A bunch of baby names might disappear from the UK this year. There are loads of possible baby names to pick from when naming your new little one.
And, like with everything, many mums and dads are swayed by trends that are popular in a certain year which can make some names more liked than others. This year, it’s thought that atmospheric names will be popular among new parents.
But what about the names that are almost gone? As trends change, there’s a list of baby names left behind that were once really popular but now might completely disappear from the UK in 2024.
BabyCentre – who shared their 100 most liked baby names in the UK for 2023 at the end of last year – revealed several names that were once big hits have fallen off the radar completely, and are now seen as “endangered”.
The research was worked out by looking at the names which saw the “biggest drop” from 2022 to 2023, as experts think they will continue to fall this year as well.
Faye Mingo from BabyCentre shared to Mirror Online: “These names might have fallen out of popularity, but they could be the perfect choice for your new arrival if you want a unique baby name. Though these names are familiar, they’re likely to be the only child in their class with the name!”
Some names that were once cool because they reminded us of famous people aren’t picked as much now. For boys, Keanu, like the actor Keanu Reeves, isn’t as popular, and neither is Buddy, which makes people think of Buddy Holly.
Girls’ names are changing too. Flo, short for Florence, might make you think of actress Florence Pugh, but it’s not as liked anymore. Even though the full name Florence is more popular now, Flo isn’t getting the same love.
And even though Disney names like Bambi are trendy after Molly-Mae Hague named her daughter that, other Disney names are less popular. The name Bruno from the movie Encanto isn’t chosen by many parents, and it might also be because of singer Bruno Mars.
Parents seem to be steering clear of uniquely spelt baby names. Girls’ appellations such as Zahraa, Kiera, Alyssia and Elyse were all less favoured in 2023 compared to 2022 and are now at risk of disappearing entirely by 2024.
On this trend, Faye stated: “We’ve been keeping an eye on alternative spellings as they’ve been falling in and out of favour. We know there are always parents on the lookout for something unique so Zahraa, Kiera, Alyssia or Elyse could be the perfect choice for parents who want a name that stands out from the crowd.”
In 2023, none of these dropped-out names made it to the list of most popular monikers. Zara – a more common version of Zahraa – was of moderate popularity at 50th rank, while another version, Zahra, placed at 96th position. Familiar renditions of Alyssia and Elyse like Alicia and Elise didn’t appear on last year’s popular list either.
Names falling out of fashion:
Keanu
Buddy
Flo
Bruno
Zahraa
Kiera
Alyssia
Elyse
Zara
