Britain's most unpopular baby names revealed

The most unpopular baby names have been revealed, and parents who named their offspring after 90s TV characters might want to look away now.

Choosing a baby moniker based on a character from your favourite show may seem tempting, but it could land little ones with an unfashionable name further down the line.

That’s because study into the UK’s least-loved names shows those of former telly stars are among the most snubbed by modern parents.

Parenting site ChannelMum.com analysed official data from the Office of National Statistics and found 30 once-popular name choices are now given to less than one tot a week.

Included in the list of names parents are shunning are the characters from cult 90s hit series ‘Friends’.

Just three children were named Chandler last year, despite the name being in the top 500 list in 1996.

And the number of baby Ross’s plunged from 1,150 in 1996 to just 42 in 2018, meanwhile just 31 baby girls were named Monica.

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‘Friends’ isn’t the only show to have had an impact on baby name trends either.

Nineties hit TV Show ‘Sabrina the Teenage Witch’ has cursed the name with the number of parents picking it dropping by two thirds.

Also freefalling in popularity is Ashley, made famous by Ashley Banks in the ‘Fresh Prince of Bel Air,’ with just 42 babies given the name last year.

TV personalities have also been tagged with the unpopular stick.

Controversial TV presenter Piers Morgan’s first name has plummeted from 296 in 1998 to ‘unranked’ now, meaning fewer than three babies shared the name in the last 12 months.

And celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott has seen the popularity of his moniker head into nosedive, as only five families chose it in the last year, compared to over 400 in 1997.

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The trend could mean parents who recently chose the names Ada and Arthur from the hit show ‘Peaky Blinders’ might see their picks fall out of fashion by the time their tots are teens.

Among the most unpopular names for girls last year were Tammy, Justine and Tracy, with the names given to fewer than three babies each.

There were also only three named Norma, and four Carols.

For boys, the least popular names are Jeff and Geoff, Melvyn, Greg and Graeme, with no babies given these monikers last year.

Also unloved by mums and dads are Ken and Clive, with just three parents picking the names respectively for their children.

But the study also showed there is hope for some out-of-favour names, as nine in 10 parents are happy to consider a name which has tumbled down the popularity list in the hope of finding a hidden gem.

What’s more, a third of parents rule out any names rising up the charts, so their baby doesn’t have the same name as their classmates.

Among the once untrendy names making a comeback are Prudence, Herbert and Ray.

SJ Strum for ChannelMum.com added: “Once a name is hip again, it can climb back up the charts quite quickly.

“So we may well see a playground packed with Tammys, Justines, Jeffs and Kens in the next 10 years.”

Unpopular boys’ names

1. Jeff / Geoff - 0

2. Melvyn - 0

3. Graeme - 0

4. Piers - 0

5. Greg - 0

6. Ken - 3

7. Clive - 3

8. Chandler - 3

9. Niles - 4

10. Kirk – 4

11. Ainsley – 5

12. McCauley – 5

13. Brett - 8

14. Grant – 14

15. Ross - 42

Unpopular girls’ names

1. Isis - 0

2. Tammy - 0

3. Justine - 0

4. Tracy - 0

5. Norma – 3

6. Carol - 4

7. Leoni / Leigh - 4

8. Marlene - 5

9. Donna - 6

10. Reese - 6

11. Rowena - 6

12. Kelly - 22

13. Carly – 27

14. Monica - 31

15. Ashley - 42