Here are the most popular baby names in Bedford

The most popular baby names in Bedford have been revealed.

Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals the top choices for names given to babies across England and Wales in 2020.

In Bedford , 15 newborns were called Olivia, making it top of the list for girls.

And for boys, Muhammad was the favourite, with 21 babies in the area given the name last year.

Naming trends have changed in Bedford compared to 2019, when the top girls' name was Amelia and the favourite for boys was Noah.

Oliver and Olivia were the favourite names nationally last year: the figures show Oliver, George and Arthur took the top three places for boys in England and Wales, while Olivia, Amelia and Isla were most picked for girls.

Oliver has held on to the top spot for boys for the past eight years, while Olivia has been at the girls' number one spot nationally for five years in a row.

The ONS figures show Ivy and Rosie entered the top 10 girls' names for the first time last year, replacing Grace and Freya.

And a potential royal influence saw Archie approach the top of the charts, becoming the ninth most popular name and shunting Charlie out of the top ten for the first time since 2005.

ONS statisticians found that naming trends differed depending on a mother's age, with older mothers more likely to choose more traditional names and younger, more modern or shortened versions of classic names.

For mothers under 25, the top boys' names were Noah, Archie and Leo, while for those aged 35 and above, they were Oliver, George and Jack.

Younger mothers chose Amelia, Ava and Olivia as their favourite girls' names, but Charlotte replaced Ava in the top three for parents over-35.

Sian Bradford, from the ONS, said: “Oliver and Olivia held onto the top spots as the most popular boys’ and girls’ names in 2020 but some interesting changes took place beneath them.

“Popular culture continues to provide inspiration for baby names, whether it’s characters in our favourite show or trending celebrities.

"Maeve and Otis, characters from the popular programme Sex Education have seen a surge in popularity in 2020 while the name Margot has been rapidly climbing since actress Margot Robbie appeared in the popular film The Wolf of Wall Street’."

The top 10 girls' names in England and Wales in 2020 were:

Olivia (3,640)

Amelia (3,319)

Isla (2,749)

Ava (2,679)

Mia (2,303)

Ivy (2,166)

Lily (2,150)

Isabella (2,052)

Rosie (2,035)

Sophia (2,028)

The top 10 boys' names were:

Oliver (4,225)

George (4,100)

Arthur (4,052)

Noah (4,042)

Muhammed (3,710)

Leo (3,314)

Oscar (3,268)

Harry (3,209)

Archie (2,944)

Jack (2,900)