Sarah Drops Out Of Top 100 Most Popular Baby Names For First Time

BBC

After more than a century of popularity, the name Sarah has finally fallen out of the top 100 girls names, no doubt delighting Sara’s across the land. 

Truly a dark day for Sarahs.

Anyway, according to the Office for National Statistics, this is the first time since records began in 1904 that the name’s not cracked the top hundred names.

The newest figures from last year show that Sarah was only the 103rd most popular girls name for newborn babies.

Sarah, is a Hebrew name means ‘princess’ and hit the top spot in both 1974 and 1984 however ever since then it’s been a slow road to ignominy.

In 2015 the alternate spelling ‘Sara’ was voted the 82nd most popular girl’s name in the UK overtaking Sarah for the first time.

With Sarah fallen from grace only the name, Elizabeth is the only girl’s name to remain in the top 100 since records began, just as the prophecy predicted.

Anyone named Oliver or Olivia will be delighted to hear that they managed to come top of the pile for the second year in a row, the lucky devils.

The Office for National Statistics reports that in 2017, 5,204 baby girls were given the name Olivia, up from 5,017 the year before, meanwhile, 6,529 baby boys were named Oliver, down ever so slightly from 6,623 last year.

Meanwhile, Aurora, Hallie, Lyla and Bonnie offer fresh hope for all of us not named Oliver or Olivia by entering into the top 100 for the first time.

Nick Stripe, from the ONS’ Vital Statistics Outputs Branch, said:

Although Oliver and Olivia remained the most popular baby names in 2017, some fascinating changes took place beneath them.

Leo entered the boys’ top 10 for the first time, whilst Hunter rocketed into the top 100, also for the first time, reaching number 78.

Sarah, the most popular name for baby girls throughout much of the 1970s and 1980s, dropped out of the top 100 for the first time since our records began in 1904.

Aaron and Jasper also fell out of the top 100 boy’s names with Hunter and Ralph replacing them.

For the record, Leo replaced my own name ‘Thomas’ in the top ten and I’m not even slightly arsed that my name’s fallen to the thirteenth most popular name, I’m just a teensy bit, absolutely livid about it.

Getty

We reached out to a number of famous Sarah’s for a comment on their name’s fall from glory.

As you’d expect absolutely no one got back to us because who answers emails at 9am on a Sunday, who’s even emailing people at this time?

Also, they didn’t get back to us because we didn’t email any of them because we doubt even the dullest of people would give a sh*t about what the office of statistics says.

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Tom Percival

More of a concept than a journalist, Tom Percival was forged in the bowels of Salford University from which he emerged grasping a Masters in journalism.

Since then his rise has been described by himself as ‘meteoric’ rising to the esteemed rank of Social Editor at UNILAD as well as working at the BBC, Manchester Evening News, and ITV.

He credits his success to three core techniques, name repetition, personality mirroring, and never breaking off a handshake.