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Luke, Elena remain most popular names given to newborns in Malta

Xinhua, June 12, 2015 Adjust font size:

Luke and Elena were Malta's most popular baby names in 2014, according to a report published on Friday by the archipelago's national statistics office.

A total of 4,277 live births were registered last year at the public registry in the island country, up by 4.9 percent from 2013. Luke (and its variants) was the most popular name given to baby boys last year, taking up to 4.3 percent.

The names Matthew and Jacob, including their variants, ranked as the second and third most popular names for the second consecutive year.

Elena (including Elenia, Helena and Ella) was the most popular name given to baby girls during 2014. The name Julia, including its variants, placed second.

The report also mentioned some interesting trends. The predominance of biblical names or saints was once again apparent in the names given by parents to newborns. Some parents were also influenced by TV drama, pop culture and sports when naming babies. Endit