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Baby names

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

Original poster

Names like Mark, Richard, Peter, John etc

33 replies

CleopatraTheGreekPsycho · 18/02/2024 17:21

With regards to names like Mark, John, Philip, Paul, Grant, Richard. Even names like Gary or Nigel.

Could it be that they are on the brink of making a trendy comeback or do they seem rather old-fashioned and out of vogue to you?

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justasking111 · 23/02/2024 13:13

Michael is a lovely name

WolfMother326 · 23/02/2024 10:06

I like Andrew (and expecting a boy), but could never do it due to Prince Andrew. Leaning towards Michael, DH's quite elderly father. So this all tracks!

Hateyo · 19/02/2024 16:06

I always thought Paul, John and Mark as biblical names. I’m looking forward to Andrew coming back, so many nicknames and is becoming a Great Grandfather name.

weegiemum · 19/02/2024 10:27

Someone mentioned my dd2 name (Rachel) as due a comeback. She's named after her great-grandmother (born 1912) so not sure how often it's been a "comeback" name! If she (or dd1) had been a boy they would have been Matthew. We had a ds in between and he has a more alternative/Irish name.

fgscat · 19/02/2024 10:25

There was a big goofy dog called Nigel acting up in the park yesterday and the owner shouting "Nigel! NIGEL!!" makes me think it won't be back as a baby name for a while.

Mark, Richard, John, Steve etc will be back once these are beloved great grandfather names I think

SaffyWall · 19/02/2024 10:19

I have a child in Yr6 and in their year group there is Richard, Nicholas, Peter, James, Andrew, David and Matthew. I can't reallly think of any girls with equivalently traditional names though??

justasking111 · 19/02/2024 10:11

BoleynMemories13 · 19/02/2024 10:05

James is still firmly in the top 50, that's why (more like top 30 actually). There's a boy called James in most year groups at our 3 form entry primary.

Jamie as a given name has fallen right out of favour, that was more a 90s trend, but it's still out there as a affectionate nickname for James.

James is completely timeless. I can't imagine it ever being out of fashion. Similar to Thomas and William.

Show quote history

Ah it's funny that royal names never really disappeared like saints names.

Rupert I haven't seen for decades

BoleynMemories13 · 19/02/2024 10:05

justasking111 · 19/02/2024 00:08

Nobody has mentioned James, Jamie. That was popular at one time

James is still firmly in the top 50, that's why (more like top 30 actually). There's a boy called James in most year groups at our 3 form entry primary.

Jamie as a given name has fallen right out of favour, that was more a 90s trend, but it's still out there as a affectionate nickname for James.

James is completely timeless. I can't imagine it ever being out of fashion. Similar to Thomas and William.

Nicebloomers · 19/02/2024 08:36

Goddessonahighway · 18/02/2024 22:14

What about Cliff, Clive or Kevin? It's hard to imagine any babies being called any of those names.

Cliff could slot into the trend for ‘rugged nature’ baby boy names along with Forest, River, Bear etc.

justasking111 · 19/02/2024 00:08

Nobody has mentioned James, Jamie. That was popular at one time

Original poster
CleopatraTheGreekPsycho · 19/02/2024 00:02

I have heard that Kevin is also used by the poorer population in France as well. I think it may seen as an exotic aspirational British name, similar to how we might view the name Margot.

OP posts:
SerenityNowInsanityLater · 18/02/2024 22:54

Marcus and Michael are such good names.
I know a 13 year old Richard and another 13 year old Peter. They’re out there, those names. DS22 hails from the Thomas/Jack/Archie/Charlie era. I don’t hear those names at all in DS9’s primary school.

Ikeameatballs · 18/02/2024 22:49

I love and think will be due a revival:

Simon
Stephen
Peter
Michael

Never liked:
Paul
Gary
Mark
Andrew

For girls:
Nicola
Caroline
Stephanie
Joanna
Amanda
Kirsty

Never liked:
Tracey
Karen
Michelle
Jennifer

allfurcoatnoknickers · 18/02/2024 22:48

DD is 9 months and two of the other babies in her room at nursery are called Allan and Graham.

Goddessonahighway · 18/02/2024 22:45

@Pickles91 maybe it's the start of a trend for Kevin to pick up in UK. Could imagine Kevin's in their 20s or 30s with the popularity of Kevin Costner perhaps.

RaininSummer · 18/02/2024 22:44

I am surprised these names are coming back so soon as they are the names of all the kids I grew up with. I thought we were still on the Reginald, Alfred, Ada and Maisie generation which were my grandparents era.

Etincelle · 18/02/2024 22:36

I like Peter and John.

Pickles91 · 18/02/2024 22:33

I am a Brit but live in Canada and am always surprised at the number of young Kevins (and Trevors) there are here @Goddessonahighway !

Goddessonahighway · 18/02/2024 22:14

What about Cliff, Clive or Kevin? It's hard to imagine any babies being called any of those names.

Mumofgirls2017 · 18/02/2024 22:09

100 year rule. Names come back after then as all the people with those names aren’t around to influence them. Look at Stanley, Archie, Reggie; Elsie, Evelyn, ivy, violet

aquarimum · 18/02/2024 20:27

Quite a lot of little Peters in our neck of the woods. John is criminally underused, and I can’t remember the last time I heard of a baby Michael or Mark.

theduchessofspork · 18/02/2024 20:16

SoftandQuiet · 18/02/2024 17:33

Do we have Claire, Sarah, Michelle, Wendy, Emma, Karen coming back yet? - they’re the same vintage. Bit early I think still.

Emma has never stopped being popular.

I’ve noticed a few little Sarahs recently, and I imagine Clare won’t be long.

Michelle is less of a classic so I think it’ll need a bit longer till the Michelles are proper old. Karen I think might need a good 30 years because the generation that remember it as an insult won’t use it.

Wendy is probably ripe for revival, but I think it’s too marmite to get very popular.

fightingthedogforadonut · 18/02/2024 20:13

I think the following are ripe for a comeback:

Matthew
Andrew
Christopher
Robert
Neil
Martin
Patrick

Angela
Valerie
Natalie
Helen
Louise
Sarah

AndThatWasNY · 18/02/2024 20:13

I know 3 Johns under the age of 13 and 2 Peters.
I hope Timothy never goes back that is such a wet name.

theduchessofspork · 18/02/2024 20:08

John, Philip and Richard yes because they are very early to mid 20th century. John did seem to have a mini revival in the early 2000s but it didn’t stick.

The rest are more mid to late so probably need a bit longer.

I think Marcus might start to appear quite soon though, as it sounds so similar to Lucas, Rufus, Magus and Miles all of which are popular.

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