There's something fascinating about baby names even if you aren't thinking of starting a family. They're a reflection of pop culture trends – which is why Bridgerton and cottagecore-inspired names are having a moment – and they also signpost our hopes and aspirations for the future.
Inevitably, as some baby names enjoy a boom in popularity, others fall out of fashion. In time, of course, they may come around again – like Mabel, which was one of the top 100 baby names in England and Wales in 2019 for the first time since 1924.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
The folks at Flowercard have analysed ONS data of baby names given to boys and girls between 2000 and 2019 to make a list of so-called "endangered" baby names. These are the names that have fallen out of favour most rapidly over the last two decades.
According to ONS data, Kirsty is the most "endangered" girls' name. Whereas 525 newborns were called Kirsty in 2000, just four were given this name in 2019. Right behind is Jordan, which was given to 622 newborns in 2009, but just six in 2019.
Check out the 10 most endangered girls' names below.
1. Kirsty
2. Jordan
3. Shauna
4. Shannon
5. Courtney
6. Lauren
7. Gemma
8. Jodie
9. Jade
10. Natasha
2. Jordan
3. Shauna
4. Shannon
5. Courtney
6. Lauren
7. Gemma
8. Jodie
9. Jade
10. Natasha
The most endangered boys' name is Mitchell, which was given to 639 newborns in 2000, but just 21 in 2019. The name Kieran has also seen a signifiant slip in popularity: it was chosen by 2,586 parents in 2000, but by only 116 in 2019. That's a popularity decrease of 95%.
Check out the 10 most endangered boys' names below.
1. Mitchell
2. Kieran
3. Ross
4. Brandon
5. Craig
6. Ben
7. Jordan
8. Callum
9. Kyle
10. Scott
2. Kieran
3. Ross
4. Brandon
5. Craig
6. Ben
7. Jordan
8. Callum
9. Kyle
10. Scott
Meanwhile, a recent list of the most popular baby names in Scotland has revealed that parents' age has a noticeable effect on the names they choose.
According to Julie Ramsay of the National Records of Scotland (NRS), the list showed that "different generations of parents have different preferences for naming their babies", with millennial parents making different choices to parents from Gen Z.