9 May 2019

Will the new royal baby cause a naming trend of royal proportions?

Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, on the joyous occasion of their first child, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

The popularity of babies being named Archie and Harrison have risen over the last decade, ranking closely to one another in 2018 on the top 100 list. Archie came in at 23rd with 138 babies taking the name, and Harrison was close behind at 28th with 128 babies given the moniker.

The latest royal baby will likely spark a new naming trend for Archie and Harrison, much as his fathers did.

Following the Duke’s birth in 1984, the name Harry steadily climbed popularity charts, ascending from 8 babies taking the title in 1985 to 127 in 2014.

After a slight decline in 2015, the name made a popular comeback in 2018, with the moniker ranking 22nd on the top 100 baby names, likely a result of the Duke and Duchess’ marriage.

We don’t only have the Duke to thank for the increase of the names popularity. One of the worlds most beloved fictional characters, Harry Potter, was likely another catalyst in the growing use of the name.

Archie Harrison’s mother on the other hand, has not seemed to cause much of a stir in the popularity of her name, Meghan.

Along with the power to interpret naming trends, if you find yourself a soon-to-be parent wishing you could share in what is likely a very royal treatment for the new mum and dad, SmartStart should be your first stop.

Jeff Montgomery, Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages says, “SmartStart is an online portal that provides step-by-step support for new parents as well as information on naming your baby.”

“Services can be accessed quickly online, making it easy to choose a midwife, access Best Start payments, organise parental leave, and register your baby” says Mr Montgomery.

More information on SmartStart, including the top baby names data, can be found at https://smartstart.services.govt.nz/

ENDS

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