Offaly's most popular baby names revealed

Emma has taken over as the most popular name for baby girls in Offaly, while Daniel has grabbed the top spot when it comes to popular names for baby boys.

New data released last Friday by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows that while the girls' names Aoife, Grace and Sarah were most popular in 2011 in Offaly, Emily took that crown in 2012. Last year Emma trumped in the popularity stakes however, with more little girls in Offaly named Emma than any other name.

Jack was the most popular name for baby boys in Offaly in both 2011 and 2012. However last year Daniel took the top spot, according to the new research.

Jack and Emily were the most popular names registered last year nationally. Jack retains the top position it has held every year since 2007, while Emily retained the number one spot it first claimed in 2011.

Jack, James, Daniel, Conor and Sean have been the five most popular boys’ names since 2007, while all of those names bar Daniel have been in the top five since 1998. Last year there was only a slight change in the list’s 2012 order, with Conor finishing in fourth place ahead of Sean.

This is the third consecutive year that Emily has been the most popular name chosen for girls. Emma, Sophie, Ella and Amelia were the next most frequently chosen names to make it to the top five last year.

There were two first time entries into the top 100 names for boys last year. Kai entered the list at number 85 (up from 103rd place in 2012), while Kayden rose from 135th place in 2012 to 44th place last year.

There were four first time entrants to the top 100 for girls meanwhile - Sadie, Sienna, Fiadh and Poppy. The highest entry was Sadie at 77th place, while Fiadh went from 146th most popular in 2012 to 82nd place last year.