A look at baby names since 1900s
As Shakespeare’s famous quote goes, “What’s in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” While that may be the case, it seems there’s a lot in a name if data on baby names from the NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages in Australia is anything to go by.
The endangered
According to data on baby names since the 1900s, the once popular names of John, Robert, Mary and Susan have rapidly declined in the new millennium.
Once upon a time, John was the most common name for a boy. On average a whopping 3,083 Johns were born every year in the 1940s, but by 2014 the Hebrew name meaning "God is gracious" had a dramatic fall from grace with only 107 new Johns introduced to the world. It was the same story for Robert and Peter – in one decade there were 2300-2500 babies each year bearing those names, which has since fallen to 100 in 2011.
The endangered girls’ names include Margaret, Mary, Susan and Karen. While Margaret was once the most popular girl’s name of the 1940s, there’s been fewer than 20 babies named Margaret a year since 2000. There are fewer than 10 baby Susans and Karens since 2011.
The resurrected
But if you’re name is on the “endangered” list, don’t lose hope – as history shows, old-fashioned names can be resurrected and catapulted right back into fame.
Just take the Jacks, Graces and Rubys of the world. Mid-last century their names were on the brink of extinction but have now enjoyed a soaring popularity. While common in the beginning of the century, there were fewer than 10 Jacks a year born in the 1960s and 1970s. However, it has since become the most popular boys' name from 2004-2008, and the third most popular boys' name in 2015. The name Ruby has also found a way back from extinction, climbing from a rank of 58th in 2000 to first in 2012.
The popular
No name can be popular forever, but these names come pretty close.
For girls, Jessica has had the longest reign of any name. The most popular girls' name for 14 consecutive years, from 1984 to 1997, the Hebrew name meaning "rich" doesn’t seem to be waning any time soon.
For boys, Joshua is the most enduring popular, coming in top spot for 11 years, 1992-1996 and 1998-2003. David and Michael have also held the coveted most popular baby names spot for nine years.
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