One of the biggest challenges expectant parents face when waiting for the arrival of their newborn is deciding on a name they both love.
Choosing the right baby name can be difficult for some couples.
While some opt for popular names, other couples prefer an unusual name.
Most parents aim for a name that is somewhere in between that is both unique and familiar.
Social Research firm McCrindle has released the top 100 baby names in Australia for 2016, based on the national registry of births.
The list includes 50 of the most popular names for girls and boys and how many times the name was used last year.
If you’re on the hunt to find a baby name, this list may inspire your search. Or it may sway you NOT to name your child a popular name. The decision is yours.
Most popular girls’ names in 2016
Charlotte (1737)
Olivia (1670)
Amelia (1441)
Ava (1434)
Mia (1387)
Sophia (1298)
Chloe (1214)
Emily (1187)
Sophie (1150)
Grace (1122)
Lily/Lilly (1066)
Ella (1059)
Ruby (1042)
Isla (1027)
Isabella (1025)
Evie (989)
Zoe (977)
Matilda (955)
Harper (910)
Ivy (904)
Scarlett (904)
Maddison/Madison (852)
Sienna (831)
Evelyn (790)
Isabelle (772)
Lucy (756)
Emma (748)
Georgia (707)
Hannah (685)
Willow (675)
Zara (655)
Eva (643)
Abigail (589)
Aria (575)
Layla (573)
Mila/Milla (572)
Alice (496)
Imogen (473)
Violet (468)
Audrey (461)
Annabelle (459)
Jasmine (445)
Ellie (417)
Alexis (414)
Summer (413)
Mackenzie (412)
Savannah (408)
Stella (400)
Piper (383)
Sarah (374)
Most popular boys’ names in 2016
Oliver (2283)
William (1862)
Jack (1802)
Noah (1484)
Thomas (1404)
James (1334)
Jackson/Jaxon (1257)
Ethan (1247)
Lucas (1243)
Lachlan (1084)
Liam (1076)
Charlie (1075)
Henry (1062)
Mason (1058)
Alexander (1049)
Harrison (1048)
Samuel (1008)
Max (1000)
Cooper (979)
Isaac (956)
Jacob (919)
Levi (914)
Benjamin (912)
Leo (902)
Joshua (897)
Oscar (882)
Hudson (879)
Hunter (879)
Harry (835)
Ryan (821)
Xavier (821)
Archie (778)
Elijah (739)
Logan (712)
Riley (712)
George (696)
Sebastian (673)
Daniel (671)
Archer (670)
Patrick (617)
Tyler (604)
Nate (597)
Jayden (572)
Eli (558)
Flynn (547)
Lincoln (532)
Micheal (510)
Edward (508)
Luca (504)
Hugo (502)
Oliver and Charlotte were the most popular boy and girl name for 2016.
The names that entered the top 100 for the first time last year were Spencer, Jesse, Arlo, Harley, Darcy, Jett and Lewis (for boys) and Aurora, Billie, Eve, Daisy, Aisha, Leah, Gabriella, Maryam and Maggie (for girls.)
If your favourite name made the popular list, you might want to consider whether you would be happy for your child to share their name with another classmate when they go to school?
At the end of the day, as long as you love the name, that’s all that matters and this list proves, many parents love popular names and aren’t afraid of using them.
