Most popular baby names in UK in 2024 - were you in a class/WI group/Uni? or another group, with a lot of children with the same name

[ItscoldinAugust]

I have a name that isn't popular and never was or common but also a name that isn't very unusual or quirky. I wonder how it feels to be in a year group of the most popular/common names.

Were there 6 Amelia's in your class? or Tracey? or Poppy or Summer or Chardonnay/Mercedes? depending on your year.

2024 results for the most popular

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/cewyx72ekyzo

"This year Olivia and Amelia stayed in the top two spots for girls' names for a third year in a row, while Isla dropped from third place after being replaced by Lily.
On the boys list, Muhammad remains in top place for the second year running, with Noah and Oliver also making second and third place, as they did in 2023."

Similar names for the last few years so there will be a lot in the same class in a few years time.

An article on the subject of a common name:

https://qz.com/978760/popular-baby-names-the-psychology-of-growing-up-with-an-extremely-common-name

I was born early 90's and I know 3 people all called Rebecca Louise

I also know someone with that name who would have been born in the 1990's.

To me it doesn't have any positive or negative connotations at the moment. Some names like 'Karen' have been attached to some very negative stereotypes though.

Is Rebecca Varley a Rebecca Louise?

In my class at Secondary, there were 4 Emma’s, 5 Claire’s, 3 Michelle’s, 2 Samantha’s. I think there were only 3 or so girls with other names. Boys were not as bad, a couple of Darren’s.

In one primary school class around 1984/5 there were 5 Rachels. Although now it's rare I come across any - where'd they all go? Rebeccas everywhere, but no Rachels.

My name was top 5 when I was born- never met another similar aged person with my name at school/uni/anywhere else- till I started working where I do now where there seem to be loads and loads! This is fine but I have to use my full name or inital a lot!
NB ds has a top 100 name but not massively high up- no others similarly named of his age till primary school where his friendship group comprised 1 other with the same name and 2 with a similar sounding name which got super confusing!

One of my DC spent the early 2010s at a village primary school that only had 40 pupils. At one point 7 of them were called Emily (and of those, 5 had surnames that started with the same letter!). It was very confusing and most of the Emilys were known by their full name.

I have a very “80s” name. I hate it. I think it will date very badly. In the same way that you know people called Susan or Brenda were born in the 1950/60s, you will know that all the Olivia’s, Sophia’s and Mia’s were born in the 2010-2020s.

90s baby. Im a Laura. I was actually named after my great great grandma, first and middle name. There was 3 of us in primary school and 5/6 in my year at secondary

I have a name which is very common for my age, but spelt in the less common way. So I simultaneously had the frustration of never finding personalised things (pens, notepads, hairbands etc) with my name on while also frequently being known by my full name as there were others. I’m not sure I’ve ever worked anywhere where I was the only one!

I once taught a class with 8 girls in it, 4 of whom were called Emma.

I was named after a famous person. Almost every other person I've met with that name was born in the same year. We usually do a bit of an eye roll when we meet one another.

I am a 1960's Laura! I didn't meet another Laura till I was an adult, but it obviously became far more popular a couple of decades on!
I had a friend who started teaching in the 1990's, and had a Keeley, a Kayley, a Kylie, a Kelly and a Karley in his class, which he struggled with all year !!

I’m a 60’s baby with the most popular name in @Fastingandhungry’s list.

There were loads of us at school and I still come across loads in work now, my age. Only occasionally hear children now with the name.

At our school, we have plenty of Amy/Aimee/Amelia/Amelie, Lily/Lilly/Lili/Lilah. We always have at least two Georges in every class.

I was happy growing up with a popular name - could always get mugs and key rings with my name on them! Everyone had heard of the name, relatively easy to spell, I was never bothered when people asked “with an I”.

I went to school in the 60's and every other girl was called Susan, Carol, Linda, or Jacqueline (probably because of Jackie Kennedy) and all their middle names were either Ann or Jane. Even at that age I was so grateful to have a different sort of name. It's not quirky or unique - think "Alexandra" or "Antonia" but it really stood out as being (dare I say) rather classy amidst the others.

When our DS as born a new character appeared in The Archers a few months later with the same name . A couple of years later when we had our DD , the same thing happened again! Both not that common at the time too!

80s child. At school everyone was Sarah, Rebecca, Hannah, Alex, James, Liam.

I’m a Florence, never met another until about 10 years ago when it shot up on popularity…

There were 4 girls called Kerry in my class in 1972 and at least 6 Lesley's in the year group.

Everyone in my year was called Joanna, (Jo) or Rachel. The boys were all Simon or David.

I had a class in around 2004, 5 Emmas and a Gemma.

Yes. Four of me. Hated it as the teachers didn't know, or care, who I was.

I remember my mum was livid when one of my secondary teachers actually admitted she didn't know who I was at a parents evening. Standard 1980's education.

My class at school in the ‘70s had three Susans and a Suzanne.

Wow that sounds confusing for the teacher!

I rarely come across anyone with my name but it tends to give my age away since it's very dated to a particular time period.