Why do name trends change?

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I know sometimes there’s an obvious reason like a book or film or celebrity inspiring a particular name but other times names just seem to come and go.

I was bored at work and idly looking back at name trends over the last thirty years and it reminded me of when every other little boy was called Jack. Hardly hear it now. Likewise Jessica and Chloe were really popular and Bethany.

I can’t think of any celebrities with those names although could be wrong. I’m just wondering what causes a sudden surge in popularity followed by a decline? It’s interesting anyway!

Media TV film books i suppose.

Amelie was unheard of until the film with Audrey Tatou it's everywhere.

The boring names change too.

Fairly recently there were Mia Grace's everywhere. They were ubiquitous.

Back in the eighties and nineties, there would have been Claire Louise's everywhere for example.

Yes I guess that’s what I’m wondering … when did Clare stop being a popular name? I’m an 80s baby and I grew up surrounded by Claire and Clare’s, Helens and Lauras … you don’t really hear those now. I know trends happen but I guess I am just wondering why!

The book Freakonomics explains this well.

People name their children aspirationally. The upper classes use names, so the middle classes start using them as they aspire to appear of a higher class, then the working class uses the names of the middle class for the same reasons. And the upper class abandon the names once they become 'common' for new ones.

That’s interesting and explains Chloe and Olivia. I am old enough to remember Chloe and Olivia being ‘posh’ names. Not sure about names like Jessica and jack, though.

People want something ‘unique’ so they choose something a bit different. Then other parents choose something a bit different. These names become common, so the patterns change.
Add to this names used in books/films/TV/ by celebrities etc. T been you have family names which come and go in cycles eg grandma names.
Also I wouldn’t gave dreamed if using some of the names I hear now as they were the horrible, boring, old fashioned names and not in a solid traditional way either.
I doubt anyone will be calling their child Jaxson or Hunter in 20 years.

Increasingly, as well as the Freakononmics explanation, people want “unique” and “not dated” names for their offspring but are broadly exposed to the same cultural landscape so shift in the same direction.

The name Helen, for example, was very popular and is no less a nice name now as it was in the 1970s, it’s just that now it’s heavily associated with women of that age, therefore dated and unappealing.

No probably not. But the idea of an iris or an Elsie or a Winnie twenty years ago would have been hilarious but now they seem lovely ordinary names for little girls!

Because my parents and their generation had terrible taste in names! So boring! I’m sure my DC will think the same about this generation of names just as everyone has before.

There was overspill into the nineties too. I knew loads of Claire's born in the late eighties. They were everywhere when I was at school.But you hardly hear of any now below late thirties. In the u k anyway.

I dont know I guess demographics change. Claire's assessories that awful u s.Import, possibly put a stop to it.

I remember there being a Colin in my primary school and no one batted an eyelid. Now though it would be considered an old man named that colin.I knew must only be about thirty eight now. People don't look twice quite frankly, ridiculous names like Teddy.

It's down to individual taste and I disagree.I think those are dreadful names. Why on earth would you call a child winnie. Sounds like a horse neighing.

I've never been a fan of the old granny names.

Some names are absolutely classless and classic. For example Charlotte. There is a Princess Charlotte, 3rd in line to the throne. One of the secretaries at work is called Charlotte, and she's in her mid twenties. You find Charlotte's in all walks of life.

But it’s not your opinion I’m interested in, for the purposes of the thread @TheLivelyRose , which I know sounds arsey - sorry! I’m just wondering why they suddenly start to rise in popularity.

You do find charlottes in all walks of life. And Elizabeths too. But Elizabeth isn’t in the top 100. There are other names like Hazel, Margot, Maeve which have surged in popularity and I’m idly wondering what drives that, as indeed one minute Elsie is a granny’s name and then is in the top ten!

Jessica has been posh if you look as far back as Jessica Mitford! I agree that some names are never posh though. Like Gary, or if thinking more contemporarily, Neveah or Oakley.

Oh, yes, you did sound arseholey and rude.

Why do you care. What survey or test is this for.

People go off names all the time, maybe there's nothing deep to it.

So basically I’m saying ‘twenty years ago these names wouldn’t even have been considered but now they’re quite popular, wonder why’ and you come on saying ‘well they are awful names’ - that completely misses the premise of what I’m interested in.

