Baby names verging on extinction in 2023

Baby names verging on extinction in 2023 – and those set to gain popularity this summer

Baby names come and go in terms of popularity, with vintage names sometimes coming back into fashion. Parents often take inspiration from varies aspects of life when it comes to naming their babies – and it turns out they are often inspired by the changing seasons.

While some season-inspired names such as August and Nova, are really popular, others are apparently on the verge of extinction.

The life insurance team at Comparethemarket have crunched the numbers from the Office for National Statistics to find out the spring and summer-inspired names that are declining in popularity, and also the ones that are likely to surge this summer.

Many parents take inspiration from spring and summer (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

According to the study, the name Varsha, which means rain, has had the biggest drop in popularity for girls. Looking at numbers from 2011 to 2021, they found that the name had dropped a massive 100%.

In second place, they found not many people are naming their daughters Brooke, which means small stream, as the title has had a massive 83% drop over recent years.

Other girls' names becoming less popular include Tamar, which means palm tree (79% drop), Lucy, which means light (73% drop) and Chloe, which means blooming (72% drop).

For boys, the name Arun, which means dawn, has had the biggest drop, with a 67% decrease in popularity. In second place was Dayton, which means light town, and has dropped 65% in recent years.

Some names are becoming increasingly popular (stock image) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Other boys names on the way out include Dylan, which means son of the sea (63% drop), Owen, which means lamb (59% drop) and Kai, which means sea (47% drop).

On a more cheerful note, the name Nova has become 7,129% more popular since 2011, closely followed by Aura (1,525%), Primrose (916%) and Parker (850%).

For boys, August leads the way with a whopping 1,383% increase, followed by Hunter (1,236%) and Axel (902%).

Below is a full list of the names that will likely continue to be popular throughout 2023, followed by the percentage increase in use since 2011.

Girls:

1. Nova (7,129%)

2. Aura (1,525%)

3. Primrose (916%)

4. Parker (850%)

5. Juniper (730%)

6. Ivy (624%)

7. Maple (500%)

8. Posy (500%)

9. Oceana (467%)