Sorry Keith, it looks as if you may be on your way out

Once popular name has slipped to 3,334th in list and is even outranked by Lucifer and King

RICHARDS, Urban, Moon, Jarrett – they may have achieved great things in their lifetimes, yet it seems as though these Keiths may, sadly, be among the last.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) yesterday published its annual figures on the most popular baby names in England and Wales and found that previously popular names are at risk of becoming extinct. Birth registration data show there were 40 names that featured in the top 100 baby boy and girl names in every decade between 1924 and 1984.

Of these, five have now come close to extinction with fewer than 30 registrations of the name in 2020: Jane, Christine, Keith, Graham and Colin.

In 2020, just five babies were called Keith, the lowest ever figure for the name, despite ranking in the top 50 between the 1930s and 1970s.

The name slowly drifted out of popularity after peaking at 14th place in 1944, before hitting joint 3,334th place in 2020. It means that last year, more baby boys were called Lucifer (15) and King (46) than Keith.

The ONS said “mothers aged 35 years and over continued to choose more traditional names, while younger mothers opted for more modern and shortened names” which are more influenced by popular culture.

While Charlotte ranks 40th for mothers in their late twenties, for those aged over 35 it reaches third place. Similarly, Jack is in 50th place for boys born to mothers under 25, but ranks in the top three for those born to older mothers.

Other classic names appear to have suffered a similar fate to Keith.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Nigel ranked in the top 30 names. Yet in 2016, the ONS said there were only three children called Nigel – which, at the time was thought to be linked to the rise of former Ukip leader Nigel Farage.

Much like the political leader himself, the name made a surprise comeback on the list in the subsequent three years. But 2020 marked its removal from the ONS database once again.

Like Nigel, Sally also ranked in the top 100 between the 1940s and 1980s, but has dropped from 144th place to 1,687th with just 17 Sallys born last year.

The influence of popular culture on baby names in 2020 is perhaps most apparent, as Archie entered the top 10 list of boy names for the first time as new parents seek inspiration from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

After the birth of Prince Harry and Meghan’s son Archie in 2019, the name has jumped 10 places from 19th to ninth – replacing Charlie, which has slipped to 12th, the first time Charlie has not been in the top 10 since 2005.