The baby names in danger of going extinct

Unusual baby names are all the rage these days, but parents choosing names which were popular in the 1990s are few and far between.

Unusual baby names are all the rage these days.

And with the popularity of unique monikers rising, parents choosing names which were popular in the 1990s are few and far between.

In a new study by Cosmopolitan UK, the magazine compared government data on baby names in 1996 with 2020 name data, and discovered that some of the most popular names in England and Wales in the nineties are now in danger of going extinct, The Sun reports.

For boys, names such as Craig have seen the biggest decrease in popularity, with just 16 baby boys called Craig in 2020, compared to 705 in 1996 — a drop of 98 per cent.

Scott and Kieran have also dropped way down the list, with a 97 per cent drop between 1996 and 2020, while Jordan, Shaun, Ashley and Shane dropped by 96 per cent.

Some of the most popular names in the nineties are now in danger of going extinct such as Craig for those living in the UK and Dylan for those living in Australia. Picture: iStock

An incredible 1,594 baby boys were named Sean back in 1996, but last year, just 74 were given the moniker — a decrease in popularity of 95 per cent.

The names Curtis, Connor, Andrew, Dean, Matthew, Bradley and Callum are also in danger of dying out completely.

On the girls’ front, the names Kirsty, Shannon, Gemma, Jodie and Lauren have all dropped in popularity by 99 per cent.

Danielle and Jade are hot on their tails with a drop of 98 per cent, with just 103 babies given one of the two names last year, compared to 5,391 in 1996.

Leanne, Chelsea, Ashleigh, Amy and Rebecca all dropped by 97 per cent, while Rhiannon, Samantha and Megan concluded the list with drops of 96 per cent each.

In terms of the most popular names of 2020, Oliver, George and Arthur were the top three picks for boys.

While Olivia, Amelia and Isla were the most popular choices of the year for the girls.

On the girls’ front, names such as Kirsty, Shannon and Gemma dropped in popularity by 99 per cent in the UK, while in Australia Sarah, currently ranked 91, dropped 69 places. Picture: iStock

Aussie baby names no one wants

Meanwhile, in Australia, the names Oliver and Charlotte have consistently topped the list over the past 10 years.

But the names that have experienced the biggest fall in rank include Dylan and Sarah.

By 2020, Dylan ranked in 97th place overall, having dropped 61 places from number 36 in 2010, while Sarah, currently ranked 91, dropped 69 places.

Even though parents are still naming their kids Dylan and Sarah, it’s on the decline, according to the latest study by McCrindle Research.

“Both names have been in the top 100 over the past decade, but while they’re a popular baby name, they have really dropped,” Ashley Fell, social researcher of Australia’s Top Baby Names 2021 report, said.

In an interview with news.com.au last year, Ms Fell said the names were particularly big in the ’80s and ’90s, but parents of the Alpha generation (2010 to 2020) are looking for more unique, diverse and robust names.

“In today’s digitally connected world, a name is a lot more than what a teacher calls you – a name is a social media handle, a brand, a web domain, it may be taking it to extremes but that’s the reality of this digital world we live in,” she said.

“Parents of Generation Alpha don’t want a super generic and common name that’s why we are seeing more variety enter the top 100.”

However, there’s still a lot of Aussie parents who love traditional names, particularly with a royal connection, such as Charlotte which has been crowned the number one name for eight out of the last 10 years in Australia.

Similarly to the UK, Amelia and Olivia are also popular girls names, ranking second and third respectively.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission