The top boys names and what they really mean.

The official list of top ten baby names for 2015 has been released and Oliver retains it’s position as most popular boys name following from 2014.

With one in ten new parents electing to name their child a moniker from the most popular list it’s interesting to note some of the name meanings behind the top boy names.

Oliver

There are no real prizes for guessing that the name Oliver dates back to old English and literally means ‘The Olive Tree’. In a biblical sense the name is said to indicate fullness, beauty and dignity.

Famous Olivers include actor Oliver Hudson, screenwriter and director Oliver Stone and scientist Oliver Sacks.

William

The name William has origins in both German, French and English history and means ‘determined protector’. After the Norman conquest in AD 1066 it was common for parents to give their sons a name which used the name William in some form.

Of course, Prince Charles and Princess Diana named their first son William and since 2011, the year Wills and Kate got married, William has been a consistently popular name.

Jack

The name Jack was originally a nickname for someone called John or James and it later became a name in it's own right. It has long been used as a way to refer to any man, especially from the working classes, as in the expression, 'a jack of all trades'.

Celebrities sharing the name include Jack Nicholson, Jack Black and Jack Johnson.

Noah

A Hebrew name meaning 'rest' and 'comfort'. In the famous biblical story, God chooses Noah to build the ark, fill it with food and two of every animal, and survive the great flood

Billy Ray Cyrus chose to use the name (which is typically a boy's name) for his daughter.

Thomas

The name Thomas literally means 'twin' and comes from the Greek form of the Aramaic name Ta'oma'.

James

A classic boys' name (which also happens to be the name of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynold's daughter) derived from the Hebrew name Jacob. It means 'supplanter', one who follows.

Jackson/Jaxon

Originally the name Jackson was a surname which meant 'son of Jack'.

Ethan

The name Ethan comes from Hebrew and means 'strong', 'safe' and 'firm'.

Lucas

A form of Luke or Lucius, meaning 'light-giving' or 'illumination'. Luke is the author of the third gospel of the New Testament.

There are other versions of the name which are growing in popularity with new parents like Luca, and Lukas.

Lachlan

The name Lachlan has Scottish origin and means 'warlike'.

With famous people like Lachlan Murdoch and Governed Lachlan Macquarie of NSW there's no doubt that it's a strong name for any little boy.