And then you stroppily say ‘who cares’ - I do, I find it interesting. I don’t mind in the slightest if you don’t; there are any number of topics on this site I don’t personally find interesting or engaging, but others do and it is actually quite rude to try to stop that conversation taking place because you personally don’t.

Names go in age cycles as well as class cycles. Elsie wasn't popular 20 years ago because the people having children 20 years ago associated that name with their grandmothers, and didn't want to give an old-fashioned name to their beautiful baby.

But for the generation having children now, Elsie was the name of a great-grandmother. They don't associate it with a living, breathing, dowdy old lady - it becomes a retro/historic name, and ripe for the picking.

@TheLivelyRose said she didn't like "old granny names" but your definition of an old granny name will depend on how old you are. My mother thinks of Elsie, Ada and Edith as granny names, and is horrified when she hears them as a baby name. But I know toddlers with these names, because they aren't granny names to the thirtysomethings having children now.

And this phenomenon also explains the drop in popularity of Clare/Helen/Louise/Laura. When a name is really popular, it becomes associated with that age group. Women with these name are, very generally speaking of course, in their late thirties at youngest, but more likely in their forties and fifties. It's seen as dated, so drops in popularity.

Yes, this is exactly it. Once a generation starts having their own children, names from their own generation aren't appealing as they grew up with kids with those names. They see them as dull and boring, and seek names that feel unusual to them (ie names they didn't grow up with). Names of their great grandparents generation often fit the bill, as do modern, new in usage names. Then those kids grow up and the cycle starts again, with those parents seeking names for their children which don't remind them of people they grew up with.

Claire, Laura, Sarah and Helen will have their day again, probably when their great grandchildren start having children.

Elizabeth most definitely is in the top 100. It's a constant presence. Despite dropping in popularity over the years, I can't see it dropping out completely any time soon. It's still nearer the top 50 than it is to falling out of the top 100.

https://names.darkgreener.com/#elizabeth

There are trends that evolve (similar sounds), and names that come in from nowhere, usually because of a film or celebrity.

An example might be Emma -> Emily -> Amelie (from a film) -> Amelia
Evie->Evelyn/Ava/Eva/Ivy
Ella->Ellie->Elsie
Lily - Lola, Lila, Lyra,

or Max (Verstappen) , Sebastian (Vettel), Lewis (Hamilton), Jenson (Button), Theo (Walcott), Jude (Bellingham)
Margot (Robbie), Louis (Wales)
Luca (Disney)
Phoebe, Courtney (Friends)
Shannon (90210)
Jason (King)
Whitney, Britney ...
Sienna (Miller)

Even if you aren't directly choosing the name because of the celebrity, they will have normalised the name.

If someone local uses a name, someone else will like it and it will seem unusual but not unheard of so the only two Balonzs or Jimberleys registered will probably go to the same school.

Yes I think normalising a name is the thing.
Not too long ago parents were very mindful of giving their child a ‘far out’ or too unique name. Now it seems anything goes.
That too is a trend which will pass. Names such as Jaxson, Hunter, Carter, Harper, Piper, Avery etc. will become common/old/dated/boring. The children of parents with these names will not be using those names. They will not be old enough or modern enough. Parents names never are.
People who call their child the exact same name as them always get raised eyebrows.

My dd is nearly 30 and has a name of an under 10 year old. Everyone said I was mad to give her an old ladies’ name. No old ladies around now with her name - just little girls.

Only a few years ago names were described as ‘too posh’ are now ‘normalised’ and increasingly used, e.g. Sebastian, Hugo, Quentin, Anastasia, Ophelia etc. The book ‘Freakonomics’ explains this phenomenon well.

I think a lot of it is influenced by tv. I was named after a character on Dynasty and dd1 was named after a TV character as well. Dd2 got her name after I read a celebrity interview that mentioned one of their daughters names and I thought it sounded nice.

Yep. Rupert is an example of this. Filtering its way down the classes.

All you need is a drop-dead gorgeous actor with the name, then Maud or Derek will become popular, because new parents will associate the name with the actor.

One set of parents will use it, somebody will hear of it and when looking for a name for their imminent LO will think it not too unusual.

The name Audrey get a lot of love on here, and I think it's because they associate it with Ms Hepburn. I think of Audrey Roberts or Aunty Audrey my mum's friend.

Names tend to fall out of fashion when new names come along, or because the name has been so overused.