THE MOST unpopular baby names have been revealed, and it’s bad news for those who were named after TV characters.
A study into the UK’s least-loved names shows monikers used by former telly stars are among the most hated by modern parents.
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Parenting site ChannelMum.com analysed official data from the Office of National Statistics and found 30 once-popular name choices are now given to less than one tot a week.
Included in the list of names parents have shunned are the characters from 90s hit series Friends – just three children were named Chandler last year, despite the name being in the top 500 list in 1996.
While the number of newborns named Ross plunged from 1,150 in 1996 to only 42 in 2018 and just 31 baby girls were named Monica.
Controversial TV presenter Piers Morgan’s first name has plummeted from 296 in 1998 to ‘unranked’ now, meaning fewer than three babies shared the name in the last 12 months.
LEAST POPULAR BABY NAMES
LEAST POPULAR BOYS’ NAMES
1. Jeff / Geoff – 0
2. Melvyn – 0
3. Graeme – 0
4. Piers – 0
5. Greg – 0
6. Ken – 3
7. Clive – 3
8. Chandler – 3
9. Niles – 4
10. Kirk – 4
11. Ainsley – 5
12. McCauley – 5
13. Brett – 8
14. Grant – 14
15. Ross – 42
LEAST POPULAR GIRLS’ NAMES
1. Isis – 0
2. Tammy – 0
3. Justine – 0
4. Tracy – 0
5. Norma – 3
6. Carol – 4
7. Leoni / Leigh – 4
8. Marlene – 5
9. Donna – 6
10. Reese – 6
11. Rowena – 6
12. Kelly – 22
13. Carly – 27
14. Monica – 31
15. Ashley – 42
And celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott has failed to cook up a storm with his name, as only five families chose it in the last year, compared to over 400 in 1997.
For girls, nineties hit TV Show Sabrina the Teenage Witch has cursed the name with the number of parents picking it down by two thirds.
Also freefalling in popularity is Ashley, made famous by Ashley Banks in the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, with just 42 babies given the name last year.
ChannelMum.com baby names expert SJ Strum said: “It’s a lesson to modern parents that naming your child after the latest trend or popular TV show could see a swift decline in that name being one you’ll love forever.”
“However, what goes down must come up.
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“Highly unpopular baby names are often chosen by hipster parents as these mums and dads seek out a unique name which will make their child stand out in real life and increasingly online.”
The trend could mean parents who recently chose the names Ada and Arthur from the hit show Peaky Blinders might see their picks fall out of fashion in the playground by the time their tots are teens.
Among the most unpopular names for girls last year were Tammy, Justine and Tracy, with the names given to fewer than three babies each.
The rise of the terror group also saw the end of the name Isis.
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Not a single baby was given the name in 2018, despite it being the 825th most popular name in the UK in 2013.
There were also only three named Norma, and four Carols.
For boys, the least popular names are Jeff and Geoff, Melvyn, Greg and Graeme, with no babies given these monikers last year.
Also unloved by mums and dads are Ken and Clive, with just three parents picking the names respectively for their children.
But the study also showed there is hope for some hated names, as nine in 10 parents are happy to consider a name which has fallen out of fashion in the hope of finding a hidden gem.
Alongside this, a third of parents rule out any names rising up the charts, so their baby doesn’t have the same name as others in class.
Among the once untrendy names coming back into fashion are Prudence, Herbert and Ray.
SJ Strum for ChannelMum.com added: “Once a name is hip again, it can climb back up the charts quite quickly.
“So we may well see a playground packed with Tammys, Justines, Jeffs and Kens in the next 10 years.”
In other parenting news, these off-grid parents on benefits say they deserve their three-bed council house as they’re saving taxpayers’ cash by home-schooling kids.
And Stacey Solomon has shared a hilarious mum tip that makes going to the loo so much easier.
