Some names never go out of style, and have remained firmly near the top of the popularity charts for hundreds of years.
On the flip side of that, others fall out of favour as just quickly as they enter the conversation.
But while you can probably still expect to be hearing little ones given the names Oliver, Noah, Olivia, and Isla for the foreseeable future, there’s a good chance it won’t be long before the top 10 looks quite different – with a whole host of new names and trends taking over.
One of the new trends that seems to be a hot topic of conservation for prospective parents at the moment is unisex and gender-neutral baby names.
It’s been a familiar concept for several decades now, with names like Alex, Morgan, Taylor, Ashley, Jamie, Lesley, and Jordan being just some of the names given to babies of either gender over the years, and then more-recently, hearing newborns called Riley, Charlie, River, Frankie, and Sage also becoming a regular occurrence.
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The UK’s fastest rising unisex baby names have been revealed / Credit: Wikimedia Commons | Unsplash
Within the last year, however, the trend seems to have taken off even more than ever before, as parents become less and less worried about typical gendered names.
According to recent data, the number of unisex names has increased by 56% here in England and Wales, with a sharp rise in usage in 2022 and 2023 in particular, and high-profile celebrity couples like Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively leading the way by naming their first daughter James, and influencers Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury choosing Bambi for their baby girl, many parents are being prompted to take the plunge.
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So, what are the fastest-rising unisex baby names being used for both genders then? And what monikers should parents be on the look-out for in the future?
The fastest-rising unisex names in England and Wales
Girls
Marlowe – Up 266 spots from 2020-21
Oakley – Up 249 spots
Blair – New to the Top 1000
Ronnie – New to the Top 1000
Noa – Up 190 spots
Boys
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Noa – New to the Top 1000
Marlow – New to the Top 1000
Ren – New to the Top 1000
Ocean – New to the Top 1000
Sunny – Up 195 spots
Marlow / Marlowe is now considered to be a top choice for both genders in the UK, along with Blair, Ronnie, Sonny / Sunny, and Noa – many of which were names that previously weren’t in the top 1000, but has since make their way in.
Sophie Kihm, who is an expert at leading name inspiration platform, Nameberry, has put this rise in unisex name usage down to the flexibility they offer.
She explained to the Metro: “Gender neutral names are rising, both because they give children flexibility should they not identify with their birth gender, but also because gender neutral names are modern choices with contemporary style.”
Featured Image – Pinterest
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Chanel has finally teased details of its Manchester fashion show – including when you can watch it
Daisy Jackson
In case you’d somehow not noticed, Chanel is heading to Manchester this week – and the fashion house has finally teased a few details.
The world’s most iconic designer brand has remained tight-lipped on the plans for its Metiers d’Art show, despite beginning construction on a massive structure in the heart of the Northern Quarter.
Chanel is set to bring high-fashion models and famous faces to Thomas Street, with reports suggesting all the five-star hotels in Manchester have been booked out.
Over the weekend, the brand finally publicly acknowledged the location for its fashion show for the first time.
They posted a teaser on their Instagram stories, including details of where people will be able to watch the show after the event.
Chanel shared a collage poster on Instagram that includes a Suffragette march, Hacienda stripes and ravers, and Kevin Cummins’ iconic photograph of Joy Division. So far, so Manc.
The poster reads: “Chanel 2023/24. Métiers D’Art show. Manchester MCR.”
Chanel then appeared to confirm that the show will be recorded and published live to the public the following day.
They added: “The film of the show will be revealed on Friday, December 8th at 9am Manchester time, 10am Paris time.”
Chanel’s post promoting its Metiers D’Art show in Manchester
Excitement is seriously starting to build now, with the huge overhead canopy along Thomas Street taking shape.
The road through the Northern Quarter will be closed for an entire month for the event and the construction around it, with the show itself taking place on Thursday 7 December.
It’s thought the show will have a ‘significant’ positive impact on the city’s night time economy too, with Sacha Lord writing: “Not only will Manchester be globally showcased this week, but the knock on effect on the night time economy will be significant.
“Most hotels booked out and many restaurants at max capacity already, creating many extra hours for staff.”
Previous settings for the Chanel Métiers D’Art fashion show have included a pontoon moored in Shanghai’s Huangpu river and a lavish banquet setting in a Parisian palace.
Chanel always chooses cities that are linked to its history, then themes the show around that, so Manchester’s cotton trade history is likely to feature heavily.
Pep Guardiola takes dig at Mikel Arteta after Man City players rage over refereeing mistake
Danny Jones
Pep Guardiola aimed a surprise jibe at his former assistant coach turned Arsenal manager following Manchester City’s frustrating draw against Spurs, joking that he wouldn’t make a “Mikel Arteta comment” after a huge refereeing blunder over the weekend.
The Man City head coach was one of many left visibly incensed by referee Simon Hooper’s on-field decision this past Sunday after the Premier League official blew a very late whistle whilst Jack Grealish was through on goal to pull the game back for a foul despite having already waved play on.
With the foul being committed against Erling Haaland, who got up almost immediately and earned the home side the advantage, the Norwegian number nine was left utterly furious when he turned to hear Hooper’s whistle blow after he had gotten back up and the pass to Grealish had already been made.
With Mateo Kovačić, Rúben Dias and Haaland all surrounding the ref, the lattermost being pictured swearing and physically pulling his hair out as his manager looked equally fuming and confused on the touchline, the Catalan coach decided to dig at a famous Arteta clip in his post-match interview.
You can watch the clip of Arteta that Pep is referring to HERE.
The 52-year-old was referencing a well-known video of Arteta in which he labelled VAR awarding a penalty to Newcastle against the Gunners last season “embarrassing” and “a disgrace”, which has gone on to become a widely-used meme online.
Ushering the reporter to move to the “next question” and resisting the urge to express his own anger, he simply explained that he couldn’t understand how the ref came to his decision.
Speaking to BBC Sport Manchester, he went on to admit, “Sometimes I lose my mind about the referees” but added that they are simply “always making mistakes” and that he’s sure “everyone enjoyed the game”. The neutrals, for sure — less so amongst Blues.
One of those who clearly couldn’t let it go after the fact was City’s star striker, who took to social media and reposted a clip of the sequence of play in real-time along with a simple one-word caption: “Wtf”.
Although the footage itself has now been pulled down from the site, both this along with the reaction from Haaland and his teammates on the pitch could result in charges from the FA for failure to control the players.
Answering once again after being asked about the social media post from the media, Guardiola said it was perfectly understandable for him to be disappointed with the circumstances and might have been sent off if he continued to remonstrate after full-time, adding, “Even the referee, if he played for Man City today, he would be disappointed for sure”.
You can watch Pep’s post-match press conference in full down below:
Emily Sergeant -
28th September 2023 
