100 least popular baby names that have fallen out of favour in the last 30 years - is your name on the list?
The once-popular names have dramatically fallen out of favour
Sorry Bill, Kirsty and Nicole - these names may have been popular in the past but they've fallen out of favour in recent decades, according to research.
Baby names come in and out of fashion, and it can be hard for parents to keep up with the latest trends. Because while you might expect the most unpopular baby names to be a combination of unique baby names or old fashioned baby names, you might be surprised by how familiar some of the least-used names are.
Language learning software Babbel has shown this, after looking at baby name records from the Office of National Statistics. The researchers analysed all the baby names recorded between 1914 and 1994 in the UK to compile a list of names that were previously in the ONS top 100 most popular baby names - but haven’t made the cut since '94.
The list is split into 50 boys' names and 50 girls' names, and some of the monikers that appeared might surprise you. It turns out that Bill, Iain and Stuart have all fallen out of favour for boys, while Kirsty, Lesley and Nicole have all fallen in popularity for girls.
However, if any of these options take your fancy, they might make a great choice if you're on the hunt for a name that will stand out on the class register...
100 least popular baby names
Boys' names
- Arlyn
- Ashton
- Barry
- Bill
- Cecil
- Chad
- Clarence
- Claude
- Clifford
- Corby
- Cyril
- Dale
- Dariyan
- Donald
- Drake
- Duran
- Elison
- Esteban
- Finch
- Gary
- Glenn
- Gordon
- Graham
- Horace
- Howard
- Huxon
- Iain
- Jeffrey
- Joules
- Keith
- Kielan
- Kobe
- Leigh
- Leslie
- Melvyn
- Neville
- Neymar
- Nigel
- Norman
- Quinten
- Rodney
- Royston
- Stewart
- Stuart
- Trevor
- Turner
- Tyde
- Uri
- Yuri
- Zekiel
Girls' names
- Aerith
- Alexa
- Angela
- Annette
- Andrea
- Ashley
- Bertha
- Beryl
- Beverly
- Bloom
- Carol
- Cheryl
- Dawn
- Delphina
- Doreen
- Edna
- Freda
- Gail
- Gillian
- Gladys
- Hilary
- Hilda
- Janice
- Jill
- Julianne
- Kay
- Kerry
- Kirsty
- Kristen
- Kyomi
- Lesley
- Lindsey
- Lorraine
- Lynne
- Mandy
- Marlene
- Maureen
- Muriel
- Nicole
- Norma
- Nyala
- Phyllis
- Shelia
- Shirley
- Tasmin
- Thelma
- Toni
- Tracey
- Vinisha
- Yvonne
If you're still searching for that perfect baby name, why not give our baby name generator a whirl or this Tinder for baby names app? You can also find inspiration in the oddest of places, from country music to these priceless millionaire baby names!
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Ellie is GoodtoKnow’s Family News Editor and covers all the latest trends in the parenting world - from relationship advice and baby names to wellbeing and self-care ideas for busy mums. Ellie is also an NCTJ-qualified journalist and has a distinction in MA Magazine Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and a first-class degree in Journalism from Cardiff University. Previously, Ellie has worked with BBC Good Food, The Big Issue, and the Nottingham Post, as well as freelancing as an arts and entertainment writer alongside her studies. When she’s not got her nose in a book, you’ll probably find Ellie jogging around her local park, indulging in an insta-worthy restaurant, or watching Netflix’s newest true crime documentary.
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