3. George - given to 5,263 baby boys

George has always been a popular name for boys in the British Isles, although it actually has its roots in the Greek name Georgios, meaning ‘farmer’. The patron saint of England, George was also the name of kings in Britain for 116 years in a row in the 18th and 19th centuries.

It was also the name chosen for the future king of England – although the birth of Prince George in 2013 doesn’t seem to have caused a significant bump in the number of people giving their sons the name, suggesting that Prince William and Kate Middleton were following a trend rather than starting one.

Another fun George fact: former boxer and electric grill entrepreneur George Foreman named all five of his sons George. He says he did this “so they would always have something in common”.

2. Harry - given to 5,284 baby boys

Prince Harry, Harry Potter, Harry Styles: clearly, this is a name for fundamentally decent guys with a tendency to wind up in sticky situations. A medieval form of Henry (Prince Harry’s real name), it means ‘estate ruler’, and was the nickname of all eight King Henrys in British history.

1. Oliver - given to 6,623 baby boys

Who’d have thought it? Oliver holds the number one spot, just like its feminine variant Olivia. It has its origins in Old French, and like Olivia is associated with the Latin term olivarius (meaning ‘olive tree planter’). The name was introduced to England by the Normans, but fell out of usage in the 17^th century thanks to the unpopularity of Oliver Cromwell.

It’s not clear what exactly sparked its modern resurgence – but expect to see lots of little Ollies running around a playground near you soon.

Images: Vanessa Serpas / Rex Features / iStock

The hidden meanings behind the nation’s most popular baby names