THE most popular pandemic baby names in York and Ryedale have been revealed.

Oliver remained the most popular name for boys in England and Wales for the eighth year in a row in 2020, while Olivia topped the girls’ list for the fifth year in succession.

Parents aged 35 and over continued to choose more traditional names, while younger parents opted for more modern and shortened names, the Office for National Statistics said.

But while some names matched national baby name trends, new parents opted for more unusual name choices in York and Ryedale.

George came in first place for boys names in York.

Baby boys from Ryedale were most likely to be called Oliver in 2020.

Ella and Matilda were the most favoured girls names in Ryedale. 

Meanwhile Olivia and Isla jointly took the top spot for girls names in York.

Siân Bradford, who works at the vital statistics outputs branch for the ONS, said: "Oliver and Olivia held onto the top spots as the most popular boys’ and girls’ names in 2020 but some interesting changes took place beneath them.

"We continue to see the age of mothers having an impact on the choice of baby name. Archie jumped into the top 10 boys’ names for the first time, driven by younger mothers as well as the obvious Royal link. While on the girls’ side Ivy rose to sixth place.

“Popular culture continues to provide inspiration for baby names, whether it’s characters in our favourite show or trending celebrities. Maeve and Otis, characters from the popular programme ‘Sex Education’, have seen a surge in popularity in 2020. While the name Margot has been rapidly climbing since actress Margot Robbie appeared in the popular film ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’."