Quirky World... Game of Thrones inspires baby names

ENGLAND AND WALES: Bran, Sandor and Khaleesi may not be commonly heard in the classroom yet, but they are all names of characters from hit TV series Game Of Thrones given to babies last year.

Figures released show that while Oliver and Amelia were the most common names given to babies born in England and Wales in 2013, parents are increasingly taking inspiration from fantasy films such as Twilight and Thor.

According to the UK Office for National Statistics, there were 187 baby girls named Arya last year — the same number as called Josephine, while there were 50 Khaleesis — the same that were named Peggy. There were also seven boys called Bran — equal to the numbers of Brads, while there were three Sandors — the same amount of boys given the name Malcolm last year.