Top 10 baby names for 2024 as parents look to the heavens for inspiration

UK parents seem to be looking to the heavens for cool baby names this year. Choosing a name for your baby can be a huge task. There's an almost unending list to consider.

Some mums and dads prefer traditional favourites like Olivia, Amelia, or Noah. Others may go for less common choices.

Every now and then, certain baby names become a hit for a while before gradually fading as a new trend emerges.

Now, it appears mums and dads are favouring angelic, heavenly-inspired names while set to leave some classic options behind, reports the Mirror.

To find out which baby names are currently "trending", the team providing life insurance at Compare the Market analysed data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This data reveals the names that have surged in popularity since 2011.

For boys, 'Saint' tops the list as the most trending name in the UK. It's had a huge rise in popularity by a whopping 1,867% since 2011.

Meanwhile, for girls, the name 'Harper' has seen an equally impressive growth, rising by 3,424%. The name Saint comes from the Latin word Sanctus, which means "holy". Harper means "harpist", or someone who plays the harp.

Both these names have a heavenly sound to them, so this may signal the start of a new trend for more 'angelic' names.

Looking at boys' names that are currently popular shows us that parents love names inspired by musicians, like Bowie, Hendrix, and Otis. Names like Hunter and Archer reflect our past as people who hunted for food.

Bodhi and Ezra have also been favourites recently.

When choosing names for girls, parents are taking inspiration from Hollywood with names like Blake, Etta, and Monroe becoming trendy. Older names such as Sloane and Winnie are making a comeback too.

The research also