It's with them for life.

So picking a name for your child is an incredibly tough decision. And it can be overwhelming.

But it seems some names are proving more attractive to new parents than others, as BabyCentre has just revealed the most popular picks for this year so far.

It has also taken a look at what is inspiring parents with their name choices, as they release the top 20 registered names for girls and boys in 2018.

Without further delay, here's a look at the top 40 baby names - is your child's name featured?

Cute five-month-old baby boy smiling
Cute five-month-old baby boy smiling

Girls' names: Numbers one to 10

1. Olivia

2. Sophia

3. Amelia

4. Lily

5. Emily

6. Ava

7. Isla

8. Aria

9. Mia

10. Isabella

Olivia remains at the top spot after more than two years in the space, with Sophia, Amelia and Lily also holding high places.

Aria was the only new entry in the top 10 for 2018.

Number 11 to 20

11. Isabelle

12. Ella

13. Charlotte

14. Grace

15. Evie

16. Maya

17. Harper

18. Sophie

19. Layla

20. Freya

Maya, Harper and Layla have increased in popularity dramatically this year, soaring up into the top 20.

Boys' names: Numbers one to 10

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1. Muhammad

2. Oliver

3. Noah

4. George

5. Harry

6. Leo

7. Charlie

8. Jack

9. Freddie

10. Alfie


Freddie and Alfie were both new entries into the top 10 over the last few months.

Number 11 to 20

11. Oscar

12. Arthur

13. Henry

14. Jacob

15. Archie

16. Joshua

17. Theo

18. Ethan

19. Lucas

20. Logan

Arthur, Henry, Archie and Theo are new entries into the top 20.

Olivia is the most popular name given to baby girls born in England and Wales in 2016

Other trends

With a Royal baby being born and a Royal Wedding taking place all in the space of a few months, it should come as no surprise that mums and dads-to-be have been opting for classic, regal-sounding names.

Choices such as Charlotte, George and Harry have all risen in the charts, with others like Zara, Victoria and Henry making waves as well.

Interestingly Meghan (or Megan) and Louis have seen little increase in popularity at this point, but experts predict they could be higher in the charts by the end of the year.

As well as a Royal influence, BabyCentre has spotted several other trends among names being registered this year.

Strange spellings

One thing that particularly stood out was the increase in strange spellings, with parents opting to add an x, y or z to a classic name to make it stand out.

Examples of this include Jaxon, Kaylub, Liyam, Fyn, Jayson, Zayden as well as Roze, Wynter, Madyson and Maizie.

Another key trend has been superhero films, as the casts of Justice League and Avengers: Infinity War wielded their power on parents.

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Justice League proved most popular with high climbers including Ezra (Miller, who plays The Flash) and Benjamin, possibly thanks to Ben Affleck playing Batman.

The cast of the latest Avengers movie also had some influence as Zoe (Saldana, who played Gamora) rose this year.

Scarlett, Elizabeth and Sebastian also remained steady favourites.

Reflecting on the results, Lorna Marsh, BabyCentre associate editor, said: "We wonder if the surge in weird and wonderful spellings is down to BabyCentre parents rebelling against a relatively unchanging top ten.

"By choosing an unusual spelling of a popular choice, parents can shake up the status quo while still playing it relatively safe with their children's names."

Did you child's name make the top 40? Let us know in the comments below.

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