The most common names for babies in your area

[RubyBirdy]

I recently moved to a different country in the U.K. to a village and of the new mums I’ve met 4 (!!!) of their little girls are called Olivia nn Liv or Livvy. Where I used to live there were 7 boys called Felix in my daughter’s nursery. What are the names you keep hearing on babies/toddlers recently and think oh my gosh another one?!

There are very few actual repeats but honestly it feels like a good 90% of the babies/toddlers I’ve met over the last 3 years at DS nursery or at baby/toddler groups have short, 2 syllable names ending in “ee” or “ah” or “oh” sounds. Very vowel heavy in general and the sound of them blends together a lot.

It would be refreshing to meet a baby Edward or Elizabeth these days or even supposedly more popular Oliver or Olivia (I do know kids with all those names but they are older). Cute and informal sounding seems to be the style here for the younger ones.

They have a 3 year old brother who is 16 months older....

Someone I know has named their new son Wilfred. Is that in fashion?

Joshua
Sarah.

Charlie, George, Max
Lily, Amelia, Evie

Jaxon at the minute.

@SouthLondonMum22I’ve met a few sets of twins called Ronnie and Reggie. I don’t think many people realise who they actually were. And I’ve met a child called Kray…

I feel like every British girl under 5 is called Isla. I also know an Ayla in that age group.

Huge number of primary school aged Edward’s here so surprised not to see that mentioned.

Yes very much so. I’ve met a couple of little Wilfs

Jock
Harvey
Freddy
Henry
Phoebe
Poppy
Lottie
Harriet

I was going to say I also knew someone who named her twins ronnie and Reggie 🤣 at my kids nursery even though they were only 3 they behaved just like you’d expect twins named ronnie and Reggie to behave lol

Evie, Eva, Evia, Ava, Olivia, Isla - all so similar and so many of them. Many have endings of May/Mai too.

Theo, Arlo, Teddy, Alfie, Luca

Wilf, Winnie, Lottie, Ottilie.

@AussieManque not just under 5, I have a dc at High School and all the girls are called Isla/Ayla there too .

Boys
Joe/Joey/Jojo
Jude
Jackson
Harrison
Dylan
Freddie
Alfie
Theo
Finley

Girls
Ada
Ava/Eva
Liv/Livvie
Raffy
Floey/Florence
Millie

Aria, Florence, Isabella
Teddy, Henry, James, Thomas

Names with 2 or more in my children’s classes/sports teams etc.

Why, why name your child the same as someone else, unless it's a dear friend or relative??
I have never met someone with my name. I'd find it so creepy not being unique.

The problem with “unique” first names is that you generally have to spell them and often explain the pronunciation too. It can be a pain in the bum having to do that for a surname (which you often have less choice in) but having to do that all the time for a first name that people call you on a daily basis…. I’m not saying everyone should be called James or Rose etc but if you have an unusual surname then there are definitely worse ideas.

On the other hand, if you are a Smith or Jones etc (or whatever surname is ubiquitous in your culture) then yes, picking a really popular first name might not be so helpful for your child.

Most people try for a middle ground -“well known but not Top 20/50/100”, “nothing too unusual but I don’t want there to be 2 in their class” etc. But as this thread has shown, unexpected regional popularity is a thing which it’s hard to get data for and there are so many “soundalike” names popular now that even if an individual name isn’t popular, the style or sound of that name often is.

Tbh, I think you’ve just got to go with a name you love - while taking account of things like popularity stats and ease of spelling and pronunciation, if those are issues that are likely to bother you. There is no such thing as a perfect name.

😁We called our daughter the name of a very common garden flower and I'd say 80% of people can't spell it. At least my unique name (nb. there are others somewhere in the world according to the internet) is pretty easy to pronounce and spell.

It was in my great grandfather's day!

Surely not? Around here that name is seen as a joke. If someone is considered to be an unsuitable parent people will invariably say you just know they’ll call their child Jaxon!

I will add Rory and Ellie to the mix.

I have one of the most common names of my generation and always at least 4 of us around. So i made a conscious decision to stay out of the top 20 names of the year. So far it’s worked. DC1 is the only one in his year group.

@HartleyH11unfortunately I’ve met several. It’s probably the most common boys name at the minute.

Oh lord 😂