While more old fashioned names such as Nuala and Paddy were popular, Lucy and Thomas were the most popular names posted in the Irish Times birth announcements in 2013.

As the newspaper put it, many of the names on the list would not have been out of place in Ireland 50 years ago. Nora, Nuala, Margaret, Mary, Paddy, John and Sean were all popular in 2013, but there were also some flamboyant choices among the Irish.

Some of the more unusual names for girls included Persephone, Cuisle and Eulalia while the Tuan, Eden and Jarun were among some of the popular boys names.

The Irish Times top names were compiled from the Saturday column which featured 400 babies in 2013. Ireland’s Central Statistics Office is yet to release their list for 2013. In 2012 their top listed names were Jack and Emily.

Here’s the Irish Times' top ten lists -

Boys

1. Thomas
2. Conor, Matthew
3. Harry, Max, William
4. Charlie, Hugo, Oisin, Oscar
5. Hugh, James

Girls

1. Lucy
2. Sophia
3. Charlotte, Ella, Emma, Eva
4. Ava, Chloe, Emily, Hannah, Juliet, Lara, Rachel

Just last month the American site NameBerry published their list of the most popular names for 2013. Their list saw Irish names like Declan and Finn soaring up the ranks. However, on the girls list there was no sign of the an Irish influence with names like Imogen, Isla and Amelia reigning.

In September 2013 the US Social Security Administration's list of top names given to newborn babies in each state was released. They found similar results. While Michael, Liam and Aiden made it to the top of the boys lists no Irish girls' names were popular.

Perhaps 2014 will see more Irish traditional names such as Nora and Sean on both sides of the Atlantic.