Full list of baby names at risk of going extinct in the UK - including Gemma, Rebecca and Kieran

20 May 2021, 13:23

By Heart

@thisisheart

The names Gemma and Kieran are at risk of becoming ‘endangered’ after a huge drop in popularity.

Picking out the perfect name is one of the biggest decisions any new parent has to make.

But it looks like some monikers are in danger of becoming extinct, with new research revealing the UK’s most endangered choices.

Analysis by label manufacturer My Nametags found that Gemma and Kieran have dramatically dipped in popularity with a decline of 68% and 65% over the last decade.

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The company added there were only 36 uses of the name Gemma in 2020, and none so far in 2021, while there have been four Kierans this year.

Analysis of more than 1.5 million names also found other choices on the endangered list include Tia, Aimee, Rebecca and Heather.

Meanwhile for boys, it includes Scott, Kyle, Ross and Reece.

On the opposite end of the scale, My Nametags has seen a rise in the use of names such as Albie, Bertie, Teddy, Belle and Ronnie.

Arlo, Seb and Penelope also feature on the list of the fastest growing names.

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Lars B. Andersen, Managing Director at My Nametags, said: "Our analysis revealed that names once popular with Baby Boomers, such as Gemma, Kieran, Hannah, and Ryan, are experiencing a steep decline in overall popularity.

"These names are being replaced by new favourites, and we were interested to find that modern parents tend to fall into three distinct camps when it comes to naming their children.

"The data shows a strong trend for modern names influenced by pop culture, vintage names that are having a come-back, and shortened versions of more traditional names, such as Ronnie and Albie.

She added: "We hope that our list can provide some inspiration to expectant parents – and perhaps even help to save Gemma and Kieran from total extinction!"

Baby names most at risk of extinction:

Girls

• Gemma (-68%)
• Tia (-60%)
• Aimee (-59%)
• Rebecca (-59%)
• Heather (-59%)

Boys

• Kieran (-65%)
• Scott (-60%)
• Kyle (-57%)
• Ross (-54%)
• Reece (-51%)

Baby names growing in popularity

Girls

• Aria (+597%)
• Harper (+317%)
• Penelope (+290%)
• Mila (+261%)
• Quinn (+232%)

Boys

• Albie (+282%)
• Arlo (+265%)
• Seb (+223%)
• Joey (+218%)
• Teddy (+211%)

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