Is the UK Top 100 a Sneak Peak at the Future US Top 100?

General Name Discussion
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WARNING: This is kind of a long, stats-y post. But I’m hoping I’m not the only one who finds this interesting! :blush:

I’ve noticed that Americans and Brits influence each other a lot in naming styles. [name_u]Jackson[/name_u] and [name_u]Harper[/name_u] boomed here and have swiftly crossed the pond. Likewise, [name_u]Oliver[/name_u] and [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] have leapt up the charts here after being popular there for some time. So I was comparing the current (2019) Top 100s from both and noticing some sharp differences in popularity among several names (most of which are in favor here in the forums), and it got me to thinking about which names are about to hit it big here in the US. [name_m]Can[/name_m] we use the UK Top 100 as a guide? I’ve taken 50 names (25 girls and 25 boys) from the UK Top 100s to compare.

Some names that are uber popular there are already climbing the charts here – e.g. [name_f]Rose[/name_f] (#55 in the UK, now at #115 in the US), [name_f]Eliza[/name_f] (#39 in the UK, #119 in the US), [name_u]George[/name_u] (#2 in the UK, #119 in the US). Others that are Top 100 picks in the UK, and not too far outside the Top 100 in the US: [name_f]Iris[/name_f], [name_f]Daisy[/name_f], and [name_f]Freya[/name_f] for girls; [name_u]Jasper[/name_u], [name_u]Jude[/name_u], [name_u]Finn[/name_u], [name_m]Arthur[/name_m], and [name_m]Edward[/name_m] for boys.
Which of these do you think will be in the Top 100 within the next 5 years or so?

Then there are those that are not unheard of in the US, but not quite popular either:
Girls
[name_f]Georgia[/name_f] - #71 (UK) vs #205 (US)
[name_f]Ada[/name_f] - #65 (UK) vs #209 (US)
[name_f]Millie[/name_f] - #40 (UK) vs #239 (US)
[name_f]Elsie[/name_f] - #22 (UK) vs #247 (US)
[name_f]Lola[/name_f] - #52 (UK) vs #248 (US)
[name_f]Thea[/name_f] - #59 (UK) vs #293 (US)
Boys
[name_u]Jesse[/name_u] - #75 (UK) vs #201 (US)
[name_m]Oscar[/name_m] - #9 (UK) vs #205 (US)
[name_m]Felix[/name_m] - #93 (UK) vs #222 (US)
[name_m]Louis[/name_m] - #69 (UK) vs #248 (US)
[name_u]Arlo[/name_u] - #36 (UK) vs #271 (US)
[name_m]Tobias[/name_m] - #98 (UK) vs #272 (US)
[name_f]Do[/name_f] you see any of these about to explode in popularity? I know a lot of these are already popular on NB, which is a good indication that they could. But how well do you see them replacing current “non-berry” favorites like [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] and [name_u]Mason[/name_u]?

For this third section, let’s look at names that are much further down the charts in the US as opposed to Top 100 in the UK:
Girls
[name_f]Margot[/name_f] - #99 (UK) vs #304 (US)
[name_f]Evie[/name_f] - #16 (UK) vs #329 (US)
[name_f]Maisie[/name_f] - #46 (UK) vs #347 (US)
[name_f]Felicity[/name_f] - #100 (UK) vs #361 (US)
[name_f]Matilda[/name_f] - #31 (UK) vs #447 (US)
[name_f]Edith[/name_f] - #91 (UK) vs #501 (US)
[name_f]Beatrice[/name_f] - #84 (UK) vs #562 (US)
[name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] - #81 (UK) vs #652 (US)
Boys
[name_u]Ellis[/name_u] - #87 (UK) vs 342 (US)
[name_u]Rory[/name_u] - #47 (UK) vs 358 (US)
[name_m]Harvey[/name_m] - #78 (UK) vs #404 (US)
[name_m]Hugo[/name_m] - #53 (UK) vs 460 (US)
[name_u]Dexter[/name_u] - #95 (UK) vs #464 (US)
[name_m]Albert[/name_m] - #55 (UK) vs #474 (US)
[name_m]Frederick[/name_m] - #65 (UK) vs #475 (US)
[name_u]Harry[/name_u] - #3 (UK) vs #647 (US)
[name_u]Stanley[/name_u] - #72 (UK) vs #680 (US)
Are any of these poised to take the spots of [name_f]Thea[/name_f] and [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] in the near future?

