These 'retro' baby names are set to be very popular in the new decade

baby names
(Image credit: Konstantin Postumitenko)

With a new decade ahead of us, the popular baby names of the 2020s have been predicted according to the 100-year theory.

For girls born in the 1920s, the most popular baby names were Mary, followed by Dorothy, Helen, Betty, and Margaret in fifth place. In sixth place was Ruth, followed by Virginia, Doris, Mildred and then Frances in 10th place.

For boys, Robert was the most popular name of the 1920s. This was followed by John, James, William and then Charles. Sixth place was George, followed by Joseph, Richard, Edward, and then Donald in tenth place.

Could these baby names be popular again in 2020 and beyond, now that 100 years have passed?

Name trends have changed a lot over the years, with modern parents choosing very different baby names to those in the 1920s. For example, one study has suggested that these baby names are set to be popular this coming year, based on pop culture.

But if we’re sticking to the 100-year rule, it’s important to take a look at how the decades before us named their children.

In the 00s, the most popular name for baby girls was Emily, followed by Chloe, Sophie, Jessica and Olivia. Ellie came in sixth place, followed by Grace, Isabelle, Megan and then Lily in tenth place.

baby names

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For baby boys, the most popular name was Jack, followed by Joshua, Thomas, Daniel, and Oliver. James was sixth, then Harry, Samuel, Charlie and William finished off the list.

There are some similarities across the decades, with some names from the 00s also appearing in the 10s. Based on this, some people believe that older names will come back into fashion again.

For this decade, the most popular baby name for girls was Emma, followed by Sophia, Olivia, Isabella and Ava. In sixth place was Mia followed by Abigail, Emily, Madison and Charlotte in tenth.

For boys in the 00s, the most popular name was Noah, followed by Liam, Jacob, Mason and William. The list was finished off with Ethan, Michael, Alexander, James and then Elijah in tenth place.

Would you choose a ‘retro’ name for your baby? Let us know your thoughts on Facebook!

Lucy Buglass
Digital Writer

Lucy Buglass is a Digital Writer for What's on TV, Goodto.com, and Woman&Home. After finishing her degree in Film Studies at Oxford Brookes University she moved to London to begin her career. She's passionate about entertainment and spends most of her free time watching Netflix series, BBC dramas, or going to the cinema to catch the latest film releases.