The baby names from the 1920s set to make a comeback in 2020 – and the names that are so ‘old fashioned’ they’re gone for good
- An Australian parenting website has revealed vintage baby names set to return
- Alice, Evelyn and Elizabeth are gradually making comebacks Down Under
- But old fashioned monikers including Mildred, Mary and Irene remain out of style
- Hugely popular in the 1920s, names like Vera and Doris have fallen out of favour
- Parents are more likely to stick to traditional names for boys, with many still used
- Jack, James, William, Thomas and Henry all featured in Australia’s top 10 in 2019
Bygone eras are serving as inspiration for a growing number of Australian parents naming newborn boys, research reveals – but vintage monikers remain largely out of favour for baby girls.
A study from parenting site Essential Baby compared popular baby names from the 1920s with those most widely used in Australia in 2019 to determine which, if any, are on the rise.
Parents are more inclined to stick to traditional monikers for boys, with Jack, William and Henry – all popular in the 1920s – still ranking inside Australia’s top five boys names in 2019, in second, third and fifth respectively.
Hugely popular a century ago, names like Alice and Evelyn are gradually becoming fashionable again thanks to a trend dubbed ‘the 100-year rule’, which says names belonging to people in living memory are rarely used by younger generations.
Australian parents prefer to use traditional names like Jack, Henry and William for baby boys, while vintage monikers for girls remain largely out of favour (stock image)
Evelyn is currently the 20th most popular girls name in Australia, with Alice following close behind in 36th position.
But despite past popularity, Mary, Dorothy and Helen – the top three names for girls throughout the 1920s – are rarely heard today, remaining firmly out of style along with Mildred and Helen.
Once common Betty, Frances and Virginia failed to feature inside Australia’s top 100 girls names in 2019, with Shirley and Marjorie also missing out on spots.
Anna, the 13th most popular name for girls in the 1920s, now trails in 73rd position.
Despite past popularity, Mary, Dorothy and Helen – the top three names for girls throughout the 1920s – are rarely heard today, remaining firmly out of style along with Mildred and Helen (stock image)
But for parents of baby boys, names remain firmly rooted in tradition, with many of those popular a century ago still featuring well inside the top 20 in 2019.
Ranking at fourth and fifth in the 1920s, James and Thomas slipped only slightly over the course of 100 years, placing a respectable ninth and sixth last year.
Royal names like George, Edward and Charles were commonplace in the 1920s but enjoy significantly less popularity in modern times, ranking 34th, 45th and 74th in Australia in 2019.
Donald – the tenth most popular boys name in the 1920s – fell well outside the top 100 in 2019, potentially due to its association with polarising US President Trump.
Harold, Walter and Kenneth are other once beloved names which have failed to stand the test of time.