It’s unhealthy information for ‘Nigels’ as consultants say they’re a threatened species in UK
Nigel has topped a list of endangered names that are so unpopular experts reckon they may cease to exist altogether – other names under threat include Gary, Keith, Barry and Trevor
Nigel Farage might be topping the polls in politics – but his name is heading for the scrapheap. The moniker was the 55th most popular in 1974, but has now fallen out of favour with a new generation of parents.
Nigel has topped a list of endangered names that are so unpopular experts reckon they may cease to exist altogether. In 2020 no baby Nigels were registered in England and Wales, according to Office for National Statistics data.
The name has been joined by Gary, Keith, Barry and Trevor, which have now fallen out of the top 100 choices. Sharon, Karen, Tracy, Linda and Carol were the some of the least popular girls’ names, with Olivia and Hunter among the new favourites.
Baby experts at For Your Little One, which did the research, said: “With media such as Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook being a huge influence on everyday life, fresh celebrities, athletes and creators take the blame.
“People seeing those names in the media a lot more, influences their decisions for baby names. FYLO reckons the changes in popularity of names is also due to Britain’s population becoming more diverse.
Muhammad was the most popular boy name in 2024 and FYLO reckons it is likely to be favoured by parents in 2025. It explained: “Parents often want choices that resonate well across their culture and languages.” It believes another reason for many names “going extinct” is due to the average age for Brits having kids increasing from 23 in 1970 to 31 today due to financial pressures they are facing. FYLO said: “Many Brits will have children a lot later therefore influencing their decisions.”
Earlier this year, we reported how the name Steve is dying out and will soon join the history books with the other doomed monikers. It was a staple of the 80s and 90s but the title has seen its popularity plummet as parents go for more la-di-dah options.
But in a glimmer of hope, Steve topped the list of monikers people would like to save from extinction. The tally, by Etsy, also found names such as Colin and Craig are still liked by folk – but just not enough to bestow upon their children.
Roger, Tyrone, and Phil are also in grave danger, with less than 10 tots given these names in 2024. Baby name consultant SJ Strum, author of ‘Baby Name Envy’, said: “Trends are constantly evolving over time, and these names in particular have seen a big decline in recent years.
“Many of these we often think of as Dad names, as a result of them being so popular in the 80s and 90s. Now new parents are searching for more playful and creative names that have unique meanings.”
The expert said the name Steve may be handed another lifeline by parents who give it a new twist.
She added: “We’re also seeing an upcycling trend emerge.
“For example, Steve, which was once popular for men, is now being adapted to Stevie for a baby girl.”
Meanwhile, an opposite trend is occurring for women’s vintage names as parents lap up granny monikers such as Mabel, Betty and Gigi.
