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

Most overused first name?

131 replies

MyCheeryPearlTraybake · 26/05/2025 18:12

Chloe

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
mathanxiety · 27/05/2025 15:41

Redflamingos · 27/05/2025 15:34

I’m sure Evie was a fresh and memorable name back in 1983 and your Evie didn’t have to add her surname initials to her name.

But why are parents STILL choosing it today when there are SOO many Evies out there already??

Show quote history

Because it's a lovely name?

mathanxiety · 27/05/2025 15:41

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 27/05/2025 10:16

Around me the girls all seem to be coming in with very old names Ada, Mabel, Maud, Dotty, there's one Bertha (poor soul) although I'm still waiting for my first Doris.

Doesn't seem to apply to the boys though. They are all Alfie, Albie, Freddy, George, Harry type names.

All of those boy names are grandad names.

Redflamingos · 27/05/2025 15:34

AngelaBB · 27/05/2025 14:45

You just can’t tell what is going to become really popular. My daughter, Evie, was born in 1983 and virtually unheard of then.

I’m sure Evie was a fresh and memorable name back in 1983 and your Evie didn’t have to add her surname initials to her name.

But why are parents STILL choosing it today when there are SOO many Evies out there already??

ImFineItsAllFine · 27/05/2025 15:26

modgepodge · 27/05/2025 15:09

I taught one Ottilie who’d be about 12 or 13 by now.

I have a baby myself and at one baby group there were THREE Ottilies! Out of maybe 20 kids so probably about 10 girls. All would be about 1 now.

At another baby group there were 2 Bernies, and a colleague of mine has just called her baby Bernie.

Show quote history

It's strange, all the other 'popular on MN' names are popular in real life where I live, but for some reason not Ottilie. So there's a tiny (and irrational) part of my brain that's convinced it's not actually a real name at all 😂

modgepodge · 27/05/2025 15:09

ImFineItsAllFine · 27/05/2025 10:19

Jack, Harry, Noah, Theo, Leo

Evie, Ava, Isla, Sophie, Margot.

Never met an Ottilie in real life though, only ever hear it on MN.

I taught one Ottilie who’d be about 12 or 13 by now.

I have a baby myself and at one baby group there were THREE Ottilies! Out of maybe 20 kids so probably about 10 girls. All would be about 1 now.

At another baby group there were 2 Bernies, and a colleague of mine has just called her baby Bernie.

AngelaBB · 27/05/2025 14:45

You just can’t tell what is going to become really popular. My daughter, Evie, was born in 1983 and virtually unheard of then.

AnneMarieW · 27/05/2025 14:33

Right now? Technically none, as even the most popular names now seem quite underused in comparison to ones even in the semi-recent past (for example a third of my female friends in their 40/50’s are called Sarah, I know multiple Lynn/Linda’s in their 60’s, Margaret’s in their 80’s etc).

However I do think some of the trendier popular names like Theo, Noah, Isla etc may date badly- they were hardly used 30 years ago and now there seems to be one in most nursery/primary school classes (but at least there aren’t 3 of a name in class like when I was at school).

Redflamingos · 27/05/2025 14:18

HumerousHumous · 27/05/2025 11:41

Evie Don’t tell Mummy Pig!!

I hope all the cute names, Isla, Olivia, Evie stay around as I don’t think I’m ready for a return to my generation’s names: Donna, Pauline, Brenda, Howard, Stewart, Kevin etc.

Really? I find Evie, Livy, Isla soo overdone and dull.

Paulina, Donna, Jane sound so refreshing and are much more memorable!!

Emanwenym · 27/05/2025 11:43

Babies called Chloe in England & Wales since 1996
The ones I know of get called Chlo, which is not very nice.
I think that the Cl sound is being taken over by Clara, which I also don't like.
i quite like Claudia though.

There was a baby Nigel announced in the Daily Telegraph a few weeks ago. Smile

HumerousHumous · 27/05/2025 11:41

Evie Don’t tell Mummy Pig!!

I hope all the cute names, Isla, Olivia, Evie stay around as I don’t think I’m ready for a return to my generation’s names: Donna, Pauline, Brenda, Howard, Stewart, Kevin etc.

Coffeeishot · 27/05/2025 11:32

Discobooloo · 27/05/2025 09:58

Definitely Chloe

Chloe must be on its way back my Dd is 28had loads of Chloes in her school year, she isn't chloe but it was on the list.

Pemba · 27/05/2025 11:10

Jane is kind of refreshing, after all the flowery and cute names that have been in for ages.

TryingToRecover · 27/05/2025 10:36

NoVibrato · 26/05/2025 22:53

But that would be a transgression of the Unwritten Law.
I personally am dying for time to cycle around and give us Jane, Janet, Carol, Margaret, Susan, John, David, Stephen, Paul, Andrew, RIchard, Geoff and wild crazy eccentric names like those!

Show quote history

I know a baby born recently, named Jane

Docwillseeyounow · 27/05/2025 10:30

Lily
Sophie
Ava
Ellie

Alfie
Liam
Noah

Elizabeth110100 · 27/05/2025 10:21

Leo and Sophia here

Edenmum2 · 27/05/2025 10:20

I haven’t been anywhere recently without hearing somebody called Arlo

irisvioletrose · 27/05/2025 10:19

Chloe to me is more 2000-2005 when it peaked in popularity. I would be surprised to meet a baby Chloe.

ImFineItsAllFine · 27/05/2025 10:19

Jack, Harry, Noah, Theo, Leo

Evie, Ava, Isla, Sophie, Margot.

Never met an Ottilie in real life though, only ever hear it on MN.

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 27/05/2025 10:16

Around me the girls all seem to be coming in with very old names Ada, Mabel, Maud, Dotty, there's one Bertha (poor soul) although I'm still waiting for my first Doris.

Doesn't seem to apply to the boys though. They are all Alfie, Albie, Freddy, George, Harry type names.

AllAroundMyGarden · 27/05/2025 10:10

I never come across Olivia or Chloe, either.

Yes to Ava, Eva, Evie, Ellie

irisvioletrose · 27/05/2025 10:01

I have a four year old and nearly two year old and so have spent a lot of time at nursery school, playgroups, toddler / baby classes yet haven’t come across one Olivia.

Two in my NCT group used it as a middle name though. It’s funny as there must be loads of Olivia’s but not here.

I do know a lot of Harrys and Noahs. On balance I’d say there’s less variation amongst boys. DD and DS both have a top 100 name but falling in popularity rather than gaining.

Discobooloo · 27/05/2025 09:58

Definitely Chloe

Greeneyegirl · 27/05/2025 09:35

Evie, Eva, Ava, Ada, Isla, Ivy
Arlo, Theo, Leo

They all blend into one

Emanwenym · 27/05/2025 09:27

Enough4me · 27/05/2025 00:26

This ⬆️

Show quote history

But the name popularity tends to be regional. The top name for girls where I am isn't in the top 150 names in England & Wales.

Redflamingos · 27/05/2025 09:02

Coffeeteasugar · 26/05/2025 23:44

I find it funny that I still quite like the ‘older’ names like Ava, Theo, May, George etc. but the idea of teaching a Sharon, Tracey or Jeremy fills me with horror! Probably because it means I am old enough that those names have come back round in fashion! 🤣

That’s the problem with super fashionable names. They fall out of fashion and often date badly!!

I actually find Evie, Alfie, Theo already a little dated sounding…

Swipe left for the next trending thread