Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

What were your peers called?

234 replies

Justinripley · 16/03/2023 11:05

Following on from another thread where a poster is the same age as myself but didn’t know anyone called Phoebe (yet I know of loads my age)

I thought it would be interesting to see what the most popular names in your year groups/friends were, depending on peoples locations.

So for example: I was born in the mid 90’s, South London and I grew up with loads of:

Sophia
Grace
Phoebe
Molly
Lily

Jack
Tom
Joe
Sam
Max

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
SouthernComforter · 16/03/2023 17:56

Born in 79, moved from the Midlands to the South in the late 80s. My best friend in both places was called Amanda. So for girls - Amanda, Rebecca, Emma, Louise/a, Joanne/a, Sarah. At university there were three Lucys on my course. Now (although not then) I seem to know a lot of Cats or Catherines.

Boys - Peter, Tom, Dan, Robert, Kevin, Damien, James/Jamie, Nick. Still all fairly common now I think?

Hernameisdeborah · 16/03/2023 17:52

Born in London, late 70s.

Girls: Sarah, Kelly, Claire, Emma, Nicola, Tracey, Rebecca, Donna, Vicky, Joanne

Boys: David, Chris, Andrew, Steven, James, Richard, Paul, Simon, Justin, Darren

spelunky · 16/03/2023 17:50

I grew up in the 90's/00's.

Louise, Samantha, Rebecca, Nicole/Nicola, Michelle, Kirsty, Sophie, Laura/Lauren were all common for girls.

Simon, Michael, Matthew, Chris, Luke, Daniel, Tom, James, Jonathan, Phil, Nick, Mark for boys.

SiobhanSharpe · 16/03/2023 17:49

Born 1950s, expat in mainly community of mainly Brits, some Americans.
Girls - Susan (so many Susans)
Linda - ditto
Lynne/Lynn
Christine
Carol/Caroline
Sheila
Anne
Judith/Judy
Jane
Catherine/Cathy
Barbara

boys
David
Christopher
Michael
Paul
Jonathon
Richard
Charles
Simon
Anthony
James

The yanks were
Johnny (loads of Johnnys)
Greg
Steve
girls-
Jackie
Janet/Janette
Jo-Ann

Strawberrycream1 · 16/03/2023 17:46

South East mid 70’s
Clare
Tina
Karen
Joanne
Catherine
Louise
Sophie
Gemma

Andrew
Paul
Steven
Darren
John
Daniel
Lee
Scott

GGee123 · 16/03/2023 17:44

Mid 70s baby here, & my friends were -

Louise
Lisa
Nicola
Sharon
Grace
Claire
Donna
Jo

Boys were -
Richard
Ian
Paul
Robert
Steven
James
Andrew

Currently nearly all of my friends & colleagues are called Claire or Helen, all born in the 80s.

DelphiniumBlue · 16/03/2023 17:44

Boys were called: Gary,Paul, Michael (Mike or Mick) Mark/Marc/Marcus, David, Tony, Nick, John, Phil, Steve, Chris
Girls were Susan, Sarah, Debbie, Alison, Karen, Tina /Christine , Donna, Jackie.
Lots of others, but those were the ones that came up frequently.
London, 60s.

coffeecookie · 16/03/2023 17:36

Midlands mid-70s:

Sarah
Rachel
Louise
Lynda
Emma
Jane
Kate/Catherine etc
Julie

Darren
Lee
Jason
John
Shaun
Mike
Matthew
Neil

MeridaBrave · 16/03/2023 17:32

Born in 1970s in Scotland

Names like:

Nicola
Jennifer
Heather
Shona
Joanne

Andrew
James
Stuart
Michael
Duncan

RuthW · 16/03/2023 17:24

Born 1968

Paula
Sharon
Tracey
Susan
Alison
Lisa

Steven
Mark
David
Andrew
Neil
Simon
Robert

sendbackaletterfromamerica · 16/03/2023 17:08

Mid 1970s, north
Louise, Nicola, Joanne, Susan, Vicky, Lisa, Karen, Mary, Claire, Kirsty, Jane, Anne
Ryan, Ian, Alistair, Jim, Alan, Andy, Chris, Gary, Barry, Robert

waterlego · 16/03/2023 16:57

Duh. I wrote my location and said ‘if that’s relevant’ and have now noticed that you specifically mentioned location in your OP, and that most posters have mentioned location. I’m blaming brain fog. 😶‍🌫️

waterlego · 16/03/2023 16:55

Everyone had Louise as a middle name, unless their first name was already Louise and/or they had Jane instead.

Yes, definitely this. I didn’t know many with Louise as a first name but it was everyone’s middle name (except the boys’ probably). It also wasn’t my middle name because I wasn’t given one.

waterlego · 16/03/2023 16:53

I was born in the late 70s, SE England if that’s relevant.

In my peer group, the most popular girls’ names were Rachel, Rebecca, Nicola, Vicky, Claire, Sarah, Emma, Andrea, Samantha

The boys were mostly called Chris, David, Dan or Ben

SquigglePigs · 16/03/2023 16:44

Early 80's

Claire/Clare
Laura
Gemma
Louise
Sarah
Emily
Emma
Aimee/Amy
Katie
Michelle
Rachel
Rebecca

Mark
Carl
James
Daniel
Paul
John/Jonathan
David/Dave
Luke
Lee
Phillip
William
Matthew
Gareth

lanadelgrey · 16/03/2023 16:04

Born late 60s in south-east
Multiple Emma’s and Emily’s
Lisa, Rachel’s and Sarah’s,
Boys Michael, Graham/Graeme, Robert, John and Jonathan, David

GBoucher · 16/03/2023 16:01

Lots of Philippas too.

GBoucher · 16/03/2023 15:59

South, mid-'70s

Catherine
Rachel
Zoe
Jessica
Gabriela/Gabrielle
Tamara
Elizabeth
Anna
Deborah
Helen
Victoria

Richard
James
Christopher
Piers
Jeremy
Stephen
Mark/Marc

midsomermurderess · 16/03/2023 15:57

Fiona was quite common and quite a few Janes.

Bobshhh · 16/03/2023 15:56

Late 80s

girls - Sarah, Jessica, Rebecca, Emma, Laura

boys - Simon, Tom, Alex, Ben

Findyourneutralspace · 16/03/2023 15:55

Mid 70s, northern England:

Sarah, Emma, Rachel, Laura, Helen, Nicola, Michelle

Mark, David, John, Andrew, Simon, Paul, Michael

NormanSicily · 16/03/2023 15:53

Darn Sarf, b mid 70s
Melissa
Sara/Sarah
Emma
Polly
Joanne
Sharon
Kate
Sophie
Amy
Jane
Kirsty

Darren
Oliver
Jonathan
Nicholas
Christopher
Andrew
Steven
Paul
Daniel
Martin
Sam
Simon
Daryl
Robert

goodnightmrtom · 16/03/2023 15:51

Ryan

goodnightmrtom · 16/03/2023 15:51

Michael, Adam.
Isabelle (Izzy).
Mica. Liam. Ethan. Nathan.

goodnightmrtom · 16/03/2023 15:50

Lots of biblical boy names. No Rivers back then.

Swipe left for the next trending thread