Pika-who? PokÃ©mon-inspired baby names predicted to surge

Could Pikachu and friends inspire a new wave of baby names?

Squirtle, Pikachu and Meowth could be found in our classrooms in as little as five years, after experts predict a surge in the number of babies - named after PokÃ©mon.

Pokemon Go has taken the world by storm and set to inspire the next generation of baby names following its success, a baby organisation has revealed.

Staff at Baby Centre, an organisation which offers advice to parents, believe there will be an influx in the number of Pokémon inspired monikers in the months to come, such as Otto, Hettie, Delphine or Flynn.

Global editor in chief of Baby Center, Linda Murray said: “Parents are always looking to pop culture for baby name inspiration and, right now, it doesn’t get hotter than Pokémon Go.

“It’s possible that parents’ enthusiasm for the game will reignite their love for the brand and spark a full-fledged naming trend.”

The company are well-known to track trends in baby names, with pop culture phenomena such as Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey often affecting what names are popular with the public.