Top 30 most popular girls’ names over the last 30 years

As we celebrate 30 years of Leasing Options, we’re looking back on the past 30 years and how the world has changed with us – or in some ways, stayed a constant!

Olivia was the number one name for girls born in the UK in 2016 and continues to rank highly in 2020, but it was also ranked at 24 in the early 1990s too.

Other girls’ names popular in the 90s, such as Jessica and Emily are still being widely used by parents today.

In fact, Chloe has been ranked near the top of the official UK favourite baby names list every year since 1996, and the top choices have remained remarkably consistent over the previous five years.

Chloe, Emily and Megan have stayed firm favourites for girls, with Jessica, Charlotte, Sophie and Lauren also proving popular.

Emily has dropped out of the top 10 girls’ names for the first time since 1984 this year and was replaced by Freya, which saw its first foray into the top 10. Ella dropped out too and was replaced by Lily.

Here we take a look at our top 30 girls’ names that have featured heavily over the past 30 years – do you, or does someone you know, feature in here?

Top girls’ names from the past 30 years:

1. Olivia (#24 in 1994 / #1 in 2018 and 2020) 
2. Jessica (#3 in 1994 / #5 in 2000 / #9 in 2010 / #8 in 2018)
3. Sophie (#6 in 1994 / #7 in 2000 / #1 in 2010 / #14 in 2018)
4. Chloe (#11 in 1994 / #6 in 2010 / #23 in 2018)
5. Charlotte (#4 in 1994 / #12 in 2010 and 2018)
6. Emily (#8 in 1994 / #2 in 2000 / #3 in 2018)
7. Alice (#18 in 1994 / #28 in 2000 / #17 in 2018)
8. Hannah (#5 in 1994 / #9 in 2000 / #57 in 2018)
9. Holly (#22 in 1994 / #29 in 2000 / #27 in 2010 / #52 in 2018) 
10. Rebecca (#1 in 1994 / #12 in 2000 / #156 in 2018)
11. Bethany (#15 in 1994 / #13 in 2000 / #103 in 2018)
12. Amy (#7 in 1994 / #14 in 2000 / #25 in 2010 / #129 in 2018)
13. Katie (#14 in 1994 / #16 in 2000 / #133 in 2018)
14. Lucy (#13 in 1994 / #10 in 2000 / #14 in 2010 / #43 in 2018)
15. Laura (#9 in 1994 / #30 in 2000 / #150 in 2018)
16. Megan (#17 in 1994 / #3 in 2000 / #24 in 2010 / #83 in 2018)  
17. Lauren (#2 in 1994 / #6 in 2000 / #193 in 2018)
18. Sarah (#12 in 1994 / #33 in 2000 / #96 in 2018)
19. Georgia (#29 in 1994 / #11 in 2000)
20. Amelia (#35 in 2000 / #8 in 2010 / #2 in 2020)
21. Isla (#20 in 2010 / #3 in 2020)
22. Mia (#45 in 2000 / #13 in 2010 / #4 in 2020)
23. Sophia (#10 in 2010 / #7 in 2020)
24. Grace (#47 in 1994 / #20 in 2000 / #15 in 2010 / #8 in 2020)
25. Lily (#47 in 2000 / #5 in 2010 / #9 in 2020)
26. Freya (#19 in 2010 / #10 in 2020)
27. Ava (#11 in 2010 / #4 in 2020)
28. Daisy (#50 in 2000 / #22 in 2010)
29. Isabella (#7 in 2010 / #6 in 2020)
30. Ella (#26 in 2000 / #17 in 2010)