Cooper and Chloe are most popular

David and Monique Weekley named their baby boy Cooper – the most popular kids name in 2009.

Sarah Keayes

ALTHOUGH he had no say in it, one-week-old Ipswich baby Cooper Francis Weekley helped his christian name become the most popular for boys in Queensland last year.

New figures from the Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages shows Cooper knocked over old favourites Jack (second) and William (third) to top the 2009 list.

For the girls Chloe was the number one name last year, with Mia and Isabella slightly behind.

Kensington Grove parent Monique Weekley – mother to Cooper (pictured) – said she had no idea the name was so popular when she and partner David chose their newborn’s name.

“I’ve met a few Coopers around before, but I didn’t realise it would be the most popular boys name,” Mrs Weekley said.

“My husband and I were just going through the book of baby names when we saw it, and when we mentioned it with three other names while I was pregnant, he moved about and kicked to Cooper.

“He didn’t have the same reaction with the other names, so we thought it must be a sign. He was going to be Cooper from that moment on.”

She said the same kicking-in-the-womb name deciding process had happened when naming Cooper’s older siblings, Joshua, 5, and Harrison, 2.

“We didn’t name it after anyone or it doesn’t have a special meaning, it was a just something we thought sounded nice,” she said.

“Even though it’s the number one name we didn’t realise it was such a big trend at the time.”

It has been a steady climb up the popularity ranks for Cooper, with the name jumping up from seventh position in 2006 to second place in 2008.

Rounding out the top five for boys names was Lachlan and Riley, while slipping in at the end was the biblical Noah.

For the girls, Chloe and Mia kept their respective first and second spots from 2008, while scrapping in at tenth was Ruby, in its first top 10 ranking.

Boys: Cooper (480), Jack (462), William (455), Lachlan (406), Riley (354), Oliver (351), Joshua (317), Thomas (309), Ethan (299), Noah (297)

Girls: Chloe (346), Mia (340), Isabella (331), Emily (325), Charlotte (318), Ella (317), Sophie (310), Olivia (298), Lily (291), Ruby (276)