The top UK baby names for 2021 - revealed!

Every year the Office for National Statistics releases lists of the most popular baby names in England and Wales for the past year. The latest information was released this week - and it would seem a certain royal baby has had a big influence on new parents!

The list toppers: To kick things off, Oliver and Olivia have remained the most popular names for baby girls and boys. Oliver first made the top spot back in 2009, fell to 2nd place in 2011 and 2012, then rose back to the number 1 spot in 2013 and has remained there ever since. Whilst Olivia first reached number one in 2008, fell back to 2nd place between 2011-15, then rose back to the number 1 spot in 2016 where it remains still.

Risers and fallers: Grace and Freya have been knocked out of the top 10 spot, taken over by Ivy and Rosie. Similarly, Archie has taken over from Charlie in the top 10 for boys, appearing in the top 10 for the first time (most likely due to the arrive of Harry & Meghan's baby born in 2019). Ivy has risen in popularity a huge 221 places in the last 10 years, becoming the 6th most popular name for baby girls. Similarly, Arthur and Noah have increased in popularity over the last 20 years, both rising over 200 places. This is the first time in 15 years that Charlie hasn't been in the top 10. The largest movers however were Milo, Otis and Maeve - all 3 names have been rapidly gaining popularity amongst new parents although they still haven't reached the top 10.

The influence of age: It seems that older mums are choosing traditional and longer names for both boys or girls, whilst younger mums are doing the complete opposite and opting for shortened versions of traditional names, such as Tommy rather than Thomas. For mums over 35, the top 10 names are Amelia, Ava, Charlotte, Isla, Emily, Ava, Florence, Sophie, Sophia and Mia for girls, and Oliver, George, Jack, Muhammad, Noah, Thomas, Alexander, Arthur, Leo and William for boys. Whereas mothers under 25 are choosing shorter and abbreviated names - Noah, Archie, Leo, Arthur, Theo, Tommy, Freddie, Oliver, Oscar and Finley for boys, and Amelia, Ava, Olivia, Ivy, Isla, Isabella, Mia, Willow, Harper and Elsie for girls.

The top 10 boys' names are:

Oliver (no change from 2019)

George (no change from 2019)

Arthur (up 1 place from 2019)

Noah (down 1 place from 2019)

Muhammad (up 2 places from 2019)

Leo (no change from 2019)

Oscar (up 3 places from 2019)

Harry (down 3 places from 2019)

Archie (up 10 places from 2019)

Jack (down 2 places from 2019)

The top 10 girls' names are:

Olivia (no change from 2019)

Amelia (no change from 2019)

Isla (no change from 2019)

Ava (no change from 2019)

Mia (no change from 2019)

Ivy (up 6 places from 2019)

Lily (up 2 places from 2019)

Isabella (down 2 places from 2019)

Rosie (up 5 places from 2019)

Sophia (down 3 places from 2019)

And the names at the bottom of the top 100? Aisha for the girls, and Myles for the boys.

But of course, all of this doesn't mean a thing - whichever name you choose for your baby (assuming you don't choose something like 'Ikea' or 'Trixie-Biscuit') will be perfect. Although, as the parent of a teenager, I can pretty much guarantee that whatever you do choose they'll moan about it at some point!!

Sarah x

Brand New this month!

I've been working away on some brand new designs to add to my ever-popular 'Meaning of Name' print range - and I'm rather proud of them!

'Little Hare' personalised meaning of name print, nursery art from PhotoFairytales.co.uk

This range has been a best seller since I first introduced them in, what, 2011 was it? 2010? Whichever, it's not important - what IS important is that over the years customers have found them to be the perfect personalised gift to welcome a new baby.

'Heritage' personalised meaning of name print in blue, nursery art from PhotoFairytales.co.uk

They've been bought for christenings and baptisms, as a present for the new mummy and daddy, as a celebration when the newborn arrived, a special birthday gift, or just a lovely piece of personalised wall art for a nursery or child's bedroom.

'Heritage' personalised meaning of name print in pink, nursery art from PhotoFairytales.co.uk

Whatever the occasion really, it's just a real matter of sheer joy to me that so many of these custom name prints have found their way into homes and onto walls across the world!

'Heritage' personalised meaning of name print in soft sage green, nursery art from PhotoFairytales.co.uk

So, I wanted to introduce some of the latest new designs I've just added to the collection - I hope you like them!

'Dandelion' personalised meaning of name print in pink, nursery art from PhotoFairytales.co.uk

'Dandelion' personalised meaning of name print in blue, nursery art from PhotoFairytales.co.uk

You can see the full range (and bigger images!) by clicking on any of the pictures shown, or visiting the website here: https://www.photofairytales.co.uk/meaningofname.html. The prints are just £15.95 including free UK delivery.

Sarah x

Now a favourite blogger on MyBump2Baby!

