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The politics of naming a child: Why Corbyn is the UK's hottest new baby name

Jeremy Corbyn is leading the way in inspiring the next gen of baby names [Photo: PA Images]
Jeremy Corbyn is leading the way in inspiring the next gen of baby names [Photo: PA Images]

He may not have won the general election, but baby naming experts are predicting Corbyn to be the hottest name for newborns this year following a rise in popularity for the Labour Leader.

According to a survey by parenting site ChannelMum.com more than half of parents would consider Corbyn as a moniker for their baby.

And while the name has already surged 50% in the must-have name stakes between 2014-15, it is expected to rocket even further following Jeremy Corbyn’s new-found rock star status since the election.

Across Britain, 1,305 parents were asked which names were increasing in popularity in their local area and overall, political-inspired names were revealed to be one of the fastest-growing new UK baby naming trends with almost a quarter (23%) of mums and dads seeing more politically-led names in their area.

Unfortunately though Prime Minister Theresa May hasn’t had the same influence on soon-to-be parents as though 38% would consider the name May, a teeny 4% would consider the moniker Theresa for their newborn.

Cameron was the next most popular, liked by a third of parents, followed by Jeremy, enjoying fresh popularity with 15% of families.

And despite the larger-than-life personality of Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, only 5% of parents would add Boris to the name shortlist. The same number of parents would consider the moniker Diane after Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott, while 6% of parents could name their baby after US President Donald Trump.

The Trump family don’t have much luck when it comes to inspiring baby names as it was recently revealed that the name Ivanka had plummeted in popularity of late.

Other naming trends to emerge from the survey include a rise in popularity of so-called Unicorn names such as Rainbow, Twinkle, Sassy, Sparkle and Princess.

On the other end of the naming spectrum parents are also opting to give their babies ‘tough names’ including Axl, Maverick and Diesel.

Muslim names have also started going mainstream with 6% of the parents quizzed seeing more non-Muslim families using Muslim names with Zane, Zahra, Farah and Omar gaining ground.

Surnames-as-first-names is another popular baby naming movement with two thirds of parents opting for the likes of Cooper, Parker, Jones, Carter, Mason and Hunter for little boys.

For girls traditional English names like Sarah, Emma, Penelope and Lucy are back on trend with 61% of parents choosing them for their little ladies.

An increasingly gender-fluid culture means Gender Neutral names are also becoming more popular. Alex, Charlie, Elliott, Ellis, Max and Sydney are among the names spotted more often by 41% of parents.

According to the poll, a third of couples quizzed admitted to disagreeing and even rowing over naming their baby, with over