Baby name trends come and go, but if there’s one thing most parents-to-be can agree on it’s just how difficult picking the perfect moniker can be. Over the last five years, there has been far more interest in ‘main character energy’ baby names, and after the pandemic there was a rise in ‘positive’ baby names.
And while there are some monikers that you expect to hear frequently – Olivia and Noah have been topping the charts for years now – there are others that have simply lost favour with parents. In fact, a number of names are already well on their way to becoming extinct in the UK – and they could completely disappear by 2026, according to new data.
Experts at baby brand Nuby analysed 25 years of data from the Office of National Statistics to find out which ten baby names will be extinct by the end of next year. While the research showed a resurgence in popularity for names like Frederik, Zachary and Evelyn, there are some baby names that are really struggling. Sheldon topped the extinction risk list, with only three babies registered with the name in 2024 – marking a 94% drop in usage since its peak in 1996.
Other names at risk include Giles, Derek, Craig, Tyrone and Gareth. Interestingly, the name Monica (which peaked in 1997, any guesses why?) is on the way out too, with only 22 registrations in 2024 – meaning it’ll likely be gone by 2027. And you won’t find a Ross in a UK nursery any time soon, either – it had precisely zero registrations last year.
So, which baby names are at risk of extinction in 2026? Let’s take a look…
|
Position |
Name |
Registrations in 2024 |
% drop since peak |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Sheldon |
3 |
94% |
|
2 |
Giles |
3 |
93% |
|
3 |
Karen |
4 |
95% |
|
4 |
Jazmin |
5 |
92% |
|
5 |
Aled |
6 |
91% |
|
6 |
Akshay |
6 |
88% |
|
7 |
Barry |
6 |
87% |
|
8 |
Carwyn |
6 |
85% |
|
9 |
Karis |
7 |
88% |
|
10 |
Lyndon |
8 |
81% |
James Russell–Watson, Head of Marketing at Nuby said: “From our research we can see parents today are looking for baby names that feel modern and timeless, and names that may remind people of older generations are being chosen less and less. Popularity of these names is forever changing, and can be influenced hugely by pop culture moments and popular TV shows.
“For example, I personally find it interesting that Sheldon has dramatically dropped over the years The Big Bang Theory has been off air. However, we could well see a resurgence in decades to come as parents look for something distinctive and nostalgic.”
So if you want to save any of these names, the time is now…