What are the most overused baby names you know at the moment?

[caffeinejunkie24]

Trying to decide on a name for DC2 at the moment and would like something that won't seem "dated" in so many years to come.

There's a few names I keep hearing pop up at baby groups etc that feel a bit "faddy" and "of the moment" and would like to avoid that if possible. Hoping to avoid a name that becomes the Tracey, Sharon, David or Gary etc of this generation.

I've noticed a lot of names hyphenated with Rose, (which is an absolutely beautiful name) but kind of has the shine taken off it when its so overused in various combinations.

What names make you think "oh, not another one!?"

For girls I know lots of Isobel/ Isabelles, Sophies, Islas, Poppies, Avas, Evas.
Boys William, Oliver, Charlie, Edward/ Teddy.

I’ve unmade friends in the past because of uninspired baby names....

I’ve unmade friends in the past because of uninspired baby names....

Jesus wept

I do hope the friends you’ve retained are living up to your exacting standards. No diversity of thought welcome in your circle I guess (ironically).

The ones I seem to meet the most of are, boys: Jude, Ezra, Theo, Joshua, Noah, Freddie, Harry, girls: Ellie, Evie, Freya, Isla, Amelia.

Olivia
Lilly
Amelia/Amelie
Isla
Eva/Evie
Matilda
Isabelle/Isabella

Oliver
Jacob
Jayden/Hayden/Brayden/Kayden etc
Kai
Alfie
Archie
Henry
Harry

I am a firm believer in just going for what you love though. My ds has quite an unusual name and the amount of questions I had about it made me determined to use a more well known name from my dd. Now I seem to meet loads of girls with the same name. Fortunately I love both names so don't mind either way.

Theo/Leo/Arlo/Wilfred/Noah/Jacob

Dottie (Dorothea/Dorothy)/Mia/Eve/Francesca/Violet/Charlotte

Shropshire/London

Isla
Amelia
Eve/Evie/eva
Kaitlyn

Oliver
Jack
Riley
Theo
Thomas

Agree with a lot of the names mentioned. Never heard of Arlo though.

Where I work I get to know the names of babies born. In the last 16 weeks the most popular names were Parker and Caleb.

@Ruthw what was the girls?

There was no girl’s name that appeared more than once.

I'm pregnant and this thread is great for what to avoid!!!! Crosses half of shortlist out

We have lots of:

Finn, Ethan, Cian, Theo, Leo, Oisin, Dylan;

Mia, Mya, Isla, Eva, Evie, Ella, Lola, Lara, Zara, Aoibhe, Daisy, Olivia.

I don't really understand people saying Harry, William, Jack, George, etc are perennial classics and won't date. They are incredibly popular right now, and although they have been around for a very long time, they haven't been anywhere near this popular. I'm in my early 30s and didn't know a single Harry or George at school, primary or secondary, and I went to reasonably large schools. My son, who is 5, has two Harrys and three Georges in his class of 30, and I know a load more. My contemporaries were all Andrew, David, James, Jonathan - arguably also classic names found throughout the generations, but still somehow feel like names of my generation as they are almost unheard of today.

Everything dates. Even those classic names have upswings in popularity and honestly, I think by 2025 or so Henry and William will be just as dated as Mackenzie and Evie.

Too long - call your kid what you like (but I love a good unusual name)

Isla, Olivia, Isabella, Isabelle, Lily
Archie, Alfie, Charlie and Oliver.

William has been popular for over 300 years!

But not this popular!

Names are less popular than they were because there is way more diversity in names.

Noah
Stanley
Demi
Emily
Archie

Louis - there are four of them in DS's nursery. All older than the royal one though!

For girls there are always zillions of Ava/Evie/Evas. Though now my two kids are 7 and 4 I'm a bit out of the baby naming world. Popular names in the 7 year old's year at school are Ava, James, Emma. Though actually I'm struggling to think of any more - despite being in a big school, it's quite ethnically diverse so there are lots of different names used.

Amelia, Ava, Ella, Matilda, Isabelle

Jacob, Theo, Jack

Anything that includes May/Mae as a middle name.

(I actually don't dislike May as a first name...)

Alice
Sophie/ Sophia
Edie
Cecelia
Florence
Isla

Never come across a Lily, Ava or Isabel!

Maya and Poppy

Isobel, Evie, Archie, Finn.