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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
greenboots1987 · 16/03/2023 11:42

I'm in my early 20s and my peer group are:

Girls: Katie, Liv, Megan, Georgia, Ellie, Lucy, Lizzie, Emily, Millie, Lily, Izzy

Often these names would be short for e.g. Olivia, Ellen, Elizabeth, Isabel, etc. with their full name never actually used.

Boys: Dan, Harry, Tom, Ben, Sam, Toby, Chris, James, Joe, Charlie

I'm noticing the pattern of names ending in an -ee sound and one-syllable boys names.

HippyChickMama · 16/03/2023 11:38

Midlands, born late 70s

Girls:

Claire
Sarah
Rebecca
Emma
Lisa
Kelly

Boys:

James
David
Peter
Ian
Steven
Thomas

MandyMotherOfBrian · 16/03/2023 11:37

At primary early 70s, Essex:

Michelle
Lisa
Tracy
Sharon
Andrea
Brett
Jason
Gary
Paul
Darren

SmartHome · 16/03/2023 11:35

I was born early 70s and literally every girl apart from me was called Sarah 🤣

Odd Emma or Louise for a bit of variety.

Boys were all Andrew or David or, at Push, Simon.

I think we've got much more diverse with names which I think is great and much better for multicultural societies that we now live in. My kids don't bat an eyelid at so called unusual or different names. You could introduce yourself as Carrot or Parsley and they wouldn't find it remarkable.

LadyDanburysHat · 16/03/2023 11:35

Late 70s North of England

Girls: Claire, Emma, Catherine, Gemma, Jill

Boys: Michael, David, Steven, Paul, Andrew

Roundaboot · 16/03/2023 11:33

Late 70s in the SE.
Girls - Sarah, Claire, Lisa, Catherine/Katy or variations, Samantha, Nicola, Emma, Joanne.
Middle names almost exclusively Jane or Louise

Boys - 90 % of the boys I grew up with were either Mark, James or Chris. Daniel, Paul and Andrew also common.

RatherBeRiding · 16/03/2023 11:33

50s, northern England. Catherine, Alison, Anne-Marie, Gillian, Geraldine, Susan, Mary, Helen, Anne, Fiona, Linda, Karen

LilacLooRoll · 16/03/2023 11:33

Popular middle name for girls in the 70s - Louise or Jane.

FlounderingFruitcake · 16/03/2023 11:33

London burbs, late 80s.
Girls- Catherine/Katherine, Rachel, Sarah, Emma, Emily, Louise, Lucy
Boys- Matt, Chris, Nick, Alex, Tom, Mike

nex18 · 16/03/2023 11:32

CandyflossKid · 16/03/2023 11:23

Born in the Midlands in the 70's

Girls:
Joanne
Julie
Claire
Karen
Tracy
Sharon
Lisa

Boys:
Stephen
Gary
Darren
John
Mark
Paul
Tim

Also mid 70’s and midlands, so I’ll borrow this list and add
girls
Nicola, Nicky, Nikki
Sue, Susan, Suzanne
Mel, Melanie
boys
Matt, Matthew
Chris, Christopher
Dan, Daniel

CaveMum · 16/03/2023 11:32

Born South-West early 80s. Class mates (that I remember)

Girls
Amy
Louise
Sarah
Liz
Kerry/Kerri
Helen
Amanda
Kimberley
Naomi
Tracey
Michelle
Samantha
Dawn

Boys
Kevin (3 of them!)
Antony
Chris
Tom
James
Andrew
Craig
Darren
Mark

user1492757084 · 16/03/2023 11:32

Janet John
Sally Stephen
Robin Robert
Catherine Charley
Marie Michael
Caroline Christopher
Deborah David
Kim Peter
Frances Barry
Victoria Vincent
Belinda Alistair
Elizabeth Ewan
Margaret Gregory
Zara Roderick
Deirdre Darren
Pamela Paul
Suzie Bruce
Michelle Gavin
Jennifer Jamie
Sarah Ian
Anne Andrew
Renate Roden
Donna Philip

Original poster
Justinripley · 16/03/2023 11:31

Oh!

I forgot Ellie, so many Ellie's.

We had a fair few Zoe's too.
I knew a few Flora's and Clemmie's but none at my own school.

Popular middle names:

Anne
Marie
Mary
Elizabeth
Rose

OP posts:
LilacLooRoll · 16/03/2023 11:30

London, born late 70s.

Girls:

Julie
Michelle
Emma (there were loads at school)
Laura
Sarah
Chantelle (quite a few Chanel / Chantelle variations at school)
Tara (Tamara, Tamika, Tanika, Tanisha type names were also popular)
Kelly (Keely also popular)

Boys:
David
Danny
Paul (many!)
Peter
Mark (so many Marks!)
Jason
Wayne / Dwayne
Justin
Tyrone
Leon

emmathedilemma · 16/03/2023 11:29

Late 70's, north england
Emma
Claire
Sarah
Victoria
Caroline
Nicola
Gillian / Jill
Helen

Matthew
Richard
Simon
Paul
Robert
Philip

MeDearNoDear · 16/03/2023 11:27

South - late 60s

Alison, Amanda, Lesley, Ruth, Lucy, Carol, Jennifer, Melanie, Sara/Sarah, Tina, Gillian

Kevin, Graham, Andrew, Mark, Peter, Nick, John/Jonathan

StopStartStop · 16/03/2023 11:26

Late 1950s
Gillian, Julie, Janet, Susan, the odd Karen, Jean, Linda or Wendy ...

Dirtydiesel · 16/03/2023 11:26

The Midlands, early 70's - Michelle, Lisa, Kim, Amanda, Deborah, Nicola, Gary, Ian, Stephen, David, Michael, Mark.

Mummyof3Me2021 · 16/03/2023 11:25

Mid to late 80s...

Sarah
Leanne
Lindsay
Jennifer
Kirsty
Clare
Rebecca
Gillian

David
John
Mark
Andrew
Paul
James
Philip
Jonathan
Ryan

daisydot22 · 16/03/2023 11:25

Born in mid 80s. Girls were mainly:

Rachel
Sarah
Rebecca
Chloe
Laura
Claire

Boys were mainly:
Daniel
David
Matthew
Michael
Andrew

Hbh17 · 16/03/2023 11:24

Born mid 60s:

Debbie
Jackie
Catherine
Jane
Helen
Jenny
Heather
Beverly
Teresa
Gillian
Linda

Ian
David
Christopher
Alan
Philip
Simon
Stephen

Mrsjayy · 16/03/2023 11:24

Oh yes Ians and Nicola . We had a lot of same names in classes at school.

unclebuck · 16/03/2023 11:24

TeenTraumaTrials · 16/03/2023 11:22

Scotland, mid-70's

Girls were Wendy, Sarah, Marie, Clare, Susan, Judith, Nicola, Annette, Joanne, Gillian, Jane, Karen - i am not one of those but a similar type name that 3 other women of the same age I work with share!
Boys were Craig, Andrew, Paul, Russell, Keith, James, Iain, David

I am from Manchester - born mid 70s and this is my list too

CandyflossKid · 16/03/2023 11:23

Born in the Midlands in the 70's

Girls:
Joanne
Julie
Claire
Karen
Tracy
Sharon
Lisa

Boys:
Stephen
Gary
Darren
John
Mark
Paul
Tim

Mrsjayy · 16/03/2023 11:22

Scotland early 70s

Karen, Julie Dawn Elaine Jacqueline Sharon and Tracy's there was also scottish names you had Kirsty,Isla Heather.

The boys were Kevin Alan Andrews Stuart, Christopher's David and Scott, were the main names.

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