Search most popular baby names in England and Wales: Comparison tool shows trends

Some of the names now in the top 10 ranked as low as 753 in 1996

Some of the most popular baby names in England and Wales were among the rarest choices less than 20 years ago, new data has revealed.

Oliver and Amelia topped the list for 2014 for the second year in a row, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) announced today.

But other top 10 names, including Ava and Isla were almost unheard of in the UK until a sharp rise in recent years.

A comparison tool developed by Anna Powell-Smith allows users to see changing trends dating back to 1996.

Here is how to use it:

• Search for names in the box on the left hand side to view their changing popularity by year and percentage.

• To view individual figures, hover over different points on the graph.

• The graph updates automatically as you search, so you can try part of a name or the letters it starts with.

• For all names starting with a particular letter, write the letter followed by an asterisk e.g. h*. For names ending with a letter, add a dollar sign instead of an asterisk e.g. s$.

• The same technique can be used for several letters rather than just one.

The tool currently uses ONS data from 2013 but is due to be updated with the latest information over the coming 24 hours.