Revealed: The unpopular names British parents say they’d NEVER call their babies – including Boris, Karen and Meghan
- Survey of 5,842 parents reveals names they wish they’d steered away from
- Third admitted they didn’t give child’s name enough thought before choosing
- 73% said they had thought of better names for their children after naming them
- Top names parents would never give their children includes Boris and Donald
British parents have shared the names they’d never call their children – and Boris, Meghan and Karen top the list.
The survey by Gigacalculator.com also revealed the monikers Brits regret giving their babies.
The results spoke volumes for the popularity of leading British and American politicians. Out of the names parents said they would never give to their children, Boris – the moniker of the UK prime minister, Mr Johnson – and Donald (the Christian name of President Trump) occupied the first and second spot.
Karen was top of the list for girls at 83 per cent – most likely as a result of the endless TikTok videos dedicated to the Karen meme.
The term ‘US Karen’ is commonly used on social media in the US to refer to a middle-aged, middle-class white woman who is unaware of her ‘white privilege’ and talks down to people of colour.
The results of the survey spoke volumes for the popularity of leading British and American politicians – with Boris and Donald occupying first and second spot out of the names parents said they would never give to their children. Pictured left: Boris Johnson and right: Donald Trump
| BOY’S NAME | PERCENTAGE OF PARENTS WHO WOULDN’T USE IT | GIRL’S NAME | PERCENTAGE OF PARENTS WHO WOULDN’T USE IT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boris | 76% | Karen | 83% |
| Donald | 62% | Isis | 72% |
| Manson | 43% | Meghan | 61% |
‘Karen’ has also been used as a catch-all moniker to target a number of Americans who now refuse to wear face masks in public during the coronavirus pandemic.
Meanwhile 61 per cent of the parents surveyed by Gigacalculator.com said they would refuse to call their daughter Meghan, after the Duchess of Sussex.
Out of the 5,842 parents questioned, 73 per cent said they had thought of better names for their children after naming them.
A third (30 per cent) of mothers and fathers admitted they didn’t give their child’s name enough thought beforehand.
And 64 per cent said their child’s moniker not suiting them was the main reason for wishing they’d picked an alternative.
Out of the names parents said they would never give to their children, 61 per cent said they would refuse to call their daughter Meghan, after the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle (pictured)
| NAME | NUMBER OF CHILDREN WITH THAT NAME BORN (2018) |
PERCENTAGE OF PARENTS THAT REGRET CHOOSING THAT NAME |
|---|---|---|
| Hunter | 1,410 | 32% |
| Jaxon | 1,346 | 29% |
| Carter | 1,030 | 28% |
| Tobias | 647 | 25% |
| Oliver | 5,390 | 24% |
| Grayson | 742 | 22% |
| Felix | 689 | 21% |
| Jasper | 708 | 20% |
| Sonny | 640 | 17% |
| Dexter | 676 | 12% |
| Aurora | 752 | 35% |
| Arabella | 619 | 32% |
| Lyla | 539 | 28% |
| Amber | 751 | 27% |
| Edith | 599 | 24% |
| Maryam | 634 | 21% |
| Harriet | 1,128 | 19% |
| Summer | 718 | 15% |
| Delilah | 601 | 13% |
| Gracie | 719 | 12% |
Aurora – thought to be inspired by Disney’s Sleeping Beauty – is the most regrettable name for a girl with 35 per cent of the votes, while Hunter is the boys’ (32 per cent).
Possibly the most surprising entry on the list of regrettable names is Oliver – the official most popular boys moniker according to the latest government data.
Of those surveyed, 24 per cent of parents said they regret choosing this for their son, presumably due to its popularity.
Lyla and Arabella are also among the top three names parents most regret for their daughters, at 32 per cent and 28 per cent respectively.
Gigacalculator.com also asked parents to list 10 names they would never call their kids and compiled a top three for boys and girls.