Baby names

Dua Lipa and Kylo Ren inspire parents' choices

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said babies called Dua doubled in 2019 compared with 2017, when the singer had her first UK number one.

Kylo's popularity has risen since the new Star Wars films started in 2015.

But Oliver and Olivia are still number one in England and Wales, with more than 9,000 babies named in 2019.

The ONS said 126 babies were called Dua in 2019, compared with 63 in 2017, suggesting that like her first UK number one single the singer has set New Rules for naming inspiration.

Game of Thrones baby names still proving popular

A record 76 baby girls were called Khaleesi in 2017, the title enjoyed by Emilia Clarke's dragon-raising would-be queen in the award-winning fantasy TV and book series.

Three more children were called Daenarys, the real name of the show's Mother of Dragons. And more girls than ever before received the name Sansa, another significant figure on the show.

But if baby-naming is a reliable indicator, Game of Thrones' most popular character appears to be Arya, with 343 newborns given the same name as Maisie Williams' sword-wielding Stark.

Celebrity babies: 8 unusual names from Apple to Bear

The twins - a girl and a boy - have been named Ella and Alexander.

Congratulations poured in when the announcement of the birth was made, but some were puzzled by their choice of names.

US parents sue to call baby girl Allah

The state Department of Public Health has refused to issue the 22-month-old with a birth certificate.

Elizabeth Handy and Bilal Walk say it is unacceptable that their child has officially been left nameless.

But state officials say the child's surname - ZalyKha Graceful Lorraina Allah - should either be Handy, Walk or a combination of the two.

Allah is the Arabic word for God.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Georgia has filed a lawsuit in Fulton County Superior Court on the family's behalf.

Sorry, Charlotte: the top name is now....

The Department of Internal Affairs has released a list of the 100 most popular names chosen last year.

Olivia reclaimed the title of the most popular name for girls, having last held the top spot in 2013.

Oliver was the number one choice for boys for the third year running, with Jack coming in at second place.