If you're a parent to a pre-schooler or expecting a baby, I'm sure you'll love MyBump2Baby - it's a website and free app packed full of support and reviews from other parents, advice, events, directories, news and information. Lots of features to make a parent's life a little easier! A great resource that's completely free to use, the site is the UK’s fastest growing pregnancy to pre-school directory.

...and I'm delighted to announce that my blog has been chosen as one of MyBump2Baby's favourite blogs, and is featured on the site and app too!

Sarah :)

BRAND NEW: 'Sweet Dreams' personalised baby board book, handmade especially for your little one...

Looking for an unusual baby or toddler gift this Christmas? Something really special, personalised? Handmade? I think I have the perfect gift solution for you..!

I’m so excited to tell you about my new addition to the personalised board book range - a new design called ‘Sweet Dreams’ that will be perfect for cosy bedtime stories!

'Sweet Dreams' personalised, handmade baby board book

This brings the collection of designs to 10 now, with all the books handmade to order and featuring your own wording and favourite photos on every page. The books have solid board pages, and are now also available in a hard wearing laminated style which gives them added protection and a lovely shiny, glossy finish.

These personalised board books make a perfect gift for a baby or toddler, ideal for birthdays or Christmas. 

'Sweet Dreams' book, outside covers

The Sweet Dreams board book has lovely soft dark blue colours and the pages feature lovely illustrations of twinkly stars and sleepy sheep to count. All designed to hopefully prompt a good night of sleep for your little one!

Your baby or toddler will love looking at their book which has been designed especially for them. A truly unique and personal gift that will be a lovely keepsake.

All personalised board books are gift wrapped in pretty pale blue tissue paper

Visit the PhotoFairytales website now to view the full range of designs available.

Sarah x

Theme of the Week: Nursery Decor & Finishing Touches

Planning your new baby's nursery is a lovely time - shopping for all those essential items, choosing a cot and furniture, creating a fabulous environment for your little one to grow and enjoy. It doesn't seem 5 minutes ago that we were doing exactly that for our daughter - but it was actually (unbelievably) 14 years ago!

Sorry Amy, I know you read this blog sometimes but I can't resist adding one of my favourite photos of you!!

Tastes have certainly changed in the last 14 years though, and there are some stunning trends this season for nurseries - ranging from soft neutrals and Scandi-style simplicity, to tropical and nature inspired themes full of pops of bright colour and eye-catching detail. 

If you're looking for a lovely print to compliment the nursery I've got some gorgeous ideas for you - with colours and designs ranging from soft and dreamy to fun and whimsical. My prints and canvases are created to order, and I'm always happy to tweak colours etc for you to create something that suits your decor.

Here's a brief roundup of some of the items I have on offer, but there's lots more on the site so do take a look - especially if you're looking for a lovely christening gift or keepsake to mark the arrival of a new baby in the family.

1: 'Dragon' personalised canvas print, from £18.50 - part of a range of personalised canvas prints

2: Alphabet personalised watercolour print, £23.95 - a stunning A3 sized poster print on quality traditional moulded paper

3: 'Hello You' typographic print, £10 - available in my boutique at wowthankyou.co.uk/photofairytales

4: 'Hush Little Baby' personalised canvas print, from £18.50 - part of a range of canvas print designs

5: Personalised Birth Print, £18.95 - personalised prints available in a range of colours

6: 'Raining Love' personalised 'Smiler' print, £22.95 - A3 sized poster print available in a range of colours, other designs also available

I hope something has caught your eye, but don't forget that there are lots more gifts for babies and nursery finishing touches - including handpainted gift plates, wooden gifts and plaques - over on the PhotoFairytales website!

Sarah x

New Gift Range: New Baby Birth Prints

One of the latest additions to the PhotoFairytales range of gifts are my new personalised Birth Prints...

Available in a choice of different colours, they're a lovely contemporary style print that I think will look gorgeous in the new nursery.

The perfect gift when a new baby arrives, and a really unique present for a christening or naming ceremony too.

Each print features the child's name and date of birth, along with lots of other information such as time, weight, etc. There's even a space for you to add your own lovely message for the recipient that they'll be able to read and treasure when they're older.

Priced at £16.50, including free 1st class delivery. Find them on the website as part of the 'Gifts for Baby' range here.

Hope you like!
Sarah x

Barking Mad Baby Names

When our lovely daughter Amy was still “the Bump” we became obsessed with names - right down to scouring the credits at the end of every programme and film (“Audrey Thexton - that’s a bit different, would that work? Maybe not…”). 

It was such a responsibility to plump for the right one: we couldn’t choose something too cutesy because she might became Prime Minister one day (Angel Thexton, Prime Minister). It couldn’t be anything that would date (think ‘Ethel’, or ‘Mavis’). We weren’t the kind of people to do a Beckham or a Bowie (ie, calling her something utterly mad like ‘Trixie-Biscuit’). It couldn’t start with a “th” or a “ph” because with a surname like Thexton that would make everyone sound like they had a lisp (try saying Thelma Thexton and you’ll see what I mean!).

