'Extinct' baby name feels 'more grandma' as it takes a nose-dive from charts

26 September 2023 , 12:34

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A number of baby names are making a comeback (Image: Getty Images)

During pregnancy one of the most exciting decisions parents will make is what their name will be. Some may choose to honour a family member by using their name, they might be inspired by trends or popular culture - or they might just like the sound of something.

Baby names are chosen for a variety of different reasons, and names go in and out of fashion. According to Sophie Kihm, a name expert at Nameberry, monikers tend to follow a "100-year rule" when it comes to popularity - and there's one name in particular which is at verge of becoming extinct because it's dropped from the top charts. The name Ellen, which was more commonly used for older generations, is "starting to feel more like a grandma name".

According to Sophie, names "tend to go out of fashion after they've been stylish for a while". She told Metro: "Often, it can be measured in generations. Names tied to parents' parents' generation (the grandparents of the baby) are usually considered to be among the least fashionable choices one could use for a baby, like Brenda and Gary today."

However, while these names might have lost popularity, Sophie claims they will make a comeback. She explained: "Once a name is on the decline, we expect it to follow the 100-year rule - names take about 100 years to come back into fashion. "That means names of the great-grandparent generation are starting to sound fresh again. Sorry to be morbid, but a big influence is that there just aren't that many people with these names around anymore. Names that were common for babies in the 1920s – think Olive, Felix, and Otis – feel youthful once again".

This means that names that were common for babies in the 1920s are now making a comeback. That being said, there are some exceptions to the rules, with some old school names remaining stable - such as boys monikers like James, Thomas, Henry, George, and William. While traditional boys' names are often royal and feel "evergreen", girls names were "historically more ornamental" and therefore "susceptible to trends," explained Sophie.

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Despite "grandparent" names feeling unfashionable, it turns out Gary is making a comeback, according to the UK Baby Names website. It's currently listed as a "trending name" for 2023, alongside the likes of James, David, Jack, and Sarah.

Ariane Sohrabi-Shiraz