‘Surge’ in number of newborns with names of Sex Education characters Otis and Maeve

There has been a “surge” in the number of babies being given the same names as two characters from the hit Netflix series Sex Education, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The names Maeve and Otis, which are shared by Otis Milburn and Maeve Wiley from the comedy-drama, have both climbed the rankings of the most popular names given to children born in 2020.

Otis was among the “largest movers” in the top 100 boys’ names list, rising 28 places to 96th, the ONS said.

Maeve has risen 124 places since 2019 to reach 94th in the rankings.

Sex Education tells the story of Otis, played by Asa Butterfield, and his sex therapist mother Jean (Gillian Anderson), as he navigates his way through secondary school.

His close friend Maeve is played by actress Emma Mackey.

Series three of the programme, which began in 2019, was released in the UK in September.

Sian Bradford, vital statistics outputs branch at 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.”

She added the name Margot has been “rapidly climbing” the rankings since the Australian actress Margot Robbie starred in the 2013 film The Wolf Of Wall Street.

The name Olivia, shared by actress Olivia Colman has remained as the most popular girls’ name for five years in a row.