Which do you think will be the next 'big' baby names?

[Ouchjuststoodonlego]

Just idle musings really and I wondered what everyone else thought.
I seem to be hearing Penelope a lot from friends that are expecting.

Grandad and grandma names such as:
Wilfred
Walter
Wilbur
Archibald
Albert
Alfred
Edith
Dorothy
Mavis.
Then twee names such as:
Frankie
Freddie
Alfie
Archie
Reggie
Susie
Betty.
Then unusex/surname names such as:
Hunter
Baker
Barker
Thompson
Foster.
All the names we thought were awful when we were young.

I ruled out any girl's name ending in an 'a', 'ah' or 'ee' sound when naming my two. I taught in secondary and for the last five years or so reading down the register is just a constant repetition of 'a' 'a' 'ee' 'ah' sounds. So boring.

I think in about ten years the shift away from those sounds will become noticeable.

Agree about names like Arlo, Milo etc, they're not the next trend, they are already here.

I agree @toastofthetown I guess it's because a name being in the top 100 does not sound that new to our ears. For whatever reasons; ie, being on mumsnet too much! paying attention to what babies in your wider circle are being called (even after your own kids are at school).

I might be odd (yes I am) but when I was naming my DC I look at British, Irish and American name sites as it wasn't enough to know where a name was place, I also wanted to know how quickly it was rising. Not awarding myself medals for Olympic Baby Naming here, , I had to compromise with their father which frustrated my predictions and tastes! But I wasn't unaware of what was going on around me.

Dark greener is a brilliant site for looking at naming trends. I know that dd2 was one of 16 girls given her name in 2018, and that the name has gone up in popularity, from 2683rd to 1788th. Dd1 on the other hand has a much more common name, was one of 990 in her birth year, and the name has gone up in popularity since - not too 50 yet but close. Not another in her class though, phew!

I know Luna and Arlo have been around for ages, I just mean I can see them becoming ‘top 10’ names in the near future.

The ‘next big baby names’ can mean names that are fairly popular but that you can see emerging into the top few.

Lucialou yeah that's what I meant too

I get a feeling other older names will come back but not like the old lady names necessarily.. Like more Anne, Claire, Helen not too twee or old fashioned but classic amongst either the constant popular ava/ella/alfie/archie and more modern bear or fox or wild or willow etc

Depends if royals have any more babies too I feel..

The plain, straight forward, no nonsense names that could weave between working class and middle class no problemo will boom in popularity.

Names like:

Ruth
Anne
Lucy
Emma
Sara
Jane
Claire

I think the above are far more upper class (I despise that term) than manes like Clementine, Aurora, Florence and Eloise as these names are trying so hard to make a statement about their parent’s aspirational class.

Ruth, Anne, Sarah etc are names chosen by people who don’t have a need to justify where they are on the ladder. As a result, they always sound a thousand times classier than the try hard names.

It will be older ones, not 1960s, 70s and 80s.

My guess will be names that were popular during WWII.
Betty, Frank, Margaret, Dennis, Michael, Barbara...

I don't understand the aspirational thing. Don't parents just pick a name they like?

Don't parents just pick a name they like?

Are you new to the nane boards 😀

Many people choose certain names based primarily on how they will be perceived.

Surely class is often tied into name choices? Often on here names are dismissed as somewhat lower-class or even ‘chavvy’ so it’s not always just a case of picking a name you like

Ah! Just noticed pp about "names chosen by people who don’t have a need to justify where they are".

I have no insecurity about what class I am and my DC have the sort of names listed by @Swingingontheswing.

I don't recall thinking, "Hmm, I want my baby to be a high court judge so I'll call him Ptarmigan"

Lots of people I know ( inc myself ) had 2019 babies, so I’m just going to go by these. For girls : x2 Margots, Jessica, Minnie, Ivy , Freya and Betsy
For Boys: Evan, Albie, Max and Joseph
Except the name Albie, they are all quite well established, older names , I like them all tbh.

Yeh ha ha, I can see names like Jane, Ruth, Susan, Margaret getting lots of love on mn in the next few years. Richard, Bill, Peter for boys.

Not sure what the names that get mumsnet disdain will be. (Ireland?! 🤣 That's a reference to another thread)

I find it harder to predict what the trendy, "not my style at all" I'm a Mumsnetter thank you Names will be.

Names taken from popular shows, influencers, actresses & singers, I guess, as always. It seems much harder to predict.

Any ideas?

There’s a Philip in dc’s reception class. I genuinely disbelieved it until I heard it from an adult. There’s also a John in Y4

Oh yes, Philip, definitely ripe for a revival

I wonder if we will see an increase in Iris (rainbow), Hope, Pax to babies born during the pandemic. I can definitely see Hope perhaps replacing Grace as the "go-to" middle name.

I agree with the trend towards grown up girl's names as a reaction to the frilly names ending in vowels. Names like Elizabeth, Catherine, Margaret, and yes Penelope. And the list of short names above with harsher consonants, does anyone remember Rachel in friends being horrified that Ross wanted to call their daughter Ruth? Sounds much classier than Emma these days.

I'm definitely ready to see the back of the frilly cutesy names.

Agree with @123Dancewithme

Valerie - I think it's a such a great name and totally due a comeback

Margot, Lydia, Mabel, Penelope, Ottilie, Tabitha, Juniper

Wilf, Jude, Asher

I know some very nice Ruths. Ruthie is a nice nn for it.

Philip is really nice. I think that names like that will come back, but not immediately.

The names popular for my age group get laughed at but I think they are nice. Sharon and Darren might be very trendy in about 40 years.