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These are the top baby names for 2022

Published 11:22 19 Jan 2022 GMT

Updated 17:11 21 Apr 2022 BST

Sarah McKenna Barry

An Irish name tops the list for girls, and literary names are also very popular this year.

The top baby names for 2022 are here, and there are some absolutely gorgeous ones in the ranking. In fact, a beautiful Irish name has made it to the very top of the list of girls names - and rightly so. Maeve, which comes from the Irish Medb, is in the top spot, and when you consider the fact that it translates to "the intoxicating one", or "she who rules", it's certainly very fitting. On top of that, the name Maeve has an important place in our cultural history. In the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, Medb was the Queen of Connacht. Literary names also appear to be a big trend this year. Luna nabbed the second spot, no doubt a nod to Harry Potter's Luna Lovegood. Ophelia, who appeared in William Shakespeare's Hamlet, is the sixth most popular name for 2022, while Alice is in at number 10, a name that was no doubt popularised by Lewis Caroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Some gorgeous and unique names also appear on the boys list, with Arlo nabbing the top spot. While the name has no specific origin, there does appear to be both an Irish and a literary connection. Arlo first appeared as a place name in Edmund Spencer's 1590 poem The Faerie Queen, and it's thought that he was inspired by the Irish word Aherlow, which means "between two highlands". In terms of boy names inspired by literature, the most glaring example is Atticus, who occupies fourth space, inspired by the protagonist of Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird.