The names top for tots

The most popular names in the Advertiser’s birth announcements in 2008 were Alfie, Harry and Olivia.

In the paper’s columns, there were six babies called Alfie and six called Harry. Harry was the top name of 2007.

Archie, Daniel, Harvey, Oliver and William were also popular, each with four.

Four girls were named Olivia.

There were three each of Amelia, Evie, Georgia, Millie and Lilly.

Miss Marie Epton (23) and her partner, Mr James Mansfield (24) of Parsons Close, Fernwood, named their baby Olivia Mae. She was born on March 30.

Miss Epton said: “I was looking through a book of baby names and I thought it was pretty. It really stood out.

“Until recently I had not heard of it much and thought it was quite unusual.”

She said they chose the name early in her pregnancy, even before they knew they were expecting a girl.

“We’d been struggling with boys’ names,” said Miss Epton.

“I just kept praying it was a girl.”

She said she liked the fact that Olivia could be shortened to Liv or Livvy.

Olivia’s middle name came from the initials of Miss Epton’s full name, Marie Anne Epton.

Mr and Mrs Gavin Town, of Maythorne Close, Balderton, had their first child, a boy, on July 5.

They called him Alfie Liam.

Mrs Hayley Town (36) said she was told at a scan she was having a girl and they decided on the name Amelia Caitlin.

It was only when she had given birth and her husband went to cut the umbilical cord that he realised it was a boy.

Mrs Town said it was a huge shock and they had to think of a boy’s name quickly.

They decided on Alfie because at least three generations of men in her family were called Alfred. She said Alfie was a modern version of the traditional name.

Her father, Mr Alfred Small (78) of Coging Close, Balderton, is known by his middle name, Bernard.

She said: “I thought the name Alfie would be unusual without being weird.

“But I have come across more and more babies called Alfie. It’s more popular than I thought.”

More unusual names locally included Chester, Claude, Coby, Deacon, Dex, Macquewen, Orlin, and Woody for boys and Roxy, Missie-Mae, Dora, Jersey, and Elodie for girls.