Data from the Office for National Statistics has revealed a number of biblical names have made it onto the 2014 list of the Top 100 most popular baby boys’ names in England and Wales
The highest-ranking biblical name on the list was Jacob, which came fourth with more than 5,000 parents choosing to give their baby the same name as the patriarch of the Israelites.
Close behind Jacob in the Top 10 was Thomas in sixth Place and James in ninth.
Remarkably, the name Noah, which in 2004 sat in 74th place now sits just outside the Top 10 in 11th place.
The highest climbers of the biblical names were Reuben and Elijah, which rose 67 and 115 places respectively over the last decade.
However, it appears that some biblical names have become less popular this year with Joshua, Joseph, Samuel, Daniel and Matthew all dropping down the list.
Other biblical names to appear on the list include Benjamin, Luke, David and Gabriel.
According to a baby names comparison tool, which was developed by Anna Powell-Smith, four babies in England and Wales were named Jesus in 2004.
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