Philip, Holly, Meghan, and Harry Experience Decline as Succession and Bridgerton Inspire Naming Trends, Eurovision Makes an Impact, and Classic Gen X Names Return
The popularity of certain baby names has been impacted by celebrity controversies, according to BabyCentre’s half-year name charts. Philip, Holly, Meghan, and Harry, commonly featured in recent gossip, have seen a decline in rankings. However, the latest trends influencing parents revolve around Eurovision, television and film, as well as the quaint cottagecore aesthetic.
The tumultuous celebrity controversies have had a significant effect on the rankings of certain names. Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield, known for hosting This Morning, have faced controversy in recent months, ranging from “queuegate” to Philip’s undisclosed relationship with a younger colleague. Although these names ranked highly in previous years, Holly has plummeted in popularity and is no longer among the top 100 names. Philip, along with its shortened version Phil, has also dropped in rankings and only had a single registration this year.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have also made headlines, particularly with the release of their controversial documentary and Harry’s memoir, “Spare.” Harry has experienced a decline in ranking, dropping from number 13 to number 23. Similarly, both the names Meghan and its alternate spelling, Megan, have also decreased in registrations.
Sarah Redshaw, the managing editor for BabyCentre, acknowledged the influence of celebrity drama on naming choices. She stated, “Whether you follow celebrity controversies or not, it has been challenging to avoid the recent media outbreaks. Negative press surrounding certain celebrity names undoubtedly contributed to their declining popularity among parents this year. The speed at which reputations can change and how short people’s memories are will determine whether Philip, Holly, Meghan, and Harry can regain their previous level of popularity.”
While real-life gossip deterred parents, on-screen drama played a role in elevating certain names in the charts. Fans of the HBO series Succession witnessed the rise of names associated with the show’s characters. Logan, the family patriarch, jumped six places to secure the 48th position, while Roman, the wayward son, climbed nine places to reach number 47. Frankie, a trusted ally of the family, made its first appearance in the top 100 names. Hugo, Waystar Royco’s cunning spin doctor, soared 47 places to secure the 43rd spot. Additionally, Kendall, another prominent character in the series, received its first registrations in BabyCentre’s data.
The release of “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story” influenced naming trends as well. Charlotte skyrocketed to the 25th position in the top 100 names, while Violet climbed 19 places to number 47. Penelope also experienced a notable increase, rising 14 places to secure the 60th spot. Meanwhile, Theo maintained its strong position, holding onto the third place.
Names associated with Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” adaptation on Netflix made a splash in the half-year charts. Ariella, a new entry, dove straight into the top 100 at number 86, while Ariel continued to remain popular, despite being outside the top rankings. Sebastian, a beloved character from the movie, floated up 24 places to reach number 38. Additionally, Ariel’s sister, Indira, appeared as a new registration.
The screen adaptation of the childhood classic “Matilda” by Netflix resulted in a significant surge in the name’s popularity. Matilda jumped 23 places to secure the 32nd position, while Tommy soared to number 27. Lavender also became a new registration. However, the name Agatha, associated with Matilda’s cruel nemesis, experienced a decline in popularity.
Sarah noted, “Film and television have always been influential factors for parents when naming their children, and this year is no exception. Names featured in popular movies and shows consistently rank high in our charts, as long as the drama remains on the screen.”
In addition to on-screen influences, parents also tuned into Eurovision, which had a significant impact on naming trends. The event garnered 162 million viewers worldwide and attracted the largest TV audience in the UK’s history. Sam Ryder, a fan favorite and the runner-up in the 2022 Eurovision, made a strong debut in the top 100 names. The UK’s 2023 Eurovision entrant, Maeve (Mae Muller), also experienced an increase in popularity, rising 5 places to secure the 62nd spot. Mae remained a consistent favorite among parents, even though it didn’t make it into the top 100.
Parents have also shown a renewed interest in classic Gen X names, moving away from the Victorian vintage trend. John and Sarah, popular names from that era, made their way into the top 100 names as new entries. Sarah secured the 58th position, making it the second highest new entry for girls, while John landed at number 92. David and James also experienced significant jumps, rising 23 and 25 places, respectively. This trend may explain Sebastian’s surge into the top 40 names.
Among the Gen X girls, Niamh joined Sarah as a new entry, securing the 81st position. Layla climbed 34 places to reach number 12, Penelope rose 14 places to number 60, and Maria went up six places to secure the 65th spot.
The rise of the cottagecore aesthetic, which portrays a romanticised life in nature, has influenced the popularity of nature-themed names. Lily claimed the top spot in the charts, while Jasmine climbed 28 places to reach number 67. Dahlia also experienced notable growth, nearly doubling its number of registrations.
Sarah highlighted the impact of the post-pandemic shift towards remote work and a greater emphasis on home and gardens, stating, “As more and more people work from the comfort of their homes and gardens, away from the bright lights of city office blocks, nature-inspired names have flourished. New parents have also been exploring tree-inspired names, such as Willow, which has firmly rooted itself at the 14th position, and Hazel, a new entry into the top 100 at number 72.”
