NEW parents in Redditch appear to have taken inspiration from Royalty when naming their babies – latest newborn name statistics show.

George and Olivia remain the most popular names for children - according to figures for 2018 from the Office of National Statistics - with the names having topped the charts in Redditch the previous year.

Figures show 12 youngsters were named George in 2018, by parents who likely took inspiration from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge who named their eldest child George back in 2013, while 13 little ones were given the Royal name in 2017.

Meanwhile - 14 Olivias were born in 2018 and 13 in the previous year.

In the West Midlands region as a whole – Muhammad was the most popular choice for boys, with 641 newborns given the name.

While Olivia was the favourite for girls across the region, with 455 little ones given the moniker in 2018.

Across England and Wales – the most popular choices were Oliver for boys and Olivia for girls.

Another Royal name, Harry, was the third most popular choice for boys nationally, following George in second place; while Amelia and Ava were the second and third respective favourites for girls.

Nick Stripe, from the Office for National Statistics, said: “Oliver and Olivia remained the most popular baby names in 2018, although there are the first signs that Oliver’s six-year reign as the number one name for boys is under threat.”

What did you name your children in 2018 and what do you think of the most popular choices?