Revealed: the baby names we fell OUT of love with in 2019

Last modified on Thursday 5 November 2020

Jessica Powell

Content writer

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Picking a baby name is a minefield, no?

There are so many missteps you can make. Too safe. Too strange. Weird with their surname … or middle name. Embarrassing initials. Offensive to aunty Sue’s chum Kennith who really did never get on with Clive. What? Who knows!

That’s why when the official top 100 baby names of 2019 were released, we were as interested in the ones that have plummeted in popularity (if not more!) than the faves.

So, here’s the deal...

When it came to boys’ names Alex, Dexter, Dominic, Kai, Sonny and Tobias all fell out of the top 100. And for the girls, both Aisha and Francesca slipped off the list.

In other falls from grace, Matthew was the boy’s name that dropped the most places – falling 17. It’s now the 99th most popular boys’ name, making it precariously close to falling out of the top 100 for the first time since 1954.

On the girls list, Lilly had the biggest slip, dropping 19 places to 86th. But get this: Lily (with one ‘l’) entered the top 10, proving that spelling is everything.

Not to add to the stress of the decision or anything!

Fall from fame

Other boys’ names in the top 100 that dropped 10 places or more this year included Dylan, Harley, Jake, Finn, Caleb, Jackson and Blake.

While for the girls, Holly, Annabelle and Summer slid more than 10 spots, but still remain in the top 100.

What can we take from this? Perhaps that our obsession with the OC is finally waning and Gen Z parents don’t know/care what it is?!

Extinction awaits

This is according to analysis by Flowercard, who looked at the the percentage by which the popularity of these names had dropped from 2000 to 2019.

And yep, we're betting some of YOUR names are on there. (Us too!)

Revealed: the baby names we fell OUT of love with in 2019

It's official – but also surprising – as heaps of popular modern names have dropped down the rankings this year. Is your fave one of them?

At the top of the endangered boys' names list is Mitchell.

There were 639 Mitchells born in 2000, but this dropped by 96.7% to just 21 in 2019.

This was a pretty popular name in 2000, with 2,586 baby boys called Kieran.

By 2019, this had decreased by 95.5% to just 116.

We're not surprised Ross was a hot pick in the '90s thanks to hit sitcom Friends.

But by 2019, the name had fallen in popularity by 95%, with just 33 newborn boys' named Ross.

If your baby is born early, they won’t have had time to fully grow and develop. And that means not only are they tiny, your premature baby's skin is incredibly delicate.

Over 2,200 baby boys were named Brandon 10 years ago, but in 2019, there were only 112 – a drop of 95%.

Don't hear of many baby Craigs nowadays ... that's because it's fallen in popularity by 94%, with only 21 babies named Craig in 2019.

Ben is much less popular than its longer version Benjamin these days, with only 143 babies being given the short version of the name in 2019.

In 2000, there were 2,400 baby Bens!

Jordan as a boys' name has seen a fall of 93.6% in popularity.

In 2000, over 3,800 were named Jordan. In 2019, it was just 249.

The name Callum ranked as the 13th most popular name 20 years ago, but after a drop of 93.5%, it's now one of the UK’s most endangered.

Kyle is another name that's fallen in popularity by over 93%, with only 112 baby Kyles born in 2019.

Scott is on the brink of extinction! In contrast to the 924 baby boys named Scott in 2000, there were only 65 in 2019.

Kirsty is at the top of endangered girls’ names.

While 525 baby girls were named Kirsty in the year 2000, that fell to just four in 2019 – a drop of 99.2%

Glamour model Jordan, aka Katie Price, was rising in celeb circles in 2000, and so was her name!

Over 600 baby girls were named Jordan 10 years ago, however, in 2019, that dropped to just six.

Oh dear, it's not looking good for poor Shauna! Only five baby girls were given the name in 2019 – a decrease of 98.8% in 10 years.

Shannon has seen a pretty big fall in popularity, too.

From over 2,100 girls given the name in the year 2000, there were only 32 in 2019.

Courtney has fallen in popularity by 98.3%, with only 36 baby girls being given the name in 2019.

Lauren featured in the top 20 names in 2000, but has taken a drop of 98% in 10 years.

Gemma spelt with a G is still more popular than Jemma with a J, but a mere 14 baby girls were named Gemma in 2019 – a decrease of 98% in 10 years.

Baby Jodies have fallen in popularity by over 97% in 10 years – only 18 baby girls were given the name in 2019.

There were 2,055 baby girls named Jade in the year 2000, but only 78 in 2019 – a decrease of 96.2%.

It seems like there's always a Tash, Nat or Natasha about, but that might not last for much longer ...

Over 1,200 baby girls were named Natasha in 2000, compared to just 48 in 2019.

And the rest...

Office for National Statistics (ONS) statistician Nick Stripe took to Twitter to share some of the other names that plummeted most in popularity by percentage from 2018 to 2019, whether inside or outside the top 100.

For boys, these included Joel, Connor, Callum, Harley, Cole, Logan, Tyler and Kian. For girls it was Megan, Bethany, Natalia, Madison, Scarlett, Jessica, Skye and Georgie.

Plus, The ONS flagged that, since 2016, when Amazon Alexa first became available in the UK, it has decreased in popularity as a girls name (dropping from 332 girls named Alexa to just 39 in 2019).

Let’s spare a thought for those who already have a gadget answer them EVERY TIME they call for their kid.

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So … what’s your take on the baby names that have fallen out of popularity? Surprised? And would it make you less likely to pick one of those names?

Revealed: the baby names we fell OUT of love with in 2019

Jessica Powell

Fall from fame

Extinction awaits