Little Alfie and Ada: How Peaky Blinders is influencing parents’ baby name choices

Wondering about someone's taste in TV? Just ask what their kids are called.

We're living through a golden age of television and the impact of the shows we love on baby names is clear. From Arya (a character Game of Thrones), which was the fastest-rising girls' name in popularity in the US in 2012 to Piper, which re-entered the top 150 girls' names in the US after Orange is the New Black premiered, parents are looking to the series they love when deciding what to call their little ones. One show that's having an especially big impact is BBC drama Peaky Blinders. Centred around the exploits of a violent criminal gang after WW1, it's not the most obvious source of inspiration but as per the latest baby name data from the UK, it's proving very influential. Arthur hadn't featured in the list of top ten boys' names in Britain since 1924 but reappeared in the top ten in 2018, partly in thanks to character Arthur Shelby. Alfie, inspired by Tom Hardy's character Alfie Solomons, has also shot up in popularity, climbing to number 15 on the list. Even the show's actors are having an effect. Cillian, after Cillian Murphy who plays lead Tommy Shelby, has risen 295 places since the show started. Naming trends for girls aren't immune to the Peaky Blinders effect either. Both Ada and Polly have jumped in popularity among parents in the UK.