And then there was the other problem, the one that nobody likes to mention… the really, really popular names. The ones that are so popular that if you shout them out loud in the park the chances are 5 toddlers, a cat and 4 dogs will all look up at you. You know the ones I mean I’m sure… So what if we got a bit ironic and went in the opposite direction, and called her “Scamp”? Or “Patch” (bit too eczema-y?) Or what about “Lassie”?? No, perhaps not.

The problem is, everyone is giving their pets human names - even we’ve named our dog Freddy. And there’s a cute Jack Russell dog right here in Belton called Alan. The other day we walking Freddy when we met Pete, the greyhound. A friend of mine once had a Labrador called Dave…

Don’t get me wrong, when it comes to Freddy we are all completely guilty of giving him human characteristics to match his human name. It isn’t just the Paris Hiltons of this world that are guilty of turning pets into baby substitutes (even when you actually do have a real, human baby!). I guess it’s just the inevitable side effect of the human need to nurture - especially anything that has big innocent eyes!

So how did we end up with the name “Amy”? A nice lady working in Boots struck up a conversation over my bump, and mentioned it was one of her favourites. Amy…. Amy Thexton…. I like it... I like it a lot…. middle name Rose…. and Amy means ‘beloved’ which is lovely… yes, perfect!

So how did you come up with a name for your child? Did you research the meaning of the name? Did you find it all as tricky as we did?! Leave a comment and let me know, I’d love to hear about your experience too!

Sarah x

Loads of discounts on Baby items!

I'm a member of a great networking site for women who run their own businesses (www.mumsclub.co.uk). Since joining, I've made some great contacts and got to know loads of lovely ladies who, like me, run their own business: some online, some on the high street. The members represent a huge range: from the one-woman business, to the multi-staffed long established company.

Earlier this year myself and a small group of other members got together and produced a little leaflet offering discounts and special offer codes. It was such a success, that we decided to do it again - but this time even bigger! We have produced a glossy brochure which is going to be distributed up and down the country this Autumn at major Mother, Baby & Toddler events.

The brochure is packed with a big range of discounts on items that every new mum or mum-to-be could possibly want: from pushchairs to nappies, from gifts to nursery furniture, from christening gowns and keepsakes to maternity bras!

Even if you're not going to be attending any of the Baby Events later this year, you can still get a look at the brochure (and of course use the discounts too!). Just click on the image above or here for more details. And if you know anyone with a new baby (or one on the way), do let them know about this great book of money off deals.

Best wishes, Sarah

NEW ON SITE! Personalised Baby Board Books

I've been busy today adding another totally brand new range to PhotoFairytales. I'm so excited about these, I think they are a great idea for new parents, babies, toddlers and littlies...!

I now sell beautiful sturdy little board books for babies. But not any board books - these are totally personalised. They feature your own photos, your own words - you can even give your own title to the book! There are four gorgeous themes to choose from, and I think to be honest you'll find it hard to choose because they are all rather lovely! And get this - they start at only £10 including free UK delivery. How amazing is that! Each book is created individually to order just for you. They carry the CE regulation mark, and you can choose from two sizes. You can even choose to have a buggy strap added to the book so your little one can read in the pushchair.

These are not only a great present for christenings, births and birthdays, but are a perfect keepsake to cherish. I hope you like them - let me know what you think!

Best wishes, Sarah x

Announce the arrival of your baby in style!

I wanted to let you know about the huge new range of birth announcement cards that I've just added to the site. They are all my own designs, and are available in both classic or contemporary styles, and photo or non-photo designs.

The cards are a lovely generous A5 size and are professionally printed on quality card. They are available in three different finishes: as a folded greeting card or flat card style (both with envelopes), or as a flat postcard style. They are totally personalised and individually created just for you - so much nicer than the mass produced paper style invitations you buy in the shops - and no need to sit and write the details on each one either (who has time to do that when there is a new born baby in the house?!). The designs are so lovely you could also keep a spare copy and frame it for the baby's nursery.

All the designs would work beautifully as personalised christening invitations or 1st birthday invitations too. They can easily be adapted to your own specifications - so if you're looking for something tricky like a birth announcement for twins or triplets, for example, these are ideal.

The cards are available in packs of 25 or 50 and prices start from as low as 84p per card, including FREE UK delivery (overseas orders are very welcome too).

EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT: To celebrate the launch of the new range I'd love to offer you a 15% discount on announcement orders until the end of August 2010. Simply quote order code: BL1508. (Sorry, cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount.) To view the designs and for further details just click here: PhotoFairytales Personalised Birth Announcements

I do hope you like them - let me know what you think!