And finally, these are the Top 100 picks from the UK that are very rare in the US, some even unranked entirely:
Girls
[name_f]Amelie[/name_f] - #80 (UK) vs #753 (US)
[name_f]Florence[/name_f] - #15 (UK) vs #934 (US)
[name_f]Harriet[/name_f] - #45 (UK) vs #983 (US)
[name_f]Imogen[/name_f] - #41 (UK) vs unranked (US)
[name_f]Lottie[/name_f] - #63 (UK) vs unranked (US)
[name_f]Darcie[/name_f] - #78 (UK) vs unranked (US)
Boys
[name_m]Reuben[/name_m] - #42 (UK) vs #914 (US)
[name_u]Toby[/name_u] - #57 (UK) vs #959 (US)
[name_m]Jenson[/name_m] - #70 (UK) vs unranked (US)
[name_m]Ralph[/name_m] - #88 (UK) vs unranked (US)
What do you think of these? Are any ready to become the next big thing here in the US? Place your bets now!

So just comment with any and all thoughts you have here! I’m genuinely curious what names you all think will be big hits in the US in the '20s. TIA!

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This is very interesting! Thanks for compiling this list! I’ve always thought that the UK was leading the trends, so this doesn’t surprise me at all, and rather confirms my hypothesis!

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This is a great post :blush: Very interesting.
This is also what concerns me about [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] because it’s in the top 25 in the UK so I can see it gaining more ground in the US. :unamused:

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I definitely think some of the UK names will end up in the US top 100 – it was my first thought when I found out [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] had taken [name_f]Emma[/name_f]’s top spot. [name_f]Georgia[/name_f], [name_f]Lola[/name_f] and [name_u]Arlo[/name_u] are a few examples of names that I think have the right appeal and seem to be rising already, while others lower down such as [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] and [name_m]Ralph[/name_m] seem unlikely to break the US top 100 for a while – if ever.

My big question is: will the US join the UK in its love of nickname names? It’s happened a few times on here where people have mentioned that they can’t see a name standing on its own or ageing well, but it’s a popular name in the UK. Maybe the rise of [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] and [name_f]Millie[/name_f] will encourage American parents to unearth other nickname names too?

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Yes, [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] is getting quite popular here! I thought about including [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] in my list, but I figured that one didn’t really need pointing out. I wouldn’t be surprised if she cracked the Top 100 by the end of the decade. (I personally know of at least two little Phoebes, and I’m surprised the name doesn’t rank higher than #291!)

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[quote=“[name_f]Gia[/name_f].berry, post:4, topic:354829”]
[name_f]My[/name_f] big question is: will the US join the UK in its love of nickname names? It’s happened a few times on here where people have mentioned that they can’t see a name standing on its own or ageing well, but it’s a popular name in the UK. Maybe the rise of Elsie and Millie will encourage American parents to unearth other nickname names too?
[/quote]

I have thought about this, too. In general, Americans seem to lean more towards the full formal name, even if they plan on using a nickname 100% of the time. I’d be surprised to see nicknames as given names catch on, but it could happen. You never know. :woman_shrugging:t3:

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I feel the same :unamused::unamused:

Oh, & thank you for making this @elanorelle!

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Yes, I noticed this trend years ago. [name_f]Pam[/name_f] & [name_f]Linda[/name_f] actually published a book on British names back in the 80s or 90s that I managed to find a copy of, and I was shocked at how many of the British names they had in lists in that book ended up being en vogue now in [name_u]America[/name_u].

I don’t think EVERYTHING transfers over, and there is indeed more of a class divide in the UK, but I definitely think that there are trends that start out in [name_m]Britain[/name_m] and make their way slowly across the pond.

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What’s it called? I’m curious which names got brought over.

(after a quick search) Was it this? Beyond Charles and Diana: An Anglophile’s Guide to Baby Naming

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Yes, that’s the book! It really is amazing when you see that posh people were using names in 1990s that we swoon over on here every day now.

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This is fascinating! Thanks for sharing this :slight_smile:

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Interesting :thinking:

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Interesting, thanks for posting.

I think it’s hard to say, because of different trends, cultural influences and celebrities. For example, [name_u]George[/name_u] is a very classic name in the UK but I’ve read that a lot of Americans associate it with former president [name_u]George[/name_u] [name_m]Bush[/name_m], which possibly explains its lower ranking the US. [name_m]Jenson[/name_m] is popular in the UK largely because of the racing driver [name_m]Jenson[/name_m] Button, but I’d say most Americans have probably never heard of him. And some names are considered “dated” in the US and “not dated” in the UK, and vice versa.

I find it surprising that [name_m]Reuben[/name_m] is so unpopular in the US, given the popularity of other Old Testament names. It’s a very mainstream name in the UK.

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What about [name_u]Oakley[/name_u]?