Choosing a name for the new arrival is one of the biggest decisions a parent has to make and can sometimes be a bit of an overwhelming task. With so many different baby names on offer, it’s little wonder that there’s a huge diversity in the most popular names for little ones.
But, just how have these monikers changed over the years? As names rose and fell out of fashion, the most popular baby names in 2017 are markedly different from those 50 years ago.
Here, we’ve found the top 50 baby names in England and Wales for both boys and girls from the recently announced list for 2016 as well as the same data from 50 years ago, using sources from the Office for National Statistics, to see just how much things have changed over the years.
With Olivia and Oliver topping the bill at the moment, compared to Susan and David 50 years ago, Elizabeth is the only recurring name for girls found in both years, whilst David, James, William, Thomas, Edward, and Joseph have all survived the test of time for boys.
What would you or your child’s name have been 50 years ago?
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