Perhaps mothers have been to hell and back during their pregnancies.
Or maybe when their sons do arrive, they just look devilishly handsome.
Whatever the reason, more parents are now calling their new-borns Lucifer than traditional names such as Nigel.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has released the latest data on the most – and least – popular baby names across England and Wales in 2020.
Oliver remained the most popular name for boys for the eighth successive year, while Olivia has topped the list of girls' names for the fifth consecutive year.
However, the data shows that Muhammad (fifth) is actually the most popular choice for boys, but it came in at fifth due to its various spellings.
Alternatives Mohammed, 32nd, and Mohammad, 75th, also appeared inside the top 100.
Three mothers opted for Jesus as the name for their new-born boy, while five infants were named LeBron last year as younger parents steered away from more traditional names.
Oliver remained the most popular name for boys for the eighth successive year due to various spellings of Muhammad, while Olivia has topped the list of girls' names for the fifth consecutive year
George – the name of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s first-born – is the second most popular for boys.
And Archie – the name of Prince Harry and Meghan’s son – rose from 19th to ninth in England and Wales last year.
There are also increasing numbers of Arthurs and Noahs, with both shooting up more than 200 places over the last 20 years, according to the ONS.
In the girls’ chart the five favourites remain Olivia, Amelia, Isla, Ava and Mia.
Surprisingly some very common names are in danger of extinction. Three births are required to get on the list and neither ‘Nigel’ or ‘Carol’ made it last year. Other names going out of fashion are Neville (3), Ron (3) and Piers (4). For girls Maureen also didn’t register.
Meanwhile, there were a total of 15 babies named Lucifer. This is thought to be because of the popularity of the TV series Lucifer, based on a comic book character. ‘Nigel’ has been in decline for some time.
In 2019, pub landlord Nigel Smith even organised a gathering of as many of his namesakes as possible, to celebrate the name despite the dwindling popularity.
Sian Bradford, of the ONS, said: ‘Popular culture continues to provide inspiration for baby names, whether it’s characters in our favourite show or trending celebrities.
‘Maeve and Otis, characters from the popular programme Sex Education, have seen a surge in popularity in 2020, while the name Margot has been rapidly climbing since actress Margot Robbie appeared in the popular film The Wolf Of Wall Street.’
Death of Nigel and Carol: Traditional names like Gordon, Stuart, Sally, Sue and even Jonathan fall out of fashion in 2020... but popular Eastern Europe names beginning with K are on the rise
Traditional names such as Nigel and Carol are dying out in England and Wales amid a rise in popular Eastern European names beginning with K, official data has shown.
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