The Woman’s Owncolumnist on baby names, Taylor Swift and water bottles
DAWN NEESOM MIND OF MY OWN
Has yours made the list?
Pretty sure I’ve been an endangered ‘species’ since the day I was born. Same goes for my mum and nan. Wonder if you are, too? I suspect many of you will be, which you can either take as making you a very special, unique, lovely thing, or so ‘old school’, your lessons were handed down on tablets of rock by a bloke called Moses.
Who is definitely endangered himself. Because today, it really is all in the name. New research carried out by the BabyCentre has examined the biggest declines in names given to nippers between 2022 and 2023 – and the results are curious, to say the least.
Moses is one of the most ‘endangered’ boys’ names predicted for 2024, while another
religious moniker - Muhammad
- is set to top the list of the most popular.
It reflects the changing mix of our society, which is simple to understand.
What is less clear is why so many celebrity names are also falling out of favour.
Keanu - as in Keanu Reeves
- tops the list of boys’ names likely to disappear this year. Bruno (Bruno Mars, anyone?)
is also in trouble, along with less starry names Ryder and Buddy.
While for girls, Flo (short for Florence) - Florence Welch of pop group Florence + The Machine; and one of the world’s most sought-after actors, Florence Pugh – is the most in danger of disappearing.
Flo is closely followed by Vivienne, which is sad as it’s not so long ago that we said goodbye to the godmother of punk, Vivienne Westwood, while actor Vivien Leigh has always been acknowledged as one of the most beautiful movie stars ever.
Renée Zellweger and Anita Dobson’s first names are both in trouble too, while Samuel L Jackson’s middle name of Leroy is dying a death and Tiger Woods’ first name is nearly as endangered as the animal itself.
As the names Dawn, Elsie (Mum and Nan) and Maureen (all three of us share this middle name – imagination wasn’t a strong point in the family name game) have never featured on any round-up of popular baby names, we’ve never had much to worry about with these lists.
But according to Faye Mingo, chief marketing officer at BabyCentre, the best way to use the lists is to pick a name that is in danger of dying out, because the chances are your child will be the only one in class with the name.
The names to avoid for girls in 2024, though, are Olivia
- romping home as favourite -
with Amelia, Isla and Ava not far behind. Lily
