Top 20 baby names set for a comeback thanks to intriguing 100-year rule

Experts have revealed the top 20 baby names they expect to make a comeback in the years to come, and some are very sweet indeed.

These results, from the family genealogy service Findmypast, are based on record analysis, with researchers making predictions in accordance with a trend for names regaining popularity in 100-year cycles.

This means that names that may have waned somewhat in popularity will end up remerging every century, with a new generation of parents passing them on.

As previously reported by Wales Online, the Findmypast team has also revealed the influence of royal events on baby name choices.

For example, the name Elizabeth increased in popularity by 16% increase in 1926, the same year as the Queen's birth, while Prince Harry ’s 1984 birth led to the name Harry, which had dipped in the 1960s and 1970s to flourish once more.

With this in mind, it's expected that the names of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s young children, Lillibet and Archie, will provide plenty of inspiration for parents-to-be.

Royal events will often influence parents' name choices (Stock Photo) (Getty Images)

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Head of Content Publishing Operations at Findmypast, Mary McKee, said: “History always has a tendency to repeat itself and baby names are no exception.

"All roads point to Joan as parents are increasingly looking to name their baby girls after strong female historical figures, and who better to take inspiration from than Joan of Arc.

"When it comes to boys’ names, these have a tendency of coming back into fashion but as their nickname equivalent - Frederick becomes Freddie, Archibald becomes Archie and so there is every chance that Ronald could come back into circulation as Ronnie.”

History appears to repeat itself every 100 years (Stock Photo) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

10 girl baby names set to make a comeback

1. Joan
2. Mary
3. Margaret
4. Dorothy
5. Gladys
6. Irene
7. Iris
8. Elsie
9. Ada
10. Mabel

10 boy baby names set to make a comeback

1. Ronald
2. Arthur
3. Robert
4. Albert
5. Freddie
6. Edward
7. Archie
8. Ernest
9. Isaac
10. Harris

It's thought that Joan will make a comeback in the years to come (Stock Photo) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Joan is top of the list as the name most likely to make a comeback. Having previously been in the top 10 baby names of 1921, it faded somewhat in the mid-1950s before vanishing from the Top 100 completely.

This cyclical resurgence has already begun for some names. Arthur, Freddie, and Edward have all re-emerged on 2021’s Top 100 Baby Names for Boys, while Rose, Iris, and Ada all feature on the list of girls' names.

10 most popular boys' names of 1921

1. John
2. William
3. George
4. Thomas
5. James
6. Ronald
7. Arthur
8. Robert
9. Albert
10. Frederick

10 most popular girls' names of 1921

1. Mary
2. Margaret
3. Dorothy
4. Joan
5. Doris
6. Irene
7. Kathleen
8. Gladys
9. Elsie
10. Joyce

You can look up the history of individual names online through Findmypast’s What’s In a Name search tool.

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