Emily and Jack are most popular passport names in Ireland

For yet another year Emily and Jack are the most popular boys’ and girls’ names, according to passport applications made during 2014, the passport service has confirmed.

Of the 53,046 passports issued to children under the age of three last year, 574 went to Jacks and 456 to Emilys.

For girls, the name Sophie moved up the chart from third in 2013 to second position in 2014, while James remained the runner-up for boys.

In fact for boys, all of the top seven names remained unchanged. Third to seventh were Daniel, Conor, Adam, Ryan and Harry.

For girls, Emma moved down one to third, Grace and Ella both moved up one to four and fifth respectively, while Aoife saw a big drop from third to sixth compared to 2013.

The full list of the 200 most popular names is available on the website of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Welcoming the new passport holders, Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan said: “Amelia and Lily entered the top 10 names for girls, and while I was disappointed to see Charlie drop two places, I am pleased that it remains in the top 10 for boys.

“The names reflect the continued popularity of traditional Irish names, such as Aoife and Oisín, and the vibrant multiculturalism in today’s Ireland, with Zuzanna and Kacper the highest new entries.”

He also took the opportunity to remind people to check the validity of their passports and those of their families, and to perhaps renew now, ahead of the summer rush.

“Last year, almost 630,000 passports we issued, a quarter of which were issued in May and June,” he said

Details on how to apply for a passport can be found on the department’s website, www.dfa.ie, which also has a passport renewal reminder service, and details on how to apply for a passport at short notice.