Baby name loved in the 1920s 'feels youthful again' as it rises in popularity

02 October 2023 , 08:21

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No one's calling their babies Gary or Brenda at the moment (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Trends come in cycles. Whether it's fashion or beauty, what was once popular will come back in style again - and it's no different with baby names. According to name expert Sophie Kihm at Nameberry, monikers follow a 100 year rule, meaning names you think are uncool now will likely get popular in the next century.

"Names tend to go out of fashion after they’ve been stylish for a while," says Sophie. "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."

Believe it or not, there will be a day when names like Brenda and Gary come back in fashion. "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."

Following that theory, names that were common for babies in the 1920s, like Olive, Felix and Otis - feel youthful and interesting again. Sophie says this is because name trends only begin to feel fresh for the taking when the generation that previously hard them are no longer here.

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However, there are some exceptions - the classics have always remained relatively evergreen. "Names like James, Thomas, Henry, George, William, and Alexander have never left the top 30 in the England and Wales," the pro notes. Traditional - often royal - names tend to hold a stable position because of tradition - particularly boy's names. "Girl names were historically more ornamental, and thus more susceptible to trends", adds Sophie.

If you've noticed an influx of children with vintage names like Otis - or perhaps Florence, Theodore and Iris, now you know why. These names feel unique because the generation that once had them have passed on now. Every new generation of parents tries to buck the trend of the names their parents and grandparents liked.

These days parents want names that feel fresh and modern, meaning names like Stephanie, Kieran, Ellen and Tony - names that mums, dads and grandparents typically have - are falling out of fashion. But this means that they will come back in 100 years time.

What do you think of this naming trend? Let us know in the comments.

Bryony Gooch