Baby names come in and out of fashion over the years with some even thought to become extinct.
Research from Wicked Uncle has revealed the most popular baby names between 1996 and 2020 which are related to science.
Wicked Uncle used Office of National Statistics data to source trends for baby names in the UK between 1996 and 2020.
They then examined the names relating to science generally and names relating to women who have made great contributions to science and recorded the statistics for each name throughout this time period.
Several categories were looked into including planets/space, chemistry and geology.
It doesn’t stop there though as the most popular baby names related to iconic female figures in the science industry including Rosalind Franklin and Elizabeth Garrett Anderson were also examined.
5 most popular baby names related to planets and space
- Luna - 7,137
- Aurora - 5,186
- Nova - 1,486
- Star - 832
- Artemis – 383
The research shows that almost all the above names are female with Luna taking the top spot.
In 2020 alone, the name Luna was given to 1,216 girls.
Nova was the only unisex name to make the top five with 352 females and 16 males given the name.
5 most popular baby names related to geology
- Ruby - 55,871
- Jade - 19,413
- Jasper - 8,892
- Pearl - 2,712
- Agatha - 881
Again, female names dominate the top five list with just one male name, Jasper, named one of the most popular names related to geology.
While the name Jade sits at number two, it has lost popularity over recent years despite more than 2,000 babies a year being called Jade between 1996 and 2001.
READ MORE:
- Baby names 2023: The names expected to trend and become extinct
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Most popular baby names related to chemistry
- Calvin - 2,438
- Magnus - 1,300
- Newton - 81
- Neon - 13
Just four names were found in the research, suggesting that chemistry-related names are less favoured.
The names have all been used for boys and in 2020 more baby boys were named Magnus (108) than Calvin (78).
Finally, Wicked Uncle looked into the names that relate to iconic female figures in the science industry.
It said these names seem to be more general and that there could be several reasons why these names became popular such as relatives or other outside influences.
5 most popular names relating to iconic female figures in the science industry
- Elizabeth - 36,196
- Katherine - 11,035
- Beatrice - 9,473
- Mary - 6,652
- Helen - 3,201
The research found that these influential women’s first names were used as girl names as expected, whilst their surnames were given to baby boys as their first names.
For example, 11,035 girls were named Katherine, a potential relation to Katherine Johnson, the first black woman to work at NASA, whilst 172 boys were given the name Johnson throughout the same period.
Elizabeth being the most popular name relates to Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and perhaps the late Queen Elizabeth II for outsider influence.
Katherine was ranked in second place, relating to Katherine Johnson, the first African-American woman to work for NASA.
These names have dropped in popularity over the years, according to the research.
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