Just like Crocs, Uggs and low-rise cargo pants, baby names have a habit of going in and out of fashion. But while some enjoy new-found popularity, others are at risk of suffering the same fate as ripped skinny jeans (RIP) and disappearing altogether.
Like fashion, trending baby names can also depend on the season. Insurance company Compare the Market (yes, the meerkat one) analysed data from the Office of National Statistics to predict the spring/summer-inspired names that are likely to be the most favoured in the UK, as well as those that nobody wants for their kids any more.
The name Varsha, meaning ‘rain’, has declined the most in popularity, dropping by 100 percent between 2011 and 2021 (in other words, no one called their baby that). The data also showed that fewer parents are naming their daughters Brooke, Tamar, Lucy or Chloe.
As for boys’ names, Arun, which means ‘dawn’, saw the biggest drop, with a 67 percent decrease in usage. Dayton, Dylan, Owen and Kai have all also suffered a decrease in popularity over the last decade.
If you take a look at the list of most popular names, though, you’ll find quite a few weird and wonderful names that are apparently on trend.
The celestial-inspired name Nova (meaning ‘new’) came out on top overall, with a 7,000 percent surge in popularity since 2011. On the list of boys’ names, August took the number-one spot. Aura and Primrose came in second and third place respectively for girls, while Hunter and Axel completed the male top three.
Some other honourable mentions that will almost certainly divide opinion include Juniper or Maple for girls and Ocean or Osiris for baby boys.
Here is the full list of girls’ names likely to be on trend for 2023, based on their percentage increase in popularity between 2011 and 2021:
- Nova (7,129 percent)
- Aura (1,525 percent)
- Primrose (916 percent)
- Parker (850 percent)
- Juniper (730 percent)
- Ivy (624 percent)
- Maple (500 percent)
- Posy (500 percent)
- Oceana (467 percent)
- Olive (397 percent)
And the list of boys’ names:
- August (1,383 percent)
- Hunter (1,236 percent)
- Axel (902 percent)
- Parker (675 percent)
- Ash (367 percent)
- Asher (243 percent)
- Sage (240 percent)
- Denver (229 percent)
- Ocean (207 percent)
- Osiris (200 percent)
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