日前，英国公布了2005年该国最流行的英文名。男性名字“杰克”（Jack）已经连续11年成为了最受欢迎的男性名字，而女性名字“杰茜卡”（Jessica）则成为本年度的名字新宠。

    据《每日电讯报》日前报道，英国国家统计局对英格兰地区新生儿姓名的最新统计结果显示，父母们在2005年最喜欢给自己的宝宝起名为“杰克”（Jack）或者“杰茜卡”（Jessica）。

    在英格兰地区“2005年最受欢迎的男孩名字”排行榜上，“杰克”（Jack）、“乔舒亚”（Joshua）、“托马斯”（Thomas）和“詹姆斯”（James）分别位列前4名，这一顺序在近4年里都未发生过变化。去年排在第5位的“丹尼尔”（Daniel）今年被“奥利弗”（Oliver）所代替。“利奥”（Leo）这个名字今年首次闯入前50名，比去年上升了20位排名第37。而以往较为热门的“亚历克斯”（Alex）却被挤到了50名之外。

    今年，“最受欢迎的女孩名字”排行榜上变化较大。位于榜首的是“杰茜卡”（Jessica）。2003年和2004年的冠军“艾米丽”（Emily）今年却降到亚军位置。排在第3和第4名的分别是“索菲”（Sophie）和“奥立维亚”（Olivia）。而从1997年至2002年一直稳居榜首的“克洛艾”（Chloe）今年落到了第5名。

    调查发现，好莱坞影星的名字对父母给孩子起名字产生了重要影响。如出演《加勒比海盗》的女星凯拉·奈特莉的名字“凯拉”（Keira）在今年首次进入了“最受欢迎的女孩名字”排行榜前50名，名列第38位。而女星斯嘉丽·约翰森的名字“斯嘉丽”也从去年的99位上升到了68位。同样，英国热门电视剧《东区居民》里的名字“阿尔菲”比去年上升了6位，名列第21位；“鲁比”（Ruby）由16位上升到15位；“黛咪”（Demi）的受欢迎程度也较去年上升了41％，升至80位。与此同时，体育明星的名字也越来越得到家长的喜爱。

    报道说，在英国威尔士地区，最受欢迎的男孩名和女孩名分别是“乔舒亚”（Joshua）和“梅甘”（Megan）；苏格兰人喜欢“路易斯”（Lewis）和“索菲”（Sophie）；而“杰克”（Jack）和“卡蒂”（Katie）在北爱尔兰地区位列榜首。

    Jack has been unrivalled for 11 years while Jessica is a new favourite.

    The most popular baby names in England and Wales this year were disclosed yesterday, showing that parents who have girls are more adventurous, or fickle, than those who have boys.

    The top four boys' names - Jack, Joshua, Thomas and James, in that order - has remained unchanged for four years. Oliver replaced Daniel at number five in the only change to the top five.

    In the same period, there have been three different girls' names - Jessica this year, Emily for the previous two and Chloe before that - in the race for top spot. Those in second, third and fourth place have changed constantly too; this year, Emily drops to second, followed by Sophie and Olivia.

    Chloe, the favourite girls' name from 1997 to 2003, is now at number five.

    Hollywood made its mark among the girls with Keira (as in Knightley) breaking into the top 50 at number 38 and Scarlett (as in Johansson). Sienna (as in Miller) rose 99 places to 68.

    EastEnders also seemed to provide inspiration for parents. Alfie climbed six places to 21, Ruby rose 16 places to 15, Demi increased 41 per cent in popularity to number 80, and Aleesha, Demi's new baby in the soap opera, saw a sharp rise, although it did not make the top 100.

    The England cricket team's successful Ashes series in the summer may have prompted parents to name their babies Freddie, the nickname of Andrew Flintoff. The name jumped 15 places to 81.

    Leo is the only new entry in the boys' top 50, up 20 places to number 37, while Alex drops out of the table.

    In Wales, the most popular boys' and girls' names are Joshua and Megan, with Dylan and Rhys making the boys' top 10, and Ffion at five in the girls'.

    Lewis and Sophie top the list in Scotland, as do Jack and Katie in Northern Ireland.