Will future Jordans be just as good at saving or is it Oliver and Harry that are the heroes?

Following last night’s (10 July 2024) incredible performance by the England football team, Yorkshire Building Society data suggests that children who share the same name as England goal scorers, Oliver Watkins and Harry Kane, may also be brilliant at hitting their savings goals.

Yorkshire Building Society analysed the names of account holders of the mutual’s One Day children’s savings account[1] and found that Oliver and Harry were the top two most popular boys names.  Those named after England’s number one, Jordan Pickford, may not be quite as good as saving as their namesake, Jordan being ranked  302^nd in the list of names of top savers.

Children called Oliver have an average balance of £6,225, Harry (the second most popular name for male account holders) had an average balance of £6,556 and Jordan’s were pocketing an average £2,451 each.  

When it comes to the girls, Olivia and Isla were the most likely names of account holders, but Pickford’s counterpart Mary Earps finds her name down the table ranked 289^th - but with Mary's holding an impressive average balance of £8,693.51.

Pete Lewis, senior savings Manager at Yorkshire Building Society, said: “Professional footballers get paid a lot of money but like Jordan Pickford, getting into a good savings habit is vital.

“Starting at a young age and teaching children about the value of money and the benefits of saving can be as simple as them earning pennies through small household chores or saving their money to buy a new toy.

“It’s never too early to start those conversations and building savings from special occasions such as birthdays or Christmas where money is received, could build a healthy fund.

“We’d encourage anyone involved in a child’s life to support children to save from an early age – it’s a good lifetime habit and as the child grows, if done in the right way saving can be fun.”