Baby names tend to fall in and out of fashion, with vintage monikers making a comeback while popular TV shows and films provide inspiration. And while 2022 saw the return of some old-school classics rising in the charts as new parents picked them for their babies, other previous favourites fell out of favour.
We all remember Gary Lineker's outrage when it was revealed that his name was dying out back in 2019, but the last 12 months have seen the UK's top endangered baby names list grow even more.
Parenting website BabyCentre has shared it's updated list exclusively with the Mirror, and we're sorry to say it's bad news for Staceys, Kellys and Britneys. Perhaps less surprisingly, Karen and Donald are also facing the chop.
A number of girls’ names that were popular in the 70s and 80s, as well as those with an 'American vibe', had zero registrations this year, with no new Farrahs, Staceys, Kellys, Barbies, or Britneys. Baby boomer era names such as Sheila, Deirdre, and Shirley saw similarly low levels of interest.
Among boys, there were no new registrations of Cliff, Nigel, or Harold, while 'old-fashioned gentlemen names' such as Rhett, Brent, Quinton, and Giles also fell by the wayside.
However there is still hope for those with endangered names. Dwayne saw a nil count in 2021, but enjoyed four new registrations this year, while one parent registered Maude this year, after the vintage name had no registrations the year before.
Sarah Redshaw, Managing Editor for BabyCentre UK, told The Mirror: “These names might have fallen out of fashion, but they could make a great choice for your newborn. They’re familiar but it’s unlikely there will be another boy or girl with the same name in your child’s class. Parents looking for cool and unique choices might want to put Farrah and Rhett on their shortlists.”
The name Karen was once a very popular choice for baby girls born in the 1960s, however, it had just four registrations last year, with parents perhaps put off by the associations with memes about entitled 'Karens'.
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Meanwhile, the boys' name Donald saw just one registration in 2022 compared to six the year before, while the name Piers received zero registrations last year after BabyCentre declared its endangered status back in 2021.
Sarah continued: “After becoming the name of a million memes it looks like Karen is only just hanging on. We could very well see it drop off completely next year. And it’s no surprise that Donald is meeting the same kind of fate after the last US president’s controversial time in office.”
Endangered girls’ names
1. Barbie
2. Britney
3. Carrie
4. Deirdre
5. Farrah
6. Gail
7. Gayatri
8. Katrina
9. Kelly
10. Lindsey
11. Shania
12. Sheila
13. Shirley
14. Stacey
15. Tegan
Endangered boys’ names
1. Baxter
2. Bill
3. Brent
4. Clement
5. Cliff
6. Giles
7. Harold
8. Kamran
9. Maximillian
10. Nigel
11. Quinton
12. Rashid
13. Rhett
14. Saul
15. Wallace
Do you have an unusal name? Email us at julia.banim@reachplc.com
