The most popular name for boys in the UK is Muhammad for the third year running. Although the top 10 is similar to previous years, several new names have entered the top 100, including some “old-fashioned” names, reflecting a change in trends. The new entries for baby girls include Marnie, Eliana, Gracie, Anaya, Alba, Lilah, and Frankie. For boys, the new top 100 entries are Vincent, Carter, Stanley, and Ruben.
Marnie is originally a short form of Margaret and gained popularity in 1964, after Alfred Hitchcock’s film Marnie. Marnie is considered a vintage and retro name, but many parents in the UK are now choosing the nostalgic name for their little ones.
Mums took to the parenting forum Mumsnet to share their thoughts, with one saying: “It’s a nice choice, but if it was me, I would use Marina, Maren, Maria, Margaret, and use Marnie as the nickname.”
Margaret has been used since the Middle Ages and was the most popular girl’s name in England in the 1920s and 1940s.
Other mums commented on its traditional form, with many saying that Margaret sounds very old-fashioned. One mum said: “I had always thought it was an old lady name – every old lady seems to be called Margaret.”
Another one commented: “My nana is called Margaret too, and I’d love to use her name for a little girl. For me, it’s a bit too old-fashioned, but I’d use Maggie or Peggy.”