WE ALL know that trends come back around.
Just ask anyone who wore flares in the 70s or the thousands of people terrified by the threatened return of low-rise jeans.
Have you heard about this bizarre 100-year rule when it comes to baby names?Credit: Getty
But apparently it’s not just fashion that works on a cycle, it’s names too.
Experts have identified a bizarre 100-year rule that allows them to predict exactly which names will be making a comeback this year.
The researchers at family genealogy service Findmypast have based their conclusions on analysis of baby name records.
They say that, as there appears to be a 100-year cycle in baby name trends, we can look to popular monikers from this time last century to work out what’s in the up.
This suggests that names that slip out of popularity only need to wait for 100 years to pass before they are back in fashion.
The Findmypast team also revealed that the Royal Family is very influential when it comes to what we call our children.
The name Elizabeth saw a 16 per cent increase in popularity in 1926, the year the Queen was born.
While in 1984, the year Prince Harry was born, the name suddenly had a resurgence after spending years in a slump.
Head of Content Publishing Operations at Findmypast, Mary McKee, said: “History always has a tendency to repeat itself and baby names are no exception.
“All roads point to Joan as parents are increasingly looking to name their baby girls after strong female historical figures, and who better to take inspiration from than Joan of Arc.
“When it comes to boys’ names, these have a tendency of coming back into fashion but as their nickname equivalent.
The baby names set to comeback
Girls
- Joan
- Mary
- Margaret
- Dorothy
- Gladys
- Irene
- Iris
- Elsie
- Ada
- Mabel
Boys
- Ronald
- Arthur
- Robert
- Albert
- Freddie
- Edward
- Archie
- Ernest
- Isaac
- Harris
“Frederick becomes Freddie, Archibald becomes Archie and so there is every chance that Ronald could come back into circulation as Ronnie.”
Topping the charts of names likely to make a comeback is Joan.
It was in the top ten names of 1921 but dipping in popularity in the 50s.
The 100-year rule has already kicked in for names like Arthur, Freddie and Edward which are all back in the name charts after some time out in the cold.
While Rose, Iris, and Ada are all creeping up the girls’ charts.
Want to search the history of your favourite name? You can get all the details through Findmypast’s What’s In a Name search tool.
