The Rate Of Babies Named Lionel Since The World Cup Final Increases By 700%
More babies than ever before are being named after Lionel Messi, after the football superstar led Argentina to World Cup glory.
According to Argentine outlet La Capital, one in every seven babies in the Santa Fe province registered in December were named either Lionel or Lionela.
That's an increase of 700% compared to the previous monthly data available for baby names in the province that encompasses Rosaria, the city of his birth.
Many have predicted that there could be somewhat of a baby boom in around nine months time, following the penalty victory over France.
Messi was born the year after Argentina last won the World Cup, when Diego Maradona was hugely influential in the victory in Mexico.
Whether the next Messi will be born in the aftermath of the former Barcelona star's victory is yet to be seen but based on those numbers they might also be called Lionel.
The baby naming phenomenon was also repeated following the victory in 1986, with fans then named their children Diego.
According to stats, originally researched in 2014, babies in Argentina had around a 1% chance of being named Diego in the 18 months before that victory.
During the week of the final those numbers rose to around 5.5% and didn't go back to the normal levels until around six months after the final.
Source: Sport Bible