A quarter of people in Wales secretly hate the baby name their friend has chosen, new survey reveals

• 1 in 4 people in Wales (26%) admit that they secretly hate the baby name that their friend or family member has opted for when naming their child, a new survey reveals.
• The Baby Names Study uses ONS data to reveal which names are falling out of fashion, and identify the nation’s attitudes towards the names they would choose.
• Furthermore, 17% of those surveyed in Wales judge celebs for choosing an unusual name or spelling, while 1 in 5 don’t feel that their name represents them.
• The top reasons people would avoid using a baby name were if they associate it with someone unpleasant, followed by whether it’s related to a meme or joke.

A quarter of people in Wales admit that they secretly hate the baby name that their friend or family member has chosen for their child, a new regional survey has revealed.

The Baby Names Study uses data from the Office for National Statistics to identify trends in the names used – including which are becoming less popular – and surveyed 2,000 UK residents to reveal what would turn them off using a baby name for their own child. 

While 1 in 4 people are quiet about their friend’s name choice, the survey found that 11% of Welsh folks have gone so far as to tell their friend that they should change their mind.

When it comes to why people would avoid using a baby name, the survey shows that the top reason is if it’s associated with someone that the parent previously or currently dislikes – such as an old high school bully – as well as if it’s linked to a common meme or joke.

This can be seen in ONS nationwide data, as the name Karen – now synonymous with someone who belittles staff – has dropped in use by a massive 24% in the last five years.

Other reasons for avoiding a name came out as if it was mainly associated with a celebrity or the name they gave their child (12%), if it can be joked about as a euphemism (9%) and whether it was difficult to pronounce or spell (8%). 

There’s also evidence of this in the ONS data, as the name shared by popular yet polarising talk show host Ellen has also decreased in popularity by 40% over the last five years.

It’s not surprising then that 17% of those surveyed in Wales judge celebrities if they opt for unusual baby names or unnecessarily complicated spellings – with Elon Musk’s X Æ A-12, Gwynth Paltrow’s Apple and Kylie Jenner’s Stormi coming to mind. 

Top 5 reasons for avoiding a baby name in Wales

1. The name is associated with people I currently or previously disliked (25%)
2. The name is associated with a running joke, or meme (15%)
3. The name is primarily associated with a celebrity or the name they used (12%)
4. The name is commonly or can be used as a euphemism (9%)
5. The name is difficult to pronounce or spell (8%)

Baby names are clearly an important consideration for many of the nation’s young adults, as the results show that 11% of Scots have had lists of potential baby names for over five years, despite not yet being a parent or having plans to get pregnant. 

Other standout findings from the survey included that people often feel pressured into choosing a name they dislike by family or friends, while some don’t believe it’s necessary that both parents agree on a name before deciding it should be used.

Furthermore, 1 in 10 of us prefer to go by a nickname that we’ve chosen rather than our given name, while 3% of us regularly avoid sharing our middle names with people.

In the most recent ONS report, it was revealed that the most popular names in Wales were Noah, Oliver and Leo for boys, and Olivia, Amelia and Isla for girls.

To see the full results of the Baby Names Study, please visit: https://www.casinoguardian.co.uk/articles/most-popular-names-revealed/