Matthew and Maria most popular baby names

Matthew and Maria were the most popular names given to babies last year, and both were still in top position by June this year, the National Statistics Office said yesterday.

Last year, 4,036 babies were born, of whom 92 per cent were delivered in a state hospital - 2,023 were boys and 2,013 girls.

Between January and June this year, 1,775 births were registered, 919 of whom were boys.

Nicole, which had topped the popularity rankings for girls' names since 2001, has been replaced by Maria/Mariah. Last year, six per cent of the baby girls born were given these names, while five per cent of new born boys were named Matthew or its variants.

In 2003, Julia and Giulia made appreciable inroads, while Sarah and Naomi dropped considerably in the rankings.

Kimberley seems to be regaining some of its popularity, while a crop of "new" names - among them Elena, Chantelle, Chanise and Kaya - made an appearance among the 20 most popular girls' names. Names such as Naomi, Alessia and Elisa are also among the top 20.

In 2003, Jacob and Jake replaced Luke in the second place, with 4.5 per cent of newborn boys being given this name.

Michael and Miguel has been a popular boy's name since 2002, while Christopher seems to be regaining some lost ground.

In the first six months of 2004, a number of "new" boys' names appeared to be gaining popularity, among them Damian, Jaden, Jordan and Denzel.

Christian first names continue to be highly popular, accounting for 56 per cent of the names given between January and June 2004. Children given Arabic names increased by three per cent in 2003, dropping to 2.1 per cent in the subsequent six months.

The influence of celebrities - characters in reality shows, pop singers and football players - is increasingly evident in name selection, the NSO said. These include names such as Cluivert, Ruud, Rooney, Anastasia, Shakira, Troy and Russlana.

There seems to be no gender divide regarding Andrea, Lee, Nelly, Jamie and Sasha, names given to both sexes.