Top 10 baby names set to go extinct in 2026 revealed

Here at Nuby, we have analysed 25 years of data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), to reveal the top 10 baby names at risk of going extinct in 2026, and boy’s name Sheldon is top spot. 

Results reveal Sheldon is the name most likely to disappear from the list of newborns in 2026 with only three registrations last year. This is a huge 94 per cent drop since its peak in 1996.

Next is Giles which also had three registrations last year and a 93 per cent drop in popularity since its peak in 1997.  

Other traditional names such as Derek, Craig, Tyrone, Gareth and Steven have also dramatically fallen from top spot, once very popular names for baby boys. 

Monica, which peaked in 1997, when the sitcom ‘Friends’ was popular has experienced a sharp decline, with only 22 registrations in 2024, set to go extinct in 2027. Ross has already gone extinct from nurseries in the UK, with 0 registration in 2024.

Boys name Troy, the lead in High School Musical which was released in 2006, also peaked in registrations this year and has been in steady decline for 18 years. 

The name Karen is the third name most likely to vanish next year and the first girl’s name in the table. Just four babies were registered in the UK with this name in 2024, a 95 per cent drop in popularity from its peak in 1996. 

The 10 names most at risk of disappearing from nurseries across the country are:

Leona and Michaela are also set to disappear from newborn charts with only 36 babies called Leona in 2024 and 44 Michaela. This is an 87 per cent and 88 per cent drop since their peaks, respectively. 

Whilst the data has revealed the names Olivia (2,761 registrations in 2024) and Muhammad (1,760 registrations in 2024) remain the most popular baby names in England and Wales, a number of once common choices are slipping in popularity.

Despite some, typically considered, ‘older’ names disappearing, we noticed some names making a comeback, with Frederick (964 registrations in 2024) and Zachary (760 registrations in 2024) in the top 100 names for boys, and Evelyn (1,512 registrations in 2024) and Matilda (1,220 registrations in 2024) for girls. 

Classics such a George, Daniel and Rose have remained in the top 100 for at least 20 years.

James Russell–Watson, Head of Marketing at Nuby said: “From our research we can see parents today are looking for baby names that feel modern and timeless, and that names that may remind people of older generations are being chosen less and less. Popularity of these names is forever changing, and can be influenced hugely by pop culture moments and popular TV shows. For example, I personally find it interesting that Sheldon has dramatically dropped over the years The Big Bang Theory has been off air. However, we could well see a resurgence in decades to come as parents look for something distinctive and nostalgic.”