The release of BabyCentre’s mid-year rankings offers parents a sneak peek into naming trends before the annual top 100 list is revealed. The top names for boys remained relatively unchanged, with Muhammed maintaining its position at the top. Noah, Theo, Leo, and Oliver also held onto their respective positions. However, Arthur experienced a notable jump, climbing five places to reach number 6 and displacing Jack by one rank. George and Luca fell two places to secure the 9th and 10th positions, respectively. Freddie, on the other hand, rose two places to reach number 8.
In the girls’ chart, Lily claimed the pole position, surpassing the previous chart-topper Sophia. Names ending with “A” remained popular, as Amelia, Freya, and Aria all rose two places, occupying the 4th to 6th positions. Ivy, previously in the top 10, experienced a decline, tumbling six places to number 16. This paved the way for a new top 10 entry—Mila—which surged an impressive 31 places to secure the 10th spot.
The release of BabyCentre’s mid-year rankings offers parents a glimpse into the evolving landscape of baby names, shaped by various influences ranging from celebrity dramas to on-screen inspirations and emerging trends.
Top 100 names in full:
Boys’ names
1. Muhammad +0
2. Noah +0
3. Theo +0
4. Leo +0
5. Oliver +0
6. Arthur +5
7. Jack -1
8. Freddie +2
9. George -2
10. Luca -2
11. Henry +4
12. Ethan -3
13. Oscar +1
14. Jude +28
15. Alfie +7
16. Archie +1
17. Jacob +9
18. Liam +7
19. Charlie -3
20. Thomas -1
21. Jayden +18
22. Teddy -4
23. Harry -10
24. Aiden -3
25. James +15
26. Lucas +1
27. Tommy +16
28. Ezra +19
29. Jaxon +2
30. Louis -7
31. Elijah +3
32. Daniel -4
33. Finley -9
34. Isaac -1
35. Max -3
36. Ryan -24
37. Theodore -1
38. Sebastian +24
39. Yusuf +12
40. Nathan +9
41. Albie +5
42. Alexander +6
43. Hugo +47
44. Ahmed new
45. Arlo -7
46. David +23
47. Roman +9
48. Logan +6
49. William -8
50. Caleb -21
51. Dylan -1
52. Hudson +22
53. Rory +0
54. Harrison +11
55. Mason -11
56. Reuben -19
57. Adam -37
58. Gabriel +17
59. Zain -24
60. Joshua -30
61. Kai -9
62. Mateo new
63. Abdul +22
64. Alex +2
65. Grayson +5
66. Luke +20
67. Joseph +21
68. Michael -10
69. Myles -9
70. Zion +27
71. Ali -26
72. Samuel -15
73. Toby -18
74. Benjamin -2
75. Jason -7
76. Axel new
77. Hunter -4
78. Musa new
79. Oakley +5
80. Reggie +11
81. Sam new
82. Austin new
83. Cody new
84. Edward +8
85. Asher -6
86. Hamza new
87. Jesse -20
88. Rowan -11
89. Frankie new
90. Harvey new
91. Felix new
92. John new
93. Levi -22
94. Abdullah +5
95. Ayaan -34
96. Eddie new
97. Eli -14
98. Elias new
99. Jake new
100. Junior new
Girls’ names
1. Lily +1
2. Sophia -1
3. Olivia +0
4. Amelia +2
5. Freya +2
6. Aria +2
7. Ava -2
8. Isabella +4
9. Isla -5
10. Mila +31
11. Grace +3
12. Layla +34
13. Maryam +23
14. Willow +9
15. Elsie +7
16. Ivy -6
17. Ella +1
18. Evelyn +16
19. Evie -4
20. Mia -7
21. Maya -12
22. Daisy -2
23. Emily -12
24. Sienna +5
25. Charlotte +8
26. Florence +6
27. Isabelle +0
28. Luna -4
29. Poppy -4
30. Aurora +22
31. Fatima +6
32. Matilda +23
33. Millie -16
34. Phoebe +5
35. Eliana +10
36. Zara -20
37. Zoe -11
38. Eva +12
39. Ayla +1
40. Darcie +22
41. Harper -3
42. Rosie -21
43. Ayzal new
44. Hannah -25
45. Maisie -3
46. Scarlett +46
47. Violet +19
48. Emilia -13
49. Nur -18
50. Sophie -22
51. Chloe -8
52. Esme +38
53. Aisha +32
54. Alice -3
55. Bonnie +25
56. Hallie -12
57. Lottie +6
58. Sarah new
59. Imogen +16
60. Penelope +14
61. Ellie +12
62. Maeve +5
63. Ruby -9
64. Lyra new
65. Maria +6
66. Delilah new
67. Jasmine +28
68. Nora -9
69. Talia +8
70. Eleanor -6
71. Erin -22
72. Hazel new
73. Riley new
74. Robyn -9
75. Thea -17
76. Bella -19
77. Mabel +22
78. Maddison -9
79. Ada -49
80. Clara new
81. Niamh new
82. Rose -4
83. Nova +1
84. Orla +3
85. Arabella -15
86. Ariella new
87. Emma -39
88. Abigail -5
89. Olive +7
90. Ophelia new
91. Zahra new
92. Anaya -24
93. Athena new
94. Cora new
95. Lucy -19
96. Amelie new
97. Gabriella -9
98. Lara -1
99. Leah -43
100. Amber new
