Top 20 baby names set to make a comeback thanks to the 100-year rule

NEW RESEARCH HAS REVEALED THE BABY NAMES THAT ARE EXPECTED TO SURGE IN POPULARITY - AND THE LIST IS FULL OF TRADITIONAL MONIKERS. 09:40, 22 May 2025 New research has forecasted the top baby

names set to make a comeback - and it's down to a trend known as the 100-year rule. Based on analysis of records, there is a trend that names follow a certain cycle of popularity,

making a resurgence every century. The study from family history brand Findmypast also highlighted the influence Royal events have on the popularity of baby names. The name Elizabeth saw a

16 per cent surge in popularity in 1926, the year of the Queen's birth. Similarly, after a decline across the 1960s and 1970s, Prince Harry's birth in 1984 sparked a rise in

popularity throughout the following decades. Findmypast anticipates the Royal fascination to continue across the next decade with families looking to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's

children, Lillibet and Archie, for inspiration. Royal marriages also provided the population with plenty of inspiration when it came to choosing a name for their babies throughout history,

with a significant 56 per cent increase in babies named Phillip in 1947, the year the Prince married Elizabeth. Similarly, the name Diana saw a resurgence in 1981, in celebration of her

wedding to Prince Charles with a staggering 122% increase in babies named after her. Newly digitised by Findmypast and made public for the first time in a century, the 1921 Census has shed

light on the most popular names for infants. By analysing this data alongside current Royal trends, expert historians have predicted which baby names are most likely to experience a revival,

reports Wales Online. The What's In a Name search tool on Findmypast now allows users to easily explore the history of individual names online. THE TOP 10 GIRL BABY NAMES POISED FOR A

COMEBACK * Joan * Mary * Margaret * Dorothy * Gladys * Irene * Iris * Elsie * Ada * Mabel THE TOP 10 BOY BABY NAMES POISED FOR A COMEBACK * Ronald * Arthur * Robert * Albert * Freddie *

Edward * Archie * Ernest * Isaac * Harris Mary McKee, Head of Content Publishing Operations at Findmypast, 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 - Frederick becomes Freddie, Archibald becomes

Archie, and so there is every chance that Ronald could come back into circulation as Ronnie." Joan tops the list as the name most likely to make a comeback in the coming years. The name

was previously in the Top 10 most popular baby names in 1921, as revealed by the 1921 Census, it then plummeted in popularity in the mid-1950s before falling out of the Top 100 entirely.

Article continues below The resurgence has even already begun for some names, with Arthur, Freddie and Edward re-entering the Top 100 Baby Names for Boys back in 2021, and Rose, Iris, Ada

all featuring on the list for girls that year.