The Politically Charged Baby Names Making a Comeback in 2017 and the Ones Going Out of Fashion Completely

2017 top baby name – CORBYN!

The wonderful task of starting a family is something that so many of us put hours and hours of thought into. The forward planning of when to conceive and where to settle down to ensure the best environment for a child is something that you’ve likely considered for long time.

Whilst practical purchases like clothes, nursery decorations and prams are high priority, nothing you buy for your baby will last as long as the name you chose for them at birth. And when it comes to choosing name for your precious bundle of joy, there are just so many choices it can be a little overwhelming.

If you’ve run out of ideas, or you’re sick of reading through the never-ending list of potential names then you might be interested to know the anticipated trends for the end of 2017, and the names which are dying out completely.

With the most recent general election still fresh in our minds 52% of parents would consider using the name Corbyn for their child.

Website and parenting hub www.channelmum.com did a survey of over 1300 mums and dads in the UK and found that there are a few surprising frontrunners in the baby name game. And with 53% of parents claiming they find it ‘very hard’ to choose the right name for their baby – we reckon you might need some fresh inspiration.

Would you name your child after a politician? We recommend you think it through before you do, as a politician’s career can have many ups and downs which will likely span your child’s life. Even so, with the most recent general election still fresh in our minds 52% of parents would consider using the name Corbyn for their child.

It’s not really a shock to learn that Boris, Donald and Nigel are also losing popularity as the well-known public figures continue to cause controversy.

The Labour leader has the most popular of all the politically-inspired names, with Cameron the second favourite. Although 38% of parents say they would opt for the name May, a meager 4% think Theresa is a name worth considering. It’s not really a shock to learn that Boris, Donald and Nigel are also losing popularity as the well-known public figures continue to cause controversy.

Overall, political names are one of the fastest-growing new UK baby naming trends with 23% of mums and dads seeing more politically-inspired names in their area.

Although a name shouldn’t really matter 70% of parents admit that they believe children are judged by their name, so it’s clear to see that this choice is a difficult one for many. With unusual names always making the headlines and becoming trendy for a moment or two, there are still 7% of families who openly admit they regret their child’s name.

So what other trends are on the rise? Well we must say, we love that gender neutral names such as Alex, Charlie, Elliott, Ellis, Max and Sydney are some of the names noted most by 41% of parents.

Overall, political names are one of the fastest-growing new UK baby naming trends with 23% of mums and dads seeing more politically-inspired names in their area.

The next most popular trend is names starting with or including the letter X. Contemporary choices include Jaxxon, Xanthe, Xander and Jaxton. Parents also seem to be looking to nature to spark ideas for unusual names, with 16% of people surveyed reporting names such as River, Lake, Delta and Coast to be catching on.

Most parents will be aware that the Disney film Frozen has played a part in the race to find the coolest name too, with character names Elsa, Kai, Anna and Olaf popping up throughout the UK.

Siobhan Freegard, founder of www.channelmum.com said, “What’s in a name? Well rather a lot. Names reflect both changing fashions and our changing society, such as the rise in use of many beautiful Muslim names’.

Indeed, 2017 has seen some of the most commonly used Muslim names adopted by non-Muslim families. The most popular choices include Zane, Zahra, Ayesha, Farah, Anila, Omar and Jana.

If all this talk of popular names has you worried that your first choice has become too ‘mainstream’ maybe it’s time to consider the names which are so unpopular they’re at risk of going out of use completely.. They say that fashion goes in cycles and most trends will repeat themselves every 20 years, so maybe looking at the endangered names list will get you ahead of the game? Girls names such as Cilla, Bertha, Janice, Mildred and Anita are some of the names yet to be registered in 2017 and Ian, Frank, Clarence and Clive and on the boys list.

If you’re still mulling it over and looking for further information, we recommend you check out this Channel Mum video where real parents share their honest thoughts on the subject.

Fiona Reid

Fiona Thomas is a lifestyle blogger based in Birmingham. She graduated with a degree in Commercial Music where she snuck into several journalism classes and realised her real passion was writing. She had a successful career in management for several years before returning to her calling and started developing Fiona Likes to Blog, whilst working freelance for other websites. She is a keen advocate of positive body image, mental health awareness, fitness and wellbeing.