Best wishes, Sarah x

An important message for all mums...

This is for all mums: mums-to-be, new mums, experienced mums, old mums, working mums, stay-at-home mums, yummy mums and stressed mums...

• For always being the one who eats the broken biscuits at the bottom of the tin that nobody else will touch;


• For being able to wake up from a deep sleep in the middle of the night to attend to nappies/wet beds/trips to the loo/nightmares/projectile vomiting when everyone else seems unable to;


• For always having food in the cupboard, loo roll in the bathroom, and the knowledge to cook a dinner out of nothing;


• For carrying on when you sometimes REALLY don't want to;


• For teaching your child how to walk, talk, use the potty/toilet, eat with a knife and fork, hold a pen and write, count, learn colours and a million other things;


• For sorting out the bills (because you probably do, don't you?);


• For remembering X's birthday/anniversary, etc and sending a card - on time;


• For feeding the pets every day - and changing their water too;


• For doing the school run every day, rain or shine;


• For having that magic touch that rubs away pain and kisses tears dry;


• For not being too shy to sing and dance in public when it means you can avoid tantrums;


• For putting on all the voices when you read the bedtime story;


• For checking for nits (and dealing with them if you find them);


• For sitting in the park when you really want to be sitting by a pool with a glass of wine;


• For being the secret Sock Fairy who can wash, match and put away endless not-quite-identical black or white socks without breaking down;


• For making sure the family get their 5 portions a day;


• For having an answer at the ready when you are asked where babies come from;


• For being the only one who cleans the bathroom properly and knows where dirty washing belongs;


• For saying "no" to those high heeled shoes/freakishly expensive trainers even if "all their friends have them";


• For having the best cuddles, end of story;

I just want to say "thank you" - because I don't think mums are thanked anywhere near enough. What we do may not necessarily have a £60k salary or a swanky office, but we do an amazing job shaping and nurturing these human beings under our care (even before they are born). It may seem like a grind (and worse some days), but all those big and little things we all do every day keep the world turning and life flowing. Without mums in the world it would be a grim place (not to mention an untidy one with everyone wearing odd socks and never getting anywhere on time!).

I salute you/me!
Sarah x

PS: and if I've missed anything off, please feel free to add it below!

Sneaky Peek at some great Discounts!

Recently I came up with an idea to join forces with other online retailers to produce a booklet which featured special offers and discounts to customers.

And here it is! I thought you'd like a sneaky peek!

Basically, PhotoFairytales and eight other independent UK online retailers have come together in one little booklet which will be distributed up and down the country during this spring and summer at various mother and baby events. We are offering money off discount codes to all readers.

Whilst many of the retailers offer superb products for parents with young babies and toddlers, even if this doesn't apply to you take a look anyway - there are some fabulous general gift stores there too!

If you would like to take a look, and see the discount codes for yourself, just visit the Special Offers page on my website for details.

Best wishes,

Sarah

Where on earth do I start...!!!!

Wow, it's been AN AGE since I was last here - just look at those cobwebs! I'm now left with the dilemma that I simply have too much to tell you about - seriously, I have SO MUCH to tell you. I'm going to have to ration myself to one or two a day or this could end up being the longest post in blogging history!

Mother & Baby Mega Giveaway! So, first up, let me tell you about this fantastic giveaway being offered by Monica at My Funny Bunny. This is an awesome freebie, you need to read this! The Giveaway contains over 20 great gifts from contributors such as KnitWits, The Pink Fairy Cake, Rainbow Totz, Peggy's Knits, Baby Not Included, Be-Fabulous, Julie's Booties, Lactivist, Icklebabe - oh, and of course, PhotoFairytales! Find out more by visiting Monica's blog.

Loads of New Stuff at PhotoFairytales! The reason why I've not been here for so long (apart from the summer holidays, of course) is because I've been working like a mad thing getting tons of new things onto the website. There are loads of new designs, including some great ones for Autumn & Halloween, plus an entire page devoted to Christmas. I also now have some lovely Gift Vouchers available, and I now sell really high quality personalised greeting cards so you can turn your finished image into a unique card - take a look! I've also started selling some truly amazing and crazy gift balloons in a box - you've got to see them! Oh, and if you're interested in selling any of my products on your own website, take a look at the brand new Trade Page too. I can supply you on an easy dropship basis, and offer you a trade price.

So, sadly, no I haven't been sunning myself and relaxing. I've actually rubbed just about all the remaining letters clean off my keyboard now - the only ones left are the "z" and the numbers! Still, on the upside, it means at 6 years old Amy can now all but touch type (and as an added bonus I have the fun of watching my husband's look of utter confusion when he borrows my computer - well, he's got his own, so hand's off!).

Love to all,

Sarah x

Roller Skating Babies - you have got to see this!