oliver following births last year.

Olivia has remained the most popular girls name in England and Wales for the fifth year in a row.

In Kent it was among the most popular choices in Folkestone and Hythe and Tunbridge Wells, where 12 out of 440 babies (2.7%) were called Olivia on the coast while in West Kent 2.5% of babies born in Tunbridge Wells were given the popular girls name, which was 14 out of the 551 babies born last year in the town.

It was also the most popular name in Medway, where 1.9% of babies were named Olivia last year - 31 out of 1595 baby girls born in the Towns.

For boys in the Medway Towns last year George was the most popular, with 2% of babies born given the name also shared by Prince William's oldest son. This was followed closely by Noah with 1.8% or 30 out of the 1670 babies born

Also among the most popular names nationwide for babies born in 2020 were George, Arthur, Archie, Jack, Noah, Leo, Oscar and Harry for the boys while girls names Ivy and Rosie entered the top 10 for the first time, replacing Grace and Freya, and joining Amelia, Mia, Isla, Isabella, Ava, Lily and Sophia in the top 10.

In Kent the name Amelia was most popular in Canterbury where 2.7% of all babies born took it - with parents in Tunbridge Wells, Ashford and Dover also among those to have high numbers choosing the name ranked second in the England and Wales list. Also popular in Ashford were the names Harry and George, which both saw more than 2% of babies born take the name.

Ivy, which entered the top 10 list for the first time in 2020, was also among Canterbury's most popular choices with 2% of new arrivals taking the name growing in popularity. It was also popular in Thanet where 11 new babies were named Ivy out of 675 born in the district.

Ivy was least popular in Tunbridge Wells where fewer than three babies born out of almost 600 took the name with similar figures recorded for the name Lily in Thanet, where new mothers also shunned the choice.

Up in north Kent, Jack was the most popular name chosen in Gravesham, with 13 little boys taking the moniker last year, or 2% of those born. George, Noah and Oscar also proved popular in the borough and were among the most common names chosen in 2020.

In Dartford, Arthur was an exceptionally popular choice with 2% of babies taking the name, followed by George with 1.9% of new arrivals last year adopting the name with a Royal link. George was also popular in Dover, with 2.9% of new parents closely followed by Arthur and Archie with both names given to more than 2% of little boys born to mothers in the district.

For girls in Maidstone Olivia, Amelia and Ava proved to be a big hit while for the boys it was Oscar, Arthur and Charlie, which were among the most popular names to be given to little boys last year.

In neighbouring Swale it was Noah for boys that was a popular choice, with 2.3% of little boys born given the name followed by Arthur chosen for 2.2% of new arrivals in the borough that covers towns including Sittingbourne, Sheerness and Faversham.

Siân Bradford, Vital Statistics Outputs Branch, Office for National Statistics explained the nationwide findings.

She said: “Oliver and Olivia held onto the top spots as the most popular boys’ and girls’ names in 2020 but some interesting changes took place beneath them. We continue to see the age of mothers having an impact on the choice of baby name. Archie jumped into the top 10 boys’ names for the first time, driven by younger mothers as well as the obvious Royal link. While on the girls’ side Ivy rose to sixth place.

“Popular culture continues to provide inspiration for baby names, whether it’s characters in our favourite show or trending celebrities. Maeve and Otis, characters from the popular programme ‘Sex Education’, have seen a surge in popularity in 2020. While the name Margot has been rapidly climbing since actress Margot Robbie appeared in the popular film The Wolf of Wall Street."

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