What has happend to Darren, Mark and Lee?

[Eastie77Returns]

When I was at primary school (late 80s) half the boys in the school had names like Darren, Mark and Lee. They would now be men in their late 40s/early to mid 50s but I don't hear those names much anymore. I can't remember the last time I met a Darren!

I honestly don’t recall one child named any of these names at my school in 80s and 90s. Admittedly private school so perhaps that’s relevant to some extent

They all hated their names so much they changed them to Dylan, Noah and Oliver…

I have 2 of those in my family and the third is a work colleague (consultant in hospital)

all mid to late 40s

Meow! 🤣

yeah, they’re all middle aged men now, and only the most hardcore “family name” types would pass those down as they are very dated at the moment. They’ll come around again once the Alfies and Alberts have passed.

I do know quite a few young Owens, Stephens and Roberts which are also a bit 80s/90s.

I can understand why Darren and Lee went out of favour, they're very much 'of their time'. The male equivalent of Sharon and Tracy. I went to school with plenty of all of them.

But Mark is what I've always thought of as a standard, safe name, not fashionable. So I don't know why it's not used any more. I suppose John's not used much any more either. Matthew and Luke stuck around though - the more popular evangelists, obviously!

huh?

We had loads of Darren, Mark and Lee in my school, primary and secondary. I know a Marcus who is ten now but haven't heard the others in years.

At my school, all the boys were called Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Or Stephen.

Bog standard local comp.

Mark and Lee were definitely on ever desk in my schools over the 80/90’s!

Darren less so but met a few my age in the world of work.

We also had a lot of Steven’s, Johns and Robert’s.

Darren and Lee are approaching their 50s now. They married Claire and Michelle respectively and their children, Callum and Ellie have just become parents to baby twins Arlo and Hudson

They are the backbone of local trades keeping the country functioning by maintaining our homes, cars, roads, etc.

Darren is now a plumber.

Lee is a grifter.

And Mark is in my heart as Mark from Flambards, one of my first loves.

Simon also.

In my class at secondary, we had two Simons, two Darren's, two Stephens, two Ian's and a Mark, a Neil and a Lee.

In 25 years working in Secondary, I haven't come across any of those names apart from Mark.

Yes indeed. Lee is a plumber, decorator or mechanic for sure. Darren also. Mark..less so. I think a few Mark's will have ended up in office jobs.

Are you saying you’ve not met the adult versions of these men?

Loved Flambards! So glad Mark ended up with Christina (another name you never hear nowadays lol)

The boys' private school next to my girls' school had tonnes of Marks in the 90s. No Darrens or Lees though.

No, that's not what I'm saying. I wrote "I don't hear those names much anymore"

Do you mean you don't meet adults with those names? The males I know who are that age do have those names, I know several of each. And Ians, Pauls, Stuarts, Andrews, definitely northern names, maybe elsewhere too

She's just pointing out a truthful demographic

They're all at my work - one Darren, one Lee and a lot of Marks!

Exactly

what a peculiar response from @CordwainerBird

I work with 3 Darrens, 1 Lee and about a million marks. So I guess they all went into my line of work!

Ok to claify, I am not saying there are no adult men called Darren, Lee or Mark. And I'm not claiming I've never met men with those names. That would be weird.

I was just pointing out that I come across proportionally few given that when I was a child a large number of boys had these names. I still live in the same city I grew up in. Maybe they've all moved out.

Or maybe it's because of the posh, rarefied circles I now move in😆

My plumber's name is Darren 😂