Wiggo? Tulisa? Gollum? Gangnam? Or Simply Kate? What Will Be The Popular Baby Names Of 2013

Wiggo? Tulisa? Gollum? Gangnam? Or Simply Kate? What Will Be The Popular Baby Names Of 2013

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As we all know, when it comes to choosing baby names, parents-to-be are dedicated followers of fashion.

That's why in the Eighties we had an explosion of Kylies and Jasons, followed in the Nineties by a wave of Chardonnays, and then in the Noughties a bounty of Britneys.

But in the last two years, 'vintage' names, such as Eve, Ava, Harry, Max and Poppy have made a comeback.

So what will mums and-dads-to-be who conceived this year be calling their offspring next year?

To give us an idea, we need to look back on 2012 to see who and what were the movers and shakers that parents might want to adorn their newborns with forever.

The most obvious candidates are 'Katherine' and 'William' in tribute to our two favourites Royals. But if those names are too tame, how about 'Duchess' and 'Prince', to add a bit of glamour?

Most probably, though, people will wait to see what Kate and Wills decide to name their baby before following in their footsteps. And according to the bookies, the clever money is on George or Alexander for a boy, and Diana or Victoria for a girl (though if it's the latter, a certain Mrs Beckham might get the idea that the Royal sprog has been named after her).

If Royalty doesn't tweak your crown, how about awarding a medal to some of the great names that have emerged from our golden London 2012 Olympics?

Some nice, ordinary names might inspire – such as golden girls Jessica (Ennis), Ellie (Simmonds), Heather (Stanning), Helen (Glover) or Nicola (Adams) for the girls, and Andy (Murray), David (Weir), Ben (Ainslie), Anthony (Joshua), Greg (Rutherford) and Alistair (Brownlee) for the boys.

But how about a moniker that's a tad more unusual?

Brother and sister twins might be called 'Mo' and 'Farah'. A quick arrival might be named 'Usain', or even 'Bolt'. Or how about 'Wiggo' for a baby born with a lot of hair?

If you can't decide which Olympic champion you'd most like your baby to commemorate, how about the games themselves? 'Lympic' has a certain ring to it. As does 'Torch'. And again, if you have twins, what better tribute could there be than to name them after the London 2012 mascots, 'Wenlock' and 'Mandeville'?

On the football field, two notable names stand out from the crowd – but for very different reasons: 'Mario' – the name of the legendary Manchester City and erstwhile father bad boy; and 'Fabrice' – the first name of Mr Muamba, whose 'death' on the football field inspired the nation to pray for him and who is now, thankfully, in good health.

But if sport's not your thing, how about giving your infant an uber-trendy handle?

After all, in 2012, parents called their kids 'Google' and 'Hashtag', so why not join the social networking revolution with 'Instagram', 'Pinterest', 'Kindle', 'Android' or 'iPhone5' (though be warned, these names will go out of fashion as fast as the technology themselves).

The most likely source of inspiration will perhaps come from the world of showbiz.

'Hobbit', 'Bilbo' and 'Gollum' have a certain (lord of the) ring to them, but I think telly is where most influence will come from.

'Tulisa' has got to be a contender, after the X Factor judge and tabloid favourite, as has 'Nimble Kimble' – Strictly Come Dancing judge Len Goodman's nickname for Kimberley Walsh. And of course, there's 'Rylan', inspired by X Factor diva Rylan Clark.

And talking of X Factor, let's not forget former judge Cheryl Cole (even if the nation has). We're not suggesting you call your child Cheryl, but how about a name that combines the singer's old and new flames: 'Ash-Tre', anyone?

Undoubtedly, the phenomenon of the year has been the erotic novel, Fifty Shades of Grey which, er, sowed the seeds for next year's generation. So perhaps it will inspire their names, too. How about 'Christian'? Or 'Anastasia'? Or better still, 'Blindfold', 'Handcuffs' and 'Gag'!

One craze that seems to be here to stay is a certain dance that has been viewed nearly 1 billion times on YouTube. Naming your baby 'Gangnam' would definitely help get the weeting-the-baby's head party started. Or why not call him - or her - for that matter, 'PSY', after the zany South Korean singer?

Personally, though, I would look towards politics for my inspiration should I become a father again. No, not 'David', or 'Nick' or 'Ed', but 'Pleb'.

Anything would be better than this year's media villains 'Rupert' and 'Rebekah'.

If that doesn't inspire you, here are the most popular Baby Names in 2012

Ethan

Eva

Leo

Dylan

Jacob

Oliver

Noah

Ella

Alfie

Amelia

Mia

Isla

Max

Charlie

Alice

Joshua

Jack

Oscar

Isabella

Imogen

And the Least Popular

Gracie-Mai

May

Filip

Sheikh

Fatma

Davinia

Adem

Safah

Truman

Keely

Fujiko

Aniya

Malak

Alexi

Adnan

Miller

Charlee

Trent

Siya

Lizzie

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