She is a character in the Australian soap Home and Away, while he originates from the Irish word for desire. Together they are Chloe and Conor and last year they were the most popular names given to babies in the State.
According to figures released yesterday by the Central Statistics Office in 1998, about 3.5 per cent (761) of boys were named Conor while 2.8 per cent (575) of girls were named Chloe. Other popular boy's names included Sean, Jack, James and Adams. Sarah, Aoife, Emma and Ciara were among the top five for girls.
The results are based on an analysis of first names recorded on birth returns for registrations and vital statistics.
53,500 births were registered in the State last year and about 80 per cent of included the baby's first name.
It is the first time such figures have been compiled by the CSO, although similar lists have been produced in Britain since the 1950s. Susan was the most popular name in England and Wales in 1954. Chloe was the 1998 favourite in Scotland. The Irish results differed slightly on a regional basis with Sean topping the list in Dublin and the west and Ciara proving most popular in the midlands.
The top 10 of both genders is filled with short, English-sounding names such as James, Adam, Daniel and Rebecca. Dylan is an unusually popular choice at number seven.
According to Prof John Brewer, head of the School of Sociology and Social Policy at Queen's University Belfast, the names which parents choose for their children reflect patterns of continuity and change.
"In Ireland the names fit with what we know about Irish society - the growing secularisation, growing urbanisation and increased confidence in identity." He pointed to the fall in Irish names and babies named after saints. Mary is 34th on the list, while Seamus in 95th.
"Because people have more confidence in their ethnic identity, there is not the same need to express it in an Irish name," said Prof Brewer.
The list suggests parents may have found inspiration for their offspring's names from television programmes and other sources of popular culture.