28 July 1999

Irish Babies’ Names 1998

Five most popular babies’ names

Boys Girls

Name Count Name Count Conor 761 Chloe 575 Sean 662 Ciara 539 Jack 543 Sarah 537 James 472 Aoife 529 Adam 460 Emma 514

Most popular names: Conor and Chloe The most popular names of babies registered in 1998 were Conor and Chloe, re- spectively, for boys and girls. About 3.5% of baby boys were called Conor while 2.8% of baby girls were named Chloe. Apart from Conor, the other names in the top five for boys were Sean, Jack, James and Adam. For girls, the top five were Chloe, Ciara, Sarah, Aoife and Emma. The top 100 boys’ and girls’ names are given in Table 1. Girls are given a wider variety of names than boys. The top 100 accounted for 68.7% of girls’ names compared with 79.6% of boys’ names. Table 2 presents the top 100 names in al- phabetical order. Published by the Central Statistics Office, Ireland. Table 3 presents the most popular names in each regional authority. In four re- Ardee Road Skehard Road Dublin 6 Cork gions, Conor was the most popular boys’ name. Conor shared first place with Ireland Ireland Jack in the South West. In Dublin and in the West, Sean was the top boys’ name and Jack was first in the Mid-West. Tel: +353-1 497 7144 Tel: +353-21 535000 Fax: +353-1 497 2360 Fax: +353-21 359090 Chloe was the most popular girls’ name in four of the eight regions. Ciara was LoCall: 1890 313 414 first in the Midlands and joint first, along with Sarah, in the South West. Rachel

Both offices may be contacted through any of these was the top girls’ name in the West and Aoife in the Mid-East. telephone numbers. These results are based on an analysis of the first names recorded on birth returns CSO on the Web: http://www.cso.ie for registration and vital statistics, begun by the CSO in 1998. About 80% of birth notifications in 1998 included the baby’s first name when the statistical re- Director General: Donal Murphy turn was sent to the CSO. Enquiries: For more information contact Joe Treacy at ext 5305, Mary Heanue at ext Vital Statistics +353 21 535471 Queries and Sales Information Section, ext 5032 5423 or Jane Kiely at ext 5471. [email protected] Diskette Service Databank, ext 5301/5302 [email protected]

ã Central Statistics Office The contents of this release may be quoted provided the source is given clearly and accurately. Reproduction for own or internal use is permitted.

Ref 160/1999 ISSN 1393-8584 Table 1 Top 100 babies' names registered in 1998, by count and rank

Rank Boys' names Count Rank Girls' names Count

1 Conor 761 1 Chloe 575 2 Sean 662 2 Ciara 539 3 Jack 543 3 Sarah 537 4 James 472 4 Aoife 529 5 Adam 460 5 Emma 514 6 Aaron 449 6 Niamh 492 7 Dylan 443 7 Rachel 444 8 David 439 8 Megan 393 9 Michael 438 9 Rebecca 388 10 Daniel 428 10 Lauren 363 11 Shane 415 11 Laura 357 12 Cian 362 12 Amy 353 13 John 340 13 Katie 319 14 Mark 339 14 Shauna 267 15 Luke 327 15 Shannon 255 16 Ryan 326 16 Nicole 245 17 Patrick 306 17 Sophie 242 17 Stephen 306 18 Hannah 236 17 Thomas 306 19 Jessica 233 20 Eoin 295 20 Roisin 213 21 Matthew 281 21 Aisling 212 22 Jordan 270 22 Kate 197 23 Andrew 245 23 Sinead 195 24 Ciaran 237 24 Caoimhe 184 25 Kevin 233 25 Emily 178 26 Jamie 224 26 Ellen 154 27 Robert 214 27 Leah 146 28 Darragh 211 28 Jennifer 145 29 Dean 200 29 Aine 140 30 Liam 197 29 Eimear 140 31 195 31 Orla 138 32 Evan 188 32 Grace 135 33 Jason 184 33 Anna 133 34 Paul 183 34 Mary 128 35 Brian 181 35 Jade 121 36 Nathan 178 36 Louise 120 37 Niall 174 37 Claire 117 37 174 37 Saoirse 117 39 Ross 171 39 Clodagh 114 40 Joseph 168 39 Tara 114 41 Christopher 167 41 Danielle 109 42 Lee 143 42 Michelle 107 42 Peter 143 43 Courtney 105 42 Ronan 143 44 Leanne 97 45 Gavin 142 45 Alison 93 46 Alan 140 46 Lucy 89 47 Darren 139 47 Lisa 88 48 Ben 137 48 Kayleigh 87 49 Eoghan 122 49 Michaela 85 50 Craig 120 50 Siobhan 79 51 Jake 110 51 Catherine 78 52 Joshua 108 51 Fiona 78 53 Rory 100 53 Kelly 77 54 Anthony 99 54 Caitlin 74

2 Table 1 Top 100 babies' names registered in 1998, by count and rank

Rank Boys' names Count Rank Girls' names Count

55 Kyle 96 55 Ruth 72 55 Samuel 96 56 Chelsea 70 57 William 95 56 Gemma 70 58 Killian 94 56 Grainne 70 59 Alex 93 59 Elizabeth 68 60 Cillian 92 60 Rachael 65 61 91 60 Zoe 65 62 Ian 90 62 Nicola 63 63 Keith 88 63 Emer 62 64 Martin 87 64 Jane 61 65 Aidan 86 65 Erin 60 66 Colm 82 66 Eva 59 67 Kieran 81 67 Alexandra 57 68 Padraig 77 68 Eve 56 69 Karl 74 69 Karen 53 70 Colin 70 69 Maeve 53 71 Connor 69 69 Robyn 53 71 Gary 69 69 Stephanie 53 73 Richard 68 73 Alanna 52 74 Brandon 67 73 Maria 52 75 Alexander 66 75 Holly 51 75 Eric 66 75 Nadine 51 77 Benjamin 65 77 Elaine 50 78 Brendan 60 78 Natasha 48 79 Edward 58 78 Sorcha 48 79 Gerard 58 80 Sara 46 81 Scott 56 81 Alannah 44 82 Owen 55 81 Erica 44 83 Barry 53 83 Amber 43 83 Ethan 53 83 Andrea 43 83 Steven 53 83 Cliona 43 86 Jonathan 51 83 Olivia 43 87 Philip 49 87 Molly 42 87 Shaun 49 88 Aimee 41 89 Dillon 48 88 Ava 41 89 Donal 48 90 Alice 40 91 Fionn 47 90 Hayley 40 92 Glen 46 90 Julie 40 92 Sam 46 90 Lorna 40 92 Simon 46 94 Ella 39 95 Daragh 45 94 Heather 39 95 Emmet 45 94 Kim 39 95 Seamus 45 97 Margaret 38 98 Declan 44 97 Victoria 38 99 Callum 43 99 Jodie 37 100 Harry 42 99 Mairead 37 99 Melissa 37 99 Taylor 37

Total in top 100 17,340 14,061 1 Total with first name recorded 21,786 20,472 Top 100 as % of total 79.6 68.7

Total births registered, 1998 27,580 25,971

1 includes all four names ranked joint 99th

3 Table 2 Top 100 babies' names registered in 1998, in alphabetical order

Rank Boys' names Count Rank Girls' names Count

6 Aaron 449 88 Aimee 41 5 Adam 460 29 Aine 140 65 Aidan 86 21 Aisling 212 46 Alan 140 73 Alanna 52 59 Alex 93 81 Alannah 44 75 Alexander 66 67 Alexandra 57 23 Andrew 245 90 Alice 40 54 Anthony 99 45 Alison 93 83 Barry 53 83 Amber 43 48 Ben 137 12 Amy 353 77 Benjamin 65 83 Andrea 43 74 Brandon 67 33 Anna 133 78 Brendan 60 4 Aoife 529 35 Brian 181 88 Ava 41 99 Callum 43 54 Caitlin 74 31 Cathal 195 24 Caoimhe 184 41 Christopher 167 51 Catherine 78 12 Cian 362 56 Chelsea 70 24 Ciaran 237 1 Chloe 575 60 Cillian 92 2 Ciara 539 70 Colin 70 37 Claire 117 66 Colm 82 83 Cliona 43 71 Connor 69 39 Clodagh 114 1 Conor 761 43 Courtney 105 61 Cormac 91 41 Danielle 109 50 Craig 120 29 Eimear 140 10 Daniel 428 77 Elaine 50 95 Daragh 45 59 Elizabeth 68 28 Darragh 211 94 Ella 39 47 Darren 139 26 Ellen 154 8 David 439 63 Emer 62 29 Dean 200 25 Emily 178 98 Declan 44 5 Emma 514 89 Dillon 48 81 Erica 44 89 Donal 48 65 Erin 60 7 Dylan 443 66 Eva 59 79 Edward 58 68 Eve 56 95 Emmet 45 51 Fiona 78 49 Eoghan 122 56 Gemma 70 20 Eoin 295 32 Grace 135 75 Eric 66 56 Grainne 70 83 Ethan 53 18 Hannah 236 32 Evan 188 90 Hayley 40 91 Fionn 47 94 Heather 39 71 Gary 69 75 Holly 51 45 Gavin 142 35 Jade 121 79 Gerard 58 64 Jane 61 92 Glen 46 28 Jennifer 145 100 Harry 42 19 Jessica 233 62 Ian 90 99 Jodie 37 3 Jack 543 90 Julie 40 51 Jake 110 69 Karen 53 4 James 472 22 Kate 197 26 Jamie 224 13 Katie 319

4 Table 2 Top 100 babies' names registered in 1998, in alphabetical order

Rank Boys' names Count Rank Girls' names Count

33 Jason 184 48 Kayleigh 87 13 John 340 53 Kelly 77 86 Jonathan 51 94 Kim 39 22 Jordan 270 11 Laura 357 40 Joseph 168 10 Lauren 363 52 Joshua 108 27 Leah 146 69 Karl 74 44 Leanne 97 63 Keith 88 47 Lisa 88 25 Kevin 233 90 Lorna 40 67 Kieran 81 36 Louise 120 58 Killian 94 46 Lucy 89 55 Kyle 96 69 Maeve 53 42 Lee 143 99 Mairead 37 30 Liam 197 97 Margaret 38 15 Luke 327 73 Maria 52 14 Mark 339 34 Mary 128 64 Martin 87 8 Megan 393 21 Matthew 281 99 Melissa 37 9 Michael 438 49 Michaela 85 36 Nathan 178 42 Michelle 107 37 Niall 174 87 Molly 42 37 Oisin 174 75 Nadine 51 82 Owen 55 78 Natasha 48 68 Padraig 77 6 Niamh 492 17 Patrick 306 62 Nicola 63 34 Paul 183 16 Nicole 245 42 Peter 143 83 Olivia 43 87 Philip 49 31 Orla 138 73 Richard 68 60 Rachael 65 27 Robert 214 7 Rachel 444 42 Ronan 143 9 Rebecca 388 53 Rory 100 69 Robyn 53 39 Ross 171 20 Roisin 213 16 Ryan 326 55 Ruth 72 92 Sam 46 37 Saoirse 117 55 Samuel 96 80 Sara 46 81 Scott 56 3 Sarah 537 95 Seamus 45 15 Shannon 255 2 Sean 662 14 Shauna 267 11 Shane 415 23 Sinead 195 87 Shaun 49 50 Siobhan 79 92 Simon 46 17 Sophie 242 17 Stephen 306 78 Sorcha 48 83 Steven 53 69 Stephanie 53 17 Thomas 306 39 Tara 114 57 William 95 99 Taylor 37 97 Victoria 38 60 Zoe 65

Total in top 100 17,340 14,061 1 Total with first name recorded 21,786 20,472 Top 100 as % of total 79.6 68.7

Total births registered, 1998 27,580 25,971

1 includes all four names ranked joint 99th

5 Table 3 Most popular babies' names registered in each regional authority in 1998

Boys Girls

Name % Name %

Border Conor 3.94 Chloe 3.18 Midland Conor 3.17 Ciara 3.36 West Sean 3.21 Rachel 3.13 Dublin Sean 3.79 Chloe 2.87 Mid-East Conor 4.17 Aoife 2.93 Mid-West Jack 2.98 Chloe 3.28 South East Conor 4.02 Chloe 3.39 South West Conor, Jack 3.00 Ciara, Sarah 2.92

Ireland Conor 3.49 Chloe 2.81

6 Central Statistics Office Irish Babies’ Names

Background Notes

Source These results are based on an analysis of the first names recorded on birth returns for registration and vital statistics, begun by the CSO in 1998. About 80% of birth notifications in 1998 in- cluded the baby’s first name when the statistical return was sent to the CSO.

Information Only the first name was used for this analysis. Babies’ surnames and additional forenames were recorded not extracted by the CSO.

Spellings and Different spellings of a name have been treated as separate names. For example, while there variants were 761 boys named Conor, another 69 boys had the alternate spelling Connor which was ranked 71st.

Variants of names and abbreviations have also been treated as separate names. For example, Sean, Jack and John account between them for 1,545 boys. These were counted as separate names and rank second, third and thirteenth respectively. If treated as variants of John, it would rank as the most popular boys’ name.

Names containing accents have been recorded without those accents e.g. Máire was recorded as Maire.

Ranking Names of equal rank have been placed in alphabetical order in Table 1.

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