Noah dethrones Oliver as top baby boy name

For the last eight years, Oliver has continuously remained the top baby boy name in England and Wales. However, a familiar name just snatched the crown.

This year, the name Noah dethroned Oliver as the new top baby boy name. Its new ranking also broke the nearly 10-year record of Oliver.

On the other hand, the name Olivia maintained the throne as the most popular name for girls. It has been the top choice for baby girl names for six consecutive years. 

There were also changes in the top 10 entries. This time, the name Willow and Henry claimed high spots and took out Jack from the top 10. This makes it the first time Jack has been excluded from the list of top baby names since 1996.

Additionally, Brody and Olive have created a significant move into the top 100 this 2022. They rose to ranks 36 and 25 respectively.

Noah dethrones Oliver as top baby name for boys

In overall counting, exactly 4,525 baby boys were named Noah last year. According to the data provided by Office for National Statistics (ONS), it was the first time the name Noah moved to the top spot. 

On the other hand, the name Olivia has remained at the top spot for girl names for six continuous years. It was the name given to exactly 3,649 baby girls. The Office for National Statistics emphasised that the name Olivia has been the most popular girl’s name since 2016.

The reason why the name Noah is rising in popularity

The name Noah has been steadily rising in popularity since it ranked 225th back in 1996 — the first year the top baby names list was published.

In the US, the baby boy name Jacob has been was in the top spot for 15 years. However, the record ended back in 2013 when Noah topped the baby name chart in the US.

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The person who founded the parenting podcast Baby Name Envy is SJ Strum. According to her, the name Noah appeals to a lot of parents, especially expecting couples, “for its blend of traditional and pop culture associations”. 

“It’s traditionally a symbol of new beginnings,” said SJ Strum, “which after [the coronavirus] pandemic feels so meaningful.”

In addition, she was able to ask some of her listeners why they liked the name while she was doing the podcast. Most listeners said the name Noah has become more appealing because of the 2004 romantic comedy film The Notebook. In the film, Ryan Gosling portrays the male lead named Noah.

Other famous men with the same name as the biblical figure include actor Noah Wyle. He is an American actor who starred in the hit television series ER. 

The meaning of the baby boy name Noah

Aside from all the things mentioned above related to the name Noah, it also has a positive meaning. 

Many people believe that the name Noah came from the Hebrew word noach, which means rest or repose. In addition to that, it is also the name of a prominent biblical figure. 

It also comes from the Babylonian word nukhu, which also means rest or repose.

People in the United States traditionally use Noah as a boy’s name, and Noa as the female version of the name Noah.

Noa is also a biblical name derived from one of the five daughters of Zelophehad. It could be the primary reason why it is a very popular name in Israel, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands. 

Name variations

As mentioned above, the baby boy’s name Noah is a biblical name. It is the reason why Noah has an equivalent in multiple languages. Here are some:

• Noach – Hebrew, Dutch
• Noé – French, Portuguese, Spanish
• Noa – Croatian, French
• Noak – Swedish
• Nuh – Arabic/Turkish
• Nojus – Lithuanian
• Nooa – Finnish

Other variations of the name Noah include the following:

• Nowa – Arabic
• Nowah – Chinese
• Nawai – Hawaiian
• Nowey – German
• Nohwa – Australian
• Knoa – Hebrew
• Nowey – German
• Noeh – Hebrew
• Noha – Arabic

5 prominent individuals named Noah

Are you planning to give your precious little boy the name Noah? Here are some famous people with the name Noah. 

• Noah Wylie. He is an American actor famous for his role as Dr John Carter on ER.
• Noah Webster. He is an American lexicographer.
• Noah Centineo. He is also an American actor famous for his role in the Netflix series To All the Boys I’ve Love Before.
• Noah Taylor. He is a British-Australian actor best known for his role as Locke in the HBO series Game of Thrones.
• Noah Jackson. He is a former American football player who played for ten seasons with the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

This article was first published in theAsianparent.