Matthew and Maria the most popular names in 2003
Overall in 2003, Matthew and Maria were the most popular names given to baby boys and girls in Malta, figures released by the National Statistics Office showed yesterday. Both names sustained pole position up to June 2004. With regard to Gozo, in 2003, Nathan was the most popular name given to boys born on this Island.
In 2003, 4,036 babies were born of whom 92.0 per cent were born in a state hospital. Of these, 2,023 were boys, while 2,013 were girls. Between January and June 2004, 1,775 births were registered. Of these, 919 were male births. The parents of nearly nine per cent of the babies born in Gozo reside in Malta.
The name Nicole, which had topped the popularity rankings for girls' names since 2001, was replaced by Maria/Mariah in 2003 and also in the first six months of 2004. Last year, six per cent of the baby girls born were given these names, while five per cent of newborn boys were named Matthew or its variants. (The Malta Independent)
|
