ONS 2019 baby names

[hauntedvagina]

Does anyone know if this if still due to be released in August or has it been delayed?

Does anyone know why Freya has suddenly made it into the top 10? It's been hovering between 18 and 21 since 2009 and now has climbed 8 places.

When I was at school Freya was a very popular name in 'what will you call your kids' conversations. Quite a few of the girls who loved Freya have now had daughters and several have named said daughters Freya.

I suspect people have gone for Freya as it was outside the Top 10 thinking it was a bit more unusual and lots of other people had the same idea and now it's shot up.

I also think a lot of people don't check the popularity charts, either because they're not bothered by popularity or don't think to. So people's idea of what's popular can be a bit skewed. Someone at work had an Amelia and chose it because it's 'unusual' basing that on the fact there weren't many when they were growing up and was quite annoyed to find out just how popular it is!

@Lebkuchenlove yes do agree with you that "names have a purpose to identify us"

It just doesn't work that well for me in practice. I just find it so much easier to remember certain common names than some rare ones. I know two little girls called Isla in the same class and I never forget their names when I bump into them. But then there's one girl I know with a similar name called either Iona or Ione and I can never remember it. I keep having to look it up. So I know many may think she has a really identifiable name but it's the opposite to me.
Same with this one lady I know called Atlas which is obviously a very rare name for a 30 year old but I always forget it but she has a family member called Emma and I never forget her name, if that makes sense

Freya also surprises me because I thought it had its moment about 10 years a go but now it’s had a mini resurgence.
I’ve just looked it up on Darkgreener (they haven’t added the 2019 data yet) and yes it was on its way down.

Someone at work had an Amelia and chose it because it's 'unusual' basing that on the fact there weren't many when they were growing up and was quite annoyed to find out just how popular it is!
Yes I feel like people still use Amelia as the more interesting / less common Emily when that’s been the case for some time.

When I was at school I knew an Amelia and a Sophia and both those names seemed almost exotic I wouldn’t be surprised if some people did think “when I have a daughter I’m going to name her Amelia/ Sophia...”

@PlantPotting

Really interesting summaries. Keep them coming

I'm not surprised about Emily, not met a baby Emily in years. Such a lovely name

Emily has been in the top 10 since 1984 and this is the first year it’s dropped out of it. That’s 35 years of baby Emilys being in the top ten.

Why are unique names so fashionable? As in, why do so many people want names that no one else has.

For me, and I can only speak for myself, there are some names that are SO common I just find them really basic. I know so many Williams, Georges, Emilys, Sophies and Isabellas (also Sophia and Isabelle of course). Literally three or four of each - if not more - in my child’s year group.

Although I never wanted unique names (there is nothing good about having a name that’s literally unique, because that means it’s either misspelled or a bizarre double-barrel combo ). I did want my children to be different and to stand out.

I think there’s no middle ground when it comes to baby names. You either care about choosing something less common or you don’t.

That would be a fascinating analysis - to take the people with the top ten names of the 70s and 80s and to see what they have named their own children. And analysis the other way. To see if the people with “unique names” went the same way.

When my grandmother was born the doctor said she wouldn’t make the night so they just gave her a placeholder name (along the lines of being called “Diamond”). She had two daughters; one was given a top 10 name (I assume top 10, not far off if it wasn’t) and one was given a unique name. I wish she was still alive to ask her why, but I suspect it was just because she liked the names. My grandmother didn’t mind having a unique name but its one of those words that everyone would know how to spell/pronounce and she was quite proud of the fact she proved the doctor wrong so liked explaining her name. My mother, with the unique name, absolutely hates it. And her three children were all given common names.

I guess our names are a way to identify us. But I don’t mind being “Emily Smith” as opposed to just “Emily”. It’s not like my entire identity is being Emily. At university, there were a lot of Daves, and we ended up with “Tanned Dave”, “Psychology Dave”, “Skiier Dave”. “Cockney Dave”.

I don’t think having a unique name is a problem per se, but it appears to be one of the top priorities. And then I see people getting angry if there is another one and proud when there are only a few. I noticed the list had a lot of “Margaux”s for example, instead of sticking to “Margot”.

I often read the baby names forum and want to ask “well why does the name need to be unique?” but never have as it’s not a helpful comment. Plus it’s not a judgement of one particular name, just a curiosity about the whole trend.

There are literally thousands of names outside the top 100 or even outside the top 1000 most popular names. So many perfectly normal beautiful names to choose from!

There's no need for whacky or made up names.

My ds's name was used 30 times last year, yet it's a normal easy to spell name.

For me, and I can only speak for myself, there are some names that are SO common I just find them really basic. I know so many Williams, Georges, Emilys, Sophies and Isabellas (also Sophia and Isabelle of course). Literally three or four of each - if not more - in my child’s year group.

You say “basic”... can you elaborate a bit more? Which I’m aware might read that I’m being obnoxious but I promise this is being asked out of fascination. And is a light hearted ask. Is it that the kids all lose their personality a bit because they get muddled up? Or frustration that you don’t know which one your child is talking about? Or something completely different...

A unique name is, by definition, unique and has never been used before or since. It would not be included in the ONS lists as that only shows names with more than 3 births, for privacy reasons.

I don't know anyone with such a unique name.

But I know lots of people with interesting and memorable names!

Arlo at #34 is both a surprise and not a surprise. I think it’s very of its time and will sink as fast as it climbed, but equally I don’t like it so I’m surprised it’s that popular It’s much more popular than Milo, which I didn’t expect.

Reggie is not a surprise. Gangster names are popular around my way. Ronnie and Vinnie will go the same way. Surname-names like Cooper and Fletcher are on the up too, I reckon.

You say “basic”... can you elaborate a bit more? Which I’m aware might read that I’m being obnoxious but I promise this is being asked out of fascination.

I mean “basic” as in the Urban Dictionary definition of the word, as in dull, mainstream, not interesting or special. And I know that’s pretty scathing of me, but this is the ONS stats thread, and if you’re heavily invested in the ONS stats then you’re a bit of a name snob by definition.

I don’t dislike any of the names I mentioned. They’re endlessly popular for a reason. I just find them so dull.

But I don’t mind being “Emily Smith” as opposed to just “Emily”.

I actually know 3 adult Steve Smiths! Can be confusing at times!

@daisypond yes see what you're saying. I was meaning that I know many Emily's aged 10 years and older but found it strange I haven't come across a baby Emily for a while near me, and looking at the stats that does fit as there were nearly 7,000 Emily's born in 1999 compared to 2,500 ish in 2018. Not sure of the 2019 stats yet til dark greener up but sounds like the numbers for Emily have dropped again. That's a huge drop in numbers (albeit I appreciate it's not a huge drop in actual chart positions)

At university, there were a lot of Daves, and we ended up with “Tanned Dave”, “Psychology Dave”, “Skiier Dave”. “Cockney Dave”.

We had the same. Several of them have since let it be known that they absolutely hated being known by a nickname - some of which were less than complimentary. It influenced my thinking when naming my own children.

OT but I find the new meaning of 'basic' genuinely useful to capture the otherwise slightly nebulous concept of someone who follows the crowd and lacks imagination.

And I know that’s pretty scathing of me I think perhaps just because that use of the word “basic” is generally quite derogatory, but I don’t think it needs to be. I get what you mean. Lacks imagination. Which is interesting because obviously it reflects more on the parents than the child, but then I suppose all name choices do.

I’m now unpicking why I named DS as I did (“Peter” esque). DH actually picked the name and I went along with it but I wasn’t against it. I think my criteria for my sons name is actually that I didn’t want anyone to have any strong opinion at all. I didn’t want to call him Oliver or George because I didn’t want “eugh not another one”. And unusual/unique names don’t appeal to me for a million reasons. I think his name ranked somewhere about 150.

But I don’t know if I wanted his name to elicit no strong response for me or for him. I’d like to think it was for him. I don’t think I wanted to give him a personality along with the name.

I’ve never thought about it this much before!

Three Steve Smiths is ridiculous... how do you differentiate?! I hope you know them in three different settings!

I have a very common first name of my era.
DH has a very uncommon but not unknown name . Our DC have well known traditional names ; around about 100 when the DC were born since when two of the names have rocketed into very popular territory. I wasn't aware of competition around popularity, or not, of names when we were choosing.
I never minded being BB one of several of my name at school , far from it. DH absolutely hated his name and really felt that it was a sign of his mother's vanity that she had named him that and not David or William or something.

At university, there were a lot of Daves, and we ended up with “Tanned Dave”, “Psychology Dave”, “Skiier Dave”. “Cockney Dave”.

Yes, my experience too. Even at work we have "Tall Steve", "IT Steve", "Photocopy Clare" etc. Not always nice or complimentary adjectives.

There are so many great names to choose from. And the alternative to a popular top 10 name is NOT some whacky unique name, but a huge list of lovely normal names outside the top 100!

Me, my line manager, and my direct report are all called Sarah. It's a bit of a nightmare. I wouldn't go unique with a baby name but I'd definitely aim to avoid top 50.

Sad to see only three babies named Nicola. It's a favourite of mine (although vetoed by dh as being too like knickers).

I do agree about the Dave and Steve thing but many others at my school got nicknames even though they were the only person with that name in my school....."Clever Clara", "Messy Patrick" , "Virgin Mary" and "Tall Jenny"

I like 'common' or what I would call solid boy's names like George, Jack, James, Frank. I think 'unusual' boys names tend to be a bit wet/weedy (Theo, Barnaby, Kit, Wilfred).

Whereas with girls I like slightly more unusual but not weird, e.g. April, Teaghan, Madelyn (this was a contender for Dd but wanted to change the spelling because it reminded me of madeleine mccann ).

If I loved a name, its popularity wouldnt put me off though. Dd's name is in the top 100 (but not the top 10).

Why are unique names so fashionable? As in, why do so many people want names that no one else has. For is, the only standard name we both liked was Noah. Really really popular everywhere. Didn't want him to be fat Noah or tall Noah or Noah B etc, they're just want anything else "popular" we both liked enough. They don't have unique names as in literally only one registered with that spelling etc but outside of top 200 , outside top 2000 and not currently on darkgreener (not got the right yr up yet)

That would be a fascinating analysis - to take the people with the top ten names of the 70s and 80s and to see what they have named their own children I have a top 20s 1980s name, as do most of my school friends. I'd say the exception with the unusual names, most of them have Def to 100 of not top 50 names. No Olivia or Oliver though, yet

But there weren’t surveys of names back then - or only very infrequent ones - and people just didn’t know what was popular or not. You couldn’t look them up. It’s only since the late 1990s. There are many more names now, so popular now doesn’t equate to popular back in the day.

Thee data scientist in me LOVES ONS survey day! Although as I sit here with my 4 week old daughter who is definitely our last I am kind of sad that i don't need to use the spreadsheet any more, I have loved using it to help create the shortlist for our 2 kids. Our daughter has a name ranked approx 150, so not common bit not unheard of either. Our other choice was also in the 150s this year. My son's name is no 21 and my favoured choice had dd been a boy is no 20 this year so I am seemingly very consistent! My name alas being a very 70s/80s name has now dropped out altogether, I expect a resurgence in approx 2 generations as a granny name 😂