TOP 10, 1901
Girls
1. Mary
2. Kathleen
3. Elizabeth
4. Margaret
5. Ann(e)
6. Eileen
7. Catherine
8. Bridget
9. Florence
10. Ellen/Sarah
Boys
1. John
2. William
3. James
4. Thomas
5. Joseph
6. Patrick
7. Charles
8. Francis
9. George
10. Edward
TOP 10, 1920s
Girls
1. Mary
2. Margaret
3. Elizabeth 4. Joan
5. Patricia
6. Eileen
7. Ann(e)
8. Kathleen
9. Maureen
10. Sheila
Boys
1. John
2. James
3. William
4. Thomas
5. Patrick
6. Robert
7. Michael
8. Desmond
9. George/Joseph
10. Henry
TOP 10, 1950s
Girls
1. Mary
2. Ann(e)
3. Elizabeth
4. Margaret
5. Patricia
6. Sheila
7. Jean
8. Barbara
9. Susan
10. Catherine/Geraldine
Boys
1. John
2. Michael
3. David
4. James
5. Peter
6. Richard
7. Thomas
8. Brian
9. Patrick
10. Robert
TOP 10, 1970s
Girls
1. Sarah
2. Rachel
3. Jennifer
4. Alison
5. Nicola
6. Elizabeth
7. Caroline
8. Fiona
9. Emma
10. Gillian
Boys
1. David
2. John
3. Andrew
4. Mark
5. Simon
6. Paul
7. Robert
8. Stephen
9. Jonathan
10. Alan/Brian/Richard
TOP 10, 1990-1998
Girls
1. Sarah
2. Rachel
3. Sophie
4. Hannah
5. Emma
6. Rebecca
7. Laura
8. Emily
9. Aisling
10. Kate
Boys
1. Andrew
2. David
3. Conor
4. James
5. John
6. Jack
7. Robert
8. Mark
9. Daniel
10. Patrick
TOP 10, 1999
Girls
1. Isobel/Isabel
2. Aoife
3. Rebecca
4. Emily
5. Sarah
6. Emma
7. Ellen
8. Lucy
9. Sophie
10. Katie
Boys
1. James
2. Jack
3. Harry
4. Matthew
5. Conor
6. Daniel
7. David
8. Thomas
9. Adam
10. Patrick
The top names chart of the last year of this century (panel above right) brings some surprises. John and Robert, favourites since the 1900s, have disappeared. Isobel/Isabel and Aoife achieve top positions for the first time in an annual survey of The Irish Times birth announcements. Does the favour shown these two mark a move away from the dominance of Biblical names in recent decades? The prominence in the boys' list of Jack, Harry and Conor might support this contention. Lastly, let us salute a few of the more unusual names of 1999: Phileas, Odgen, Celt, Cosmo Secondo and Adam Cain for boys; and for girls, Ceireann, Lexi, Drew, Macha and the marvellous Namthip!
