Picking a name for your newborn bundle of joy is no easy task, but new research has revealed that some monikers are seemingly falling off the grid.
Every year in August, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) releases the official list of the most popular baby names from the year prior, but ahead of that, new analysis by My Nametags has revealed the top 50 “most endangered” names that could soon fade into the mist.
The research has also highlighted some of the names which are taking centre stage.
The leading name tag company – which looked at around 1.5 million names over a ten-year period – found that the names Gemma and Kieran were most at risk of dying out, having declined by more than 65% over the last decade.
Apparently, only 36 babies were given the name Gemma in 2020, and none so far this year.
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The names Rebecca (-59%), Lauren (-57%), Matthew (-43%) and Ryan (-43%) are also said to be in a severe decline.
My Nametags
So, what have those names been replaced with, then?
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Research shows that in recent years, parents have named their babies after popular TV characters or have taken inspiration from unusual and unique celebrity names, with My Nametags suggesting this is because we’re surrounded by all different types of popular culture.
For instance, the use of the name Aria (+597%) – thought to be inspired by characters from the popular TV shows Pretty Little Liars and Game of Thrones – has skyrocketed in recent years, with other names rising to the top including Harper (+317%), Mila (+261%), and Penny (+201%), which are inspired by the daughter of Victoria and David Beckham, actress Mila Kunis and Penny Hofstadter (the lead character in the long-running sitcom The Big Bang Theory).
Another trend on the up is the use of nicknames as given names, which has been increasing over the past few years.
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Wikimedia Commons
Monikers such as Albie (+282%), Bertie (+143%), Teddy (+211%), Belle (+95%), and Ronnie (+81%) all make the top 50 fastest growing names ahead of their traditional counterparts Albert, Theodore, Isabel, and Ronald.
My Nametags also revealed an increase in nostalgic, ‘old-fashioned’ names, with Mabel (+84%), Flora (+91%), Florence (+84%), Rupert (+205%), and Arthur (+104%) among titles that have experienced significant growth during the past 10 years and join the list of the top 50 fastest growing names.
You can read the lists in full via the My Nametags website here.
Featured Image – Unsplash
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First look images released of new BBC drama series from Happy Valley creator filmed in Yorkshire
Emily Sergeant
A new BBC series telling the story of five women who come together to create a makeshift punk-rock band is set to air later this year.
Riot Women, the brand-new drama from the multi-BAFTA award-winning writer Sally Wainwright – best known for being the creator of Happy Valley – is a six-part series set and filmed in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire.
First look pictures of the new show have now been released.
Starring Joanna Scanlan, Rosalie Craig, Tamsin Greig, Lorraine Ashbourne, and Amelia Bullmore as band members, alongside a talented supporting cast consisting of Taj Atwal, Chandeep Uppal, and Macy-Jacob Seelochan as the band’s riotous backing singers, the newly-released pictures show the women in action.
First look images have been released of a new BBC drama series filmed in Yorkshire / Credit: BBC
According to a synopsis on the BBC website, Riot Women dives headfirst into the world of five women who come together to create a makeshift punk-rock band in order to enter a local talent contest.
But, in writing their first original song, they soon discover that they have a lot more to say than planned – and this is their way to say it.
As they juggle demanding jobs, grown-up children, complicated parents, husbands who’ve buggered off, and disastrous dates, and relationships, the band becomes a catalyst for change in their lives, and it’s going to make them question everything.
📸 Here's your first look at Riot Women – the new drama from Sally Wainwright coming to @BBCiPlayer and @BBCOne in 2025
New pictures feature Joanna Scanlan, Rosalie Craig, Tamsin Greig, Lorraine Ashbourne, Amelia Bullmore, and more
Creators and producers say the show is a testament to the power of friendship, music, and the resilience of women who “refuse to be silenced by age or expectation”.
Speaking ahead of the show airing later this year, Riot Women creator, Sally Wainwright, commented: “I’m having a whole new buzz of excitement about the show as we bring it together in the edit, and I can’t wait to share it with everyone.”
Riot Women will premiere on BBC One and iPlayer in the UK later this year.
Featured Image – BBC
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A Manchester barbershop is offering a ‘pay what you can’ service this month
Danny Jones
Amidst the tidal wave of January deals on food and drink in Manchester, a local barbers is championing their own ‘pay what you can’ offer to help people along this month.
Jefe’s Barbershop, located in the heart of Manchester’s Northern Quarter, is one of the best barbers in the city centre, offering a wide variety of cuts and facial hair grooming services – they even offer a subscription service that helps people save money on regular trims.
That being said, they are well aware of those January blues and the mounting obstacles and anxieties that come with weeks of penny-pinching to make it to month’s end, as well as the general toll it can take on people’s mental health.
So this January, Jefe and his team are doing something different – as he puts it, “something special”: the barbershop is allowing customers to simply pay what they feel comfortable handing over and, in the case of those struggling, whatever they can afford.
It’s a simple gesture with a big purpose which helps ensure no one has to miss out on a feel-good moment or the confidence that comes from a fresh trim.
“All we do is laugh and joke about life—that’s why people come here,” Jefe explains. “I don’t want anyone to lose the chance to be present, to feel good, and to laugh with us.
“Men often need more help than they’re willing to let on and we want to be a helping hand they can rely on.” Now that’s a cause all of us can and should get behind.
Community support has remained at the core of Jefe’s Barbershop since the beginning when he swapped a basketball career for providing a much-needed service to Mancunian men.
From partnering with Manc sandwich shops and offering free haircuts for the homeless, to hosting street parties with local events companies and providing £5 trims to promote men’s mental health in 2023 when the cost of living crisis really kicked in – Jefe’s is always trying to make a difference in the area.
You’ve got to love businesses that go the extra mile.
If you want to make the most of this wholesome deal or just feel like you’re in need of a trim, you can book HERE or call them directly on 0161 818 7659.
The ‘pay what you can’ offer runs Monday to Thursday, 9am-7pm, subject to availability. You’ll find Jefe’s Barbershop on Stevenson Square
Because as the man himself puts it, “Everyone deserves to feel their best”.
Emily Sergeant -
18th May 2021 
