merrion street

Minister Flanagan has announced the Passport Service’s most popular names for infants in 2015. Emily and Daniel are the most popular names on passport applications for infants in Ireland.

Welcoming the new passport holders, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan TD, today said:

“Of the 133,323 passports issued to children under the age of three, 134 went to girls named Emily and 162 to boys named Daniel. I was particularly pleased to see that Charlie remains popular at number 11 even if it has dropped slightly.

“The full list of the most popular 200 names is available on my Department's website www.dfa.ie.

“The list of most popular names reflects the continued overall popularity of traditional Irish names, such as Aoife and Oisín, while also highlighting the vibrant multiculturalism of today’s Ireland, with Zuzanna and Kacper the highest new entries.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to remind Irish people to check the validity of their passports and those of their families, and to consider renewing now, ahead of the summer rush. Last year, almost 630,000 passports were issued, a quarter of which in May and June.”

Details on how to apply for a passport can be found on the Department’s website, www.dfa.ie, which also has a passport renewal reminder service, and details on how to apply for a passport at short notice.
ENDS
PRESS OFFICE
8 JANUARY 2016

NOTE TO EDITORS:

• Full passport statistics for 2015 can be found here https://www.dfa.ie/news-and-media/press-releases/press-release-archive/2016/january/passports-and-passport-cards-issued-in-2015/
• A guide to How to Apply for a Passport, which takes Irish citizens through each step of their passport application and answers the most frequently asked questions, is available at https://www.dfa.ie/passports-citizenship/how-to-apply-for-a-passport/
• On the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website, you can also access a Passport reminder service and a Passport Tracking service to allow customers to track the status of their application
• An appointment service is in operation at the Passport Office in Dawson Street, for those travelling at short notice (within 3-10 working days).
• Customers not travelling within 3-10 working days should use Passport Express. Priority at public counters is given to those travelling at short notice and the fastest turnaround time for such applications is three working days.
• Passport Express is an easy-to-use, courier type service operated by An Post exclusively for passports. It is available throughout the post office network and has been in use since 1995.