Top Baby Names of 2003

It's Jack again for the boys, but Emily is the new girls' favourite.

Jack has now been the most popular name for baby boys in each of the last nine years. It is also a popular choice in recent years for parents in Northern Ireland, Scotland, New Zealand but less so in the USA and Australia, where it barely makes the top 50. Emily takes the top spot on the girls' list ending Chloe's six-year run. Emily is currently a very popular name throughout the English-speaking world - it has been the most popular name in the United States since 1996.

Alfie, the 'EastEnders' pub landlord played by Shane Richie may have contributed to the popularity of the name Alfie. It has risen from 49th in 2002 to 18th in 2003. Fame Academy has influenced some parents with dozens of Lemars and Marlis born in 2003 (rising from virtually none in 2002). Many parents have followed Jamie Oliver's recipe - his two daughters' names, Poppy and Daisy, have both taken jumps in popularity. The list in 2002 revealed an unusual climber - Chardonnay, after a character in TV's 'Footballer Wives' this has continued to rise in 2003. Fame may bring new names to prominence but infamy can have the reverse effect. Jade Goody, from 2002's Big Brother, sees her name slide down from 32nd in 2002 to 77th in 2003.

Boys
Jack
Joshua
Thomas
James
Daniel
Oliver
Benjamin
Samuel
William
Joseph

Girls
Emily
Ellie
Chloe
Jessica
Sophie
Megan
Lucy
Olivia
Charlotte
Hannah