Further information about the rises/falls of top names

The lists which are available via other pages show (e.g.) the top names year by year, and the Top Ten names for a selection of years in a period. However, after seeing them, you may want more information about the rises and/or falls in popularity of names of particular interest to them. You can get this from the following pages of this website;

• the full lists for individual years, can be found on the Babies' First Names section on this website and/or
• the summary records in Comma Separated Values (CSV) format, available via; 'Summary records in Comma Separated Values CSV format’ and ‘How the summary records can be used’

The following is among the further information about the rises and/or falls of some of the top names that you can get from the full lists and/or the summary records:

• David was the top boys’ name in every year from 1974 until 1992. Since then, its popularity has tended to decline: for example, it was ninth in 1997, 25th in 2002, 24th in 2007, 45th in 2012 and 41st in 2015.
• Jack entered the boys’ Top 100 in 1987, when it was 92nd. It rose, reached 30th in 1993 and twelfth in 1994, and entered the Top Ten at ninth in 1995. In the following three years, it was fourth, third and second, before becoming the top boys’ name in 1999. It has been either first or second in every year since then.
• Nicola was the top girls’ name in 1974, and one of the top four girls’ names in every year until 1988. Thereafter, its popularity tended to decline: for example, it was sixth in 1989, 20th in 1994, joint 57th in 1999. Nicola was last in the girls’ Top 100 in 2002, when it was joint 80th.
• Emily entered the girls’ Top 100 in 1987, when it was joint 96th, then rose, reaching 30th in 1995 and eleventh in 1999. From 2000 to 2006, its position fluctuated within the range thirteenth to joint eighth; more recently, it has been higher, eventually becoming the top girls’ name in 2014 and 2015, before slipping to second in 2016.