Is there a good reason why these names are not more popular?

[PitterPatter3]

I’m looking for something not too popular and am considering both of these for DD due in the autumn. I just wanted to check there’s not a good reason why they’re so unusual which I’ve missed?

Miranda - There were only 7 born in 2021. Did the Hart connection put people off? Or was it Sex & the City? Or something else?

Serena - Do people just think of Serena Williams? Or is the Gossip Girl connection problematic?

I think both those names are lovely and perfectly usable!

Serena is lovely and I don't think Williams is necessarily a bad connection.

I'm much less keen on Miranda. It's always sounded a bit posh and 'hard-faced' to me. Really can't imagine it on a baby/young child. Perhaps because it has all but died out, as the stats suggest.

I like both. Can't think of any reason why they're not currently popular.

By the way the 2022 data was finally released yesterday. Just looked them up for you and Serena was 328th with 131 registrations, Miranda 2673rd with 9 registrations (so up by 2 but still very very rarely used).

So Serena remains uncommon but not unheard of, whereas Miranda is practically extinct among newborns now. I'd definitely go for Serena out of the two.

Miranda is ok but not my personal taste.

Serena is lovely though, no idea why it's not more popular!

Miranda sounds a bit frumpy to me, I don't like it.
Serena I like a lot, don’t know why it’s not more popular.

Serena is a lovely name, having athe same name as great sports woman is positive association if anyone makes it.

I only know one serena it's a nice name

@BoleynMemories13 please could you post a link to the site for finding out this info? I'd be so interested to see! Not expecting a baby, but just find it interesting :) Thank you so much :)

They’re both lovely names. Not ‘of the moment’ but both nice and very usable.

I particularly love Serena. It’s classy. I don’t necessarily think of Williams, but it’s a great association to have even if she is the first person that springs to some minds.

I really like Miranda, but I’m not keen on any of its usual shortenings (eg Mimi, Miri). I wonder if people are thinking more about NNs when choosing names nowadays?

No reason. I know 2 Mirandas (grown-up) but no Serenas. Both nice names though. I wouldn't think of any of the connections you mentioned though, I'd think of The Tempest for Miranda, and Serena Scott Thomas.

I know a 4-year-old Serena - it's a lovely name.

Serena is lovely

Not keen on Miranda.

The spreadsheets are available to download from the Office of National Statistics. The links are on the ONS thread on here but I'll see if I can find them.

Serena is an absolutely beautiful name, I don’t know why it’s not more popular. Miranda is fine but there’s something about it I just don’t particularly like, nothing offensive though!

The spreadsheets can be found by clicking the links here:-

https://www.ons.gov.uk/releases/babynamesinenglandandwales2022

If you click contents, tab 6 will take you to the list of every name with 3 or more entries in 2022. If you press the search button you can search for specific names.

Amazing! Thank you :) I didn't realise there was an ONS thread - so will also check that out :)

I don't like either of them ...
But going against the grain here and out of the 2 I would choose Miranda with Mimi as nickname.

both are really nice. elegant and not overused.

I don't like Mimi, but Mindy is OK if you need a 'nn'

Miranda is beautiful. Serena is nice, but what if the girl turns out not to be serene (placid)? What if she has an anxious or vivacious temperament?

I think Miranda is old fashioned. I know a couple who are late 50s ish. I put it in the same category as Amanda, Phillippa, Belinda. Nice enough names but of their time.

It's just one those things OP.
I don't like Miranda because it sounds harsh (like what PP said), also seems older.

Serena is more common among speakers of Romantic languages. I never thought of it as a particularly British (English or otherwise) name.

not an excuse, I mean Freya is a very popular name, Norse but still related to the English language(Friday is from the goddesses' name). Compared to names like Amelia, Olivia, Charlotte etc Serena doesn't stand out as being related if it makes any sense.

I think of The Tempest for Miranda.
Serena Williams is a legend.
Prefer Marina and Sienna though.

I love the name Miranda but dislike the actress/comedian but my husband vetoed the name anyway!