Mia and George have claimed the top spot as the most popular baby names for newborns in Epping Forest.

Upbeat pop act George Ezra could have influenced what parents chose to name their offspring in 2018, the same year he released the chart-topping Shotgun, but it could have also been the adorable six-year-old Prince George of Cambridge.

Wherever families looked for inspiration, it was in fact Olivia and Oliver that captured the imaginations of parents nationwide.

Nick Stripe, head of life events at the ONS, said: “But there are the first signs that Oliver’s six-year reign as the number one name for boys is under threat.

“Arthur surged into the top ten boys’ names for the first time since the 1920s, and Ada jumped into the girls’ top 100 for the first time in a century too, both perhaps inspired by characters in the BBC TV drama Peaky Blinders.

“On the flipside, the growth in the use of technology assistants in our homes may help to explain why the number of baby girls named Alexa has more than halved compared with 2017. Communicating with young children can be hard enough at the best of times.”

Religious names held their reign with Muhammad being a dominant choice for boys born in Redbridge, Waltham Forest, and Watford.

Statistician Nick said the name first appeared in the top 100 names for boys back in the 1920s.

He added: “Although it’s been the exception to the rule, in the last few years even the number of Muhammads has begun to decrease. Perhaps indicating the beginnings of male naming diversification within Muslim communities too.”

Sophia and Grace bumped Poppy and Lily out of the top ten ranking for girls nationwide.