Will Elizabeth rocket up the charts...

[IAmFourEels]

... when the queen dies?

Slightly macabre thought, but Elizabeth is on our list of names - one of DH's top choices. I quite like it, but had always dreamed of giving my child a more unusual name, because my name is unusual and I love it. Elizabeth is currently no.56 in the charts, which I can live with (it is his baby too, after all, so I have to take his preferences into account!) but I'm worried it might have a surge in popularity in the next few years... if not sooner...

I think so.

But it’s such a beautiful, timeless name. I love it, always have.

I'm surprised it's no. 56. I don't know any, only one who is past 40 and I've not seen her for about 22 years. It's okaaay as a name. Can you persuade dh to other classics? Francesca, Eleanor, Emma etc.

If an unusual name is important to you, I wouldn’t consider Elizabeth. While Elizabeth isn’t a top ten name now, it’s been so popular for so long that there are a lot of Elizabeth’s of all ages out there. Your child will only be in her own age group until she is in her early twenties at the latest and then she will be in mixed age groups, where the cumulative effect of decades of Elizabeths will really show. I don’t think it will rise significantly in popularity in the near future though.

You want unusual but are considering Elizabeth? It will never be unusual...

It's a classic. I wouldn't worry about popularity.

It’s not one that’s ever going to sound particularly dated which I think tends to be the concern with some of the really popular names. So many good nicknames from it too.

Elizabeth is one of those names that might be not used a lot during certain periods in time but that will never be strange or frowned upon because it’s such a historic, classic name, that actually you can’t go wrong with it.

The thing with Elizabeth is there are so many nicknames, that even if she is in a class with another it is so easy to avoid them both being the same name. I only know 1 Elizabeth who uses the full name.

Liz, Lizzy, Beth, Bet, Betty, Eliza, Liza

How the heck is Elizabeth an unusual name?

It’s not exactly unpopular now…

But yes, it will rocket up.

@StrychnineInTheSandwiches

How the heck is Elizabeth an unusual name?

I'd say it is uncommon these days, but not unusual. Like John or Michael. Perfectly 'normal' names that are a bit out of fashion these days.

I'm not sure it's even out of fashion if it's the 56th most popular name. Seems like a name that holds pretty steady.

@teenminustests, you forgot Libby!

It's always been a popular name. I don't know if it's ever been #1 but in some years it's been in the top 10, other times as now it's lower down, but I'd be surprised to learn it's ever been out of the top 100 girls' names since records began.

As to whether it will see a surge in popularity when the Queen dies, who can say? Did George have a surge in 1952 when her father died? Did Victoria have a surge in 1901?

I think OP @IAmFourEels is saying she wants unusual but her partner wants Elizabeth. As Elizabeth is low on the charts she is happy to compromise but wouldn't be happy if it rocketed to no.1!

Always thought Elizabeth is the ultimate classic name - I always think of Elizabeth 1 rather than our current queen for some reason. Catherine/Katherine a very close second in ‘classic’ terms.

[quote MerryMarigold]@teenminustests, you forgot Libby![/quote]
Also: Bess, Bessie, Lisbeth, Bette, Betsey. Related names: Lisa, Elspeth, Elise.

Alternate spelling: Elisabeth.

There's also Lillibet, her own pet name, now given to Harry and Megan's baby. Too babyish for me, but each to their own.

@HeronLanyon

Always thought Elizabeth is the ultimate classic name - I always think of Elizabeth 1 rather than our current queen for some reason. Catherine/Katherine a very close second in ‘classic’ terms.

Agree. I suppose the other claimants are Ann/Anne and Mary.

@StrychnineInTheSandwiches

How the heck is Elizabeth an unusual name?

I don’t know one under 40. They will be the only one in their year at school.

I don’t know many Elizabeth’s in this age range though which I think is what OP means.

I’m not a massive fan, mainly because I hate Liz, but I don’t think it’s popular in the same way that names like Lily and Ruby and Ellie have been in the last few years.

gaspode - agree - those are the four absolute classics to my mind. Like all of them hugely.
C then E then A then M I think.

E, K, A, M for me!

I feel Elizabeth has held up in popularity much better than Mary or Ann/Anne. Katherine/Catherine/Katharine harder to judge as there are more spelling possibilities (the -ryn endings as well). Nowadays I think more people go for Kate or Katie than the full long name. Anna more popular than Anne/Ann.

I don't care for Liz as a name either, but it's perfectly possible to insist on the full name being used. That's what I've done all my life (another classic name with a great many short versions and nicknames) and my daughter did the same (with her own classic name).

Yes, I think it will.