Baby name expert shares rare vintage names she expects to make a comeback soon

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Baby name expert Pamela Redmond has shared a look at some of the vintage names she thinks will make a comeback over the next few years and prove popular with UK parents

Over the last few years we’ve seen some big changes in the top 100 lists of the most popular baby names in the UK – and as time goes on the list will only continue to grow and evolve. And if you keep a close eye on the trends, you might start to see more rare and vintage names making a comeback.

This is according to baby name expert Pamela Redmond, the founder of Nameberry.com, who has shared her thoughts on the old-fashioned monikers that are likely to prove popular with parents over the next few years and start rocketing back up the charts once more.

Speaking to The Mirror, the expert recently explained how they work out if a baby name is going to start to become popular. She believes that you simply have to keep an eye on the names that have been making steady but significant gains in the top lists, as those are most likely to continue going up.

“Names likely to rise on the Top 100 have had an upward trajectory for years and often fit a particular trend — either stylish sounds or a popular style like nature names, for example,” Pamela said.

Her next piece of advice is to look out for is similarities to a name that’s already popular as parents “love an alternative”.

“If they think Eloise is overused, they’ll go with Elodie or Elowen. If a name is similar to an already popular name, forward-looking parents have probably already caught on.”

She went on to say that in terms of popularity, the top 100 names are all in very common use, while those looking for a baby name that’s familiar, yet a little less frequently heard should look further down the list around the top 400-700 mark.

And according to Pamela, it’s the names outside the top 500 that we’ll likely be seeing more of in the future – especially those that have a shorter, more informal nickname style to them.

Here’s a look at some of the vintage names that Pamela thinks could make a comeback in the UK:

Winifred

Gloria

Rita

Luella

Nella

Lavinia

Goldie

Dorothea

Teodora

Leonora

Clover

Enid

Caspar

Cassian

Laurie

Artie

Arnold

Denny

Alvie

Cosmo

Gus

Roscoe

Sid

Baxter

Ozzie

Bernie

Speaking about her choices, Pamela added: “These names, like Dorothea, are definitely getting more popular in the US and we also see that translating into the UK.

“Names like Cosmo, Roscoe, with that ‘oh’ sound on the end have been trending and we’re also seeing the name Arlo become popular on both sides of the pond. Cosmo was actually chosen by Scarlett Johansson for her son so it has that movie star kind of thing and is becoming more acceptable.

“In the UK more than the US, nickname names have been trendy for quite a while, like Goldie or Artie or Ozzie. In the US we see parents opting for more formal names and then giving their child a shorter nickname, but the reverse is happening in the UK which is interesting as it’s sort of the opposite of what you might imagine for a stereotypical British person and the casual American.”

What’s a name you’d love to see make a comeback? Let us know in the comments below.