COULD Craven's parents have had patriotic thoughts in the last year of the century by naming their babies after Royals?

Out of the 230 births announced in the Herald in 1999 - 110 girls and 120 boys - James and Sophie were the most popular first names chosen.

Perhaps Prince Edward's marriage to our newest Royal, Sophie Rhys-Jones, earlier in the year swayed the choice for the girls.

James topped the bill in 1996 but slipped slightly out of fashion during 1997 and 1998 in favour of Jack and Thomas.

However, in 1999, it swept back into fashion, being the most chosen first and second name.

In 1998 just one baby girl was given Sophie as a first name with no-one at all choosing it as a subsequent name.

Last year, it topped the list, with five sets of parents selecting it as their first choice.

For the third year running births have been declining in the area with 310 announced in 1997 and 261 in 1998.

Just two sets of twins were announced in 1999 with no triplets. This compares to five sets of twins in 1998 and eight sets of twins and two sets of triplets in 1997.

Coming a close second in the popular names stakes for baby boys was Thomas, which was picked nine times.

After that Samuel was chosen six times, George, Jack and Oliver, five times and William, Daniel, Joseph, Matthew and Harry four times.

The baby girls' names were less clearly defined with the most popular Sophie or its variant (Sofi) only being chosen five times.

Equally popular was last year's favourite name, Lucy, being chosen four times alongside Emily, Megan, Jade or Jayde, Molly or Mollie, Holly or Hollie, Charlotte, Cathryn and Abigail or Abagael were each picked three times.

Favourite second name amongst the lads was again, James - no less than 20 times - followed closely by William, seven times and Michael five times.

Possible Royal patriotism had something to do with Elizabeth being the favourite second name for girls on 10 occasions.

The blockbuster film Titanic may have been a factor with the names Kate and Rose being chosen on six occasions as second names.

The most unusual of names chosen by parents for their new baby boys included Tyla, Jonath, Jo-Jo and Jackson.

Meanwhile the girls were not to be outdone with some equally unusual names being favoured including Tayah, Tazmin, Cherice, Caitlund and Tiree.

The Spice girls' babies obviously failed to impress Craven parents as not a single Brooklyn or Phoenix was announced.

However, the soaps could be responsible for two first names, namely Niamh, from Ballykissangel, and Tamsin, possible after Tamsin Outhwaite who plays the part of Melanie Beale in TV's Eastenders.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.