Are royal baby names copied by public?

Image
ANI London
Last Updated : Jul 25 2013 | 11:30 AM IST

People make the assumption that royal baby names have a massive impact on the monikers that ordinary people choose for their kids, which is not necessarily the case, it has been revealed.

Baby name trends are usually influenced by various sources. In 2001, girl's name Chardonnay could not be found on the names chart, and had just crept into the ONS's top 5000 for England and Wales, the BBC reported.

But, in January 2002, 'Footballers Wives' - with a central character named Chardonnay - started on UK TV and in 2002, the moniker reached 519 in the charts and by 2003 Chardonnay was at 372.

Royal names, especially UK monarchs', are less varied, as the last 11 monarchs have been called Elizabeth, George, Edward, George, Edward, Victoria, William, George, George, George and George.

George was also the bookie favourite for the royal family's newest addition.

But looking back over the ONS figures, it's hard to find any boost from the George V and George VI's reins.

Prince William's birth in 1982 also doesn't seem to have made an impact on the number of Williams. The name already had a history of being popular with the public - and peaked at number one in 1904, number two in 1914 and number three in 1934.

It was least popular, in 1974 when it fell to 41st position, it went up slightly to 34th in 1984 and reached 19th by 1994.

Harry also didn't reach the top 100 boys names in 1964 however, by 1994, it was 30th.

It reached fifth position in 2006, third in 2009 and by 2011, it had become the most popular boys' name.

Rosie Harper, vicar of Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, thinks that the royal monikers don't hold the attraction they once did.

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jul 25 2013 | 11:18 AM IST

Next Story