Some boys’ names are at the risk of going totally extinct in the UK, after being staple choices for many years across the country – including Craig and Lee, which could die out altogether
Deciding on a baby name is a big decision, and parents know it is going to be with their child for life, so the pressure to choose a good one, that will stand the test of time, is definitely not easy.
Many parents spend months reading baby name books or searching online to find the perfect choice for their little one. But it seems that some previously common ‘dad names’ have seriously fallen out of favour – and don’t look likely for a resurgence anytime soon.
So any dad celebrating Father’s Day this weekend might want to check our data to see if their name is on the brink of extinction.
For decades, names like Craig and Lee were heard all around the UK – but they are at risk of dying out altogether, with few parents choosing them these days.
Back in the 1970s and 1980s, Craig and Lee regularly came in at the top end of the list when it came to the most popular baby names. In 1974, Craig came in as the 28th most popular baby name for boys, and ten years later, it became even more fashionable, coming in at 19th.
These days, only a mere nine babies have been named Craig in the UK, according to recent statistics, which means it’s fallen 2306 places in the rankings since 1984.
The extinction of so-called ‘dad names’ goes beyond this though, with the name Lee falling from the dizzying heights of popularity, straight to the bottom of the list when parents come to choose their child’s moniker.
In 1974, Lee was the 12th most popular choice, and a decade later, its popularity had only fallen very slightly, to 15th. Now, Lee has fallen a whopping 1127 places on the ranking list – so you aren’t too likely to come across a baby boy named this that often.
While commiserations should be given to all the Craigs and Lees you know out there – who might not be delighted to hear this news – they are also joined by Garys and Pauls.
Gary used to be a top choice for baby boys, but in 2023, only eight babies were bestowed this name. Paul was the number one name in 1974, but has since dropped 464th in the popularity charts.
The number one name for baby boys in 1984, Christopher, has also seen a huge drop in favourabilty amongst parents, dropping out of the top 100 altogether and hitting the 187th spot – with only 269 babies given this one in 2023.
Some boys’ names have managed to stay popular through the decades in the UK, however.
Names like Thomas, James, Adam, and Alexander all still prove pretty popular with parents to this day, and to a lesser extent David, Daniel, and Michael, which have all dropped from their original high positions in the charts, but remained in the top 100.
The top 25 most popular boys’ names of 1974 (and how unpopular they are now)
1. Paul: fallen 463 places
2. Mark: fallen 264 places
3. David: fallen 62 places
4. Andrew: fallen 290 places
5. Richard: fallen 406 places
6. Christopher: fallen 181 places
7. James: fallen 28 places
8. Simon: fallen 411 places
9. Michael: fallen 79 places
10. Matthew: fallen 127 places
11. Stephen: fallen 654 places
12. Lee: fallen 1127 places
13. John: fallen 145 places
14. Robert: fallen 133 places
15. Darren: fallen 1257 places
16. Daniel: fallen 44 places
17. Steven: fallen 797 places
18. Jason: fallen 156 places
19. Nicholas: fallen 182 places
20. Jonathan: fallen 238 places
21. Ian: fallen 540 places
22. Neil: fallen 907 places
23. Peter: fallen 227 places
24. Stuart: fallen 1,983 places
25. Anthony: fallen 159 places
26. Martin: fallen 275 places
27. Kevin: fallen 183 places
28. Craig: fallen 2,297 places
29. Philip: fallen 410 places
30. Gary: fallen 2,516 places