The top 20 baby names set to make a comeback have been predicted by new research.
The results are based on analysis of the records and in accordance with the trend that names become popular in 100-year cycles, resurfacing them every century.
Findings from family history brand Findmypast also revealed that royal events influence the popularity of baby names.
In 1926, the year of the Queen’s birth, Elizabeth’s name rose 16% in popularity.
The birth of Prince Harry in 1984 also propelled the name over the following decades, after a decline in the 1960s and 1970s.
According to Wales Online, Findmypast expects the royal obsession to continue over the next decade, with families taking inspiration from the recent births of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s babies, Lillibet and Archie.
(Image: Getty Images)
Royal weddings have also provided people with plenty of inspiration for choosing a name for their babies throughout history, with a whopping 56% increase in the number of babies named Phillip in 1947, the year the prince married Elizabeth.
Similarly, Diana’s name enjoyed a resurgence in 1981, on the occasion of her marriage to Prince Charles, with a staggering 122% increase in the number of babies named after her.
Digitized exclusively by Findmypast and recently made public for the first time a century later, the 1921 census revealed the most popular names for children under the age of one.
Expert historians have used this data along with an analysis of current royal trends to predict which baby names are most likely to have a revival. You can now easily discover the history of individual names online using Findmypast’s What’s In a Name search tool.
10 girl names that will make a comeback
- Joan
- Married
- Daisy
- Dorothy
- Gladys
- Irene
- Iris
- Elsie
- Adam
- My beauty
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10 baby boy names ready to make a comeback
- Ronald
- arthur
- Robert
- albert
- freddy
- Edward
- Archie
- Ernest
- isaac
- Harris

(Picture: PA)
Mary McKee, Content Publishing Operations Manager at Findmypast, said, “History always tends to repeat itself and baby names are no exception. All paths point to Joan, as parents increasingly seek to name their little girls after strong female historical figures, and who better to inspire than Joan of Arc.
“As for boys’ names, these tend to come back into vogue, but as an equivalent of their nickname – Frederick becomes Freddie, Archibald becomes Archie and so there’s every chance Ronald could come back circulating as Ronnie.”
Joan tops the list as the name most likely to make a comeback in the coming years.
The name previously featured in the Top 10 most popular baby names in 1921, as revealed by the 1921 census, it then dropped in popularity in the mid-1950s before dropping out of the Top 100 altogether.
The resurgence has even already begun for some names, with Arthur, Freddie and Edward re-entering the Top 100 Baby Names for Boys of 2021, and Rose, Iris, Ada all making the list for girls.
10 most popular male first names in 1921
- John
- William
- george
- Thomas
- james
- Ronald
- arthur
- Robert
- albert
- Frederick
10 most popular female names in 1921
- Married
- Daisy
- Dorothy
- Joan
- Dory
- Irene
- Katherine
- Gladys
- Elsie
- Joyce
10 most popular girl names in 2022
- Olivier
- Amelie
- Isle
- Ava
- Mia
- Ivy
- Lily
- Isabella
- Pink
- Sophia
10 most popular boy names in 2022
- Olivier
- george
- arthur
- Noah
- Mohammed
- Leo
- Oscar
- Harry
- Archie
- Jack
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