The next baby name wave?

You'd have to hate your baby to call it Mildred - Mildew.

Some names are just plain hideous and should never see the light of day again. whatever the trend. Mildred being one.

Choosing and MUM I'm a nerd too. When naming my DSs (many years ago now) I brooked no nonsense from DH - I had very clear ideas.

I can't bear frilly or "of the moment" names. For girls I imagine a 50 year old Doctor and whilst Katy is very sweet Catherine gives the adult more options.

I think boys should be timeless and solid like Joseph or Matthew.

If you look at my list though - have I inadvertently gone on trend? I suspect I have.

I know a 13 yr old Tracy. I can see Sharon coming back as it's actually a nice sound. So much depends on the accent, I think. The way Ray Liotta said Karen in Goodfellas always made it sound much nicer than in does with a Cockney or Burnley accent.

I'm fascinated by names and think that thighofrelief's suggestions are great.
I don't like most of the names on Baby names - the girls' names seem to be frilly and impractical or twee and samey, and the boy's names tend to be ones that will date.
I think it's great-grandparents' names rather than grandparents' names is probably the cycle. Some names are Elsie, Nancy, Albert, Eric, Frank, Vera.

Statistically challenged - haha you're not a sad case. I'm such a name nerd too and when I showed my DH your analysis he said 'there's someone out there as geeky with names as you!!'
I find them fascinating. I am interested in why some names peak and trough and others remain classics. Like Florence for example, it was number 2 in 1904 beaten only by Mary but then it falls into complete obscurity after presumably becoming overused which will now happen again.
And Doris, I really can't imagine that coming back but it was so popular for a while! And that was before Doris Day became famous. I just can't imagine a baby Doris yet.

If I was naming a boy and a girl now (assuming no family honouring of relatives) I'd go with:

David or Peter or Max

Catherine or Caroline or Jane

Have I gone bang on trend without realising it?

I just can't see some names ever making a comeback:

Dawn
Tracey
Sharon
Brenda
Barbara
Colin
Derek
Darren
Warren
Gary

But I'd certainly have said the same of Edith!

I think maybe our names, (assuming most of us on this thread are of the same generation), as our DCs will name their kids after us (the grandparents)!

So...
Sarah
Claire
Emma
Jane
Maria
Joanne
Nicola
Catherine/Kate
Jennifer
Rosemary
Tracey

David
Mark
Jonathan
Andrew
Peter
Michael
Joseph
Colin
Paul
Francis
Derek
Wayne

What ever Meghans baby is called

Also the Eugènie baby name

When queenie dies Elizabeth will go up plus all the diminutives eg Betty Lizzie Betsy Beth Eliza lizbet Liz Ella

40s 50s names like Esther Victoria Sylvia Carol suzie patsy Maggie

Boys
Biblical names Paul Peter Luke Matthew john Samson Timothy

Robert/ Bobbie
Jimmy
Alan
Lawrence
Stephen
Graham
Douglas
Richard
Alexander
William
Vincent
Stuart

Names that were popular in the 50-60s will become popular again within the next 20 years. People still like to honour relatives and people born then will be grandparents/great grandparents.

We have a newborn and were considering Vanessa but ultimately decided against it as it didn't 'go' with dd1s name (I know this isn't important but it just jarred a bit for me). I also love Caroline but we couldn't use it (undesirable relatives name).

I've come across a couple of Daphnes (both French) and Susies over the past few years.

There is a Joan in one of the baby groups we go to.

Also I think these types of names will rise for girls...

Vera
Jean
Alma
Irene
Peggy
Sylvia
Frida
Nora
Hazel
Audrey
Dorothy
Mary
Esther
Winnie
Maggie
Gloria
Joy as a middle name

Biblical names are quite popular for boys at the moment so I can see names like Josiah, Isaiah, Micah, Solomon, Asa, Gabriel, Jonah, Moses, Saul and Silas becoming the next Noah, Jacob and Reuben.

Or some quite masculine names for girls:

Maxine
Stephanie
Michaela
Caroline

I definitely think we're about to get a bunch of very plain, serious names:

Jane
Mary
Susan
Caroline

Thanks Choosinganame. I'm a bit of a sadcase!

We used Susan as a middle name (after a relative), which first hit the top 100 in 1940s or thereabouts and we couldn't quite decide if it was dated or fresh! TBH we didn't care as it is a second middle name. But it had a long run in the top 100, from the 40s to the 80s, so it's hard to place. Totally agree with you though, there's a risk of being so far ahead you're behind if you try to guess ahead too far!

Statistically challenged - that is an amazing piece of name analysis!
I totally agree we are not ready for the 50's and 60's yet.
I think it's important to be careful when naming children 'ahead of the curve' that you don't go so far ahead of the curve that you give them an old fashioned 'mum' or 'grandma' name.
For example being called Edith although nice now, would have felt old fashioned when I was a child.
Being called Paula or Linda as a child now is too soon IMO

Some of the names mention are already popular- I know a few baby Michaels, though they are often shortened to Mikey

My 1 year old has been named 4 times on this thread! We are ahead of the game

I think Samantha and Frank now sound quite fresh and modern. I wouldn't have considered either for a baby even a couple of years ago.

Irene
Susan
Margaret/Maggie/Peggy
Mary

David
Christopher
Andrew
Philip
Richard

Then later later Deborah, Rachel, Jennifer, Kimberly,

I thought you meant Wave as a baby name which I think is quite nice

Susan, Helen, Glenda, Angela, Kenneth, Martin, Craig and Alan.

BigGlasses, some of those names appear on Baby Names regularly.

I think statisticallychallenged is right, it is normal 90-100 years before names peak again, so things like June, Joan, Ruth, Alice, Rosemary, Mary, Silvia are all probably going to rise. I think there will be less ‘ee’ and ‘ah’ ending names as well and more consonant ending names

After the recent fashion for cutesy name, I think more solid names will rise in popularity.