With a little more than three months to go until Kate Middleton and Prince William welcome their first child, royal baby fever is at an all-time high. Of course, what everyone really wants to know is what they new parents will call the future heir, with bookmakers already taking bets on the couple's chosen name.Some of the best odds are on the baby being called Diana, in honour of the Duke of Cambridge's late mother. While it does seem unlikely that they would opt for this more controversial choice in favour of something more traditional, it could appear as a middle name.
Whatever William and Kate chose, it is likely to set a big baby trend. Already the royal family have proved inspirational when it comes to names, especially for boys. Babynames.co.uk has just published its figures for the first quarter of 2013, and both William and Harry are projected to be amongst the most popular for the year, and Henry - Harry's real moniker - is currently attracting more attention than it has done previously.Surprisingly, there seems to be less momentum for the girls when it comes to following royal tradition. Despite the royals' year in the spotlight in 2012, the name Catherine has not noticeably increased in popularity, while Elizabeth is expected to stay in the top 100 this year, but will probably remain outside the top 50.One girls' name that has become fashionable as a direct result of 2012, and the London's Games, is Jessica, in honour of Britain's much-loved Olympian Jessica Ennis.
Overall new parents today are looking back to their grandparents' generation when it comes to inspiration, and there is a notable shift towards names that have long been considered 'middle-class'. There has been a significant increase in the popularity of the names Violet and Arthur, popular at the start of the 20th century, and Evelyn, which was common in the 1930s.
Amelie and Florence are two other noticeable climbers, with Toby, Sebastian and Jasper also making a sudden leap this year.
Some of the top names from 2012 look set to stay popular in 2013, with Amelia, Olivia and Mia maintaining their big ranks for the girls, and Harry, Oliver and Jacob holding their own in the boys' top ten.
The top ten baby names of 2013 so far
- Boys
- 1. Noah
- 2. Oscar
- 3. Oliver
- 4. Isaac
- 5. Jacob
- 6. Dylan
- 7. Ethan
- 8. Leo
- 9. Alfie
- 10. Harry
- Girls
- 1. Ava
- 2. Freya
- 3. Ella
- 4. Imogen
- 5. Grace
- 6. Amelia
- 7. Olivia
- 8. Mia
- 9. Scarlett
- 10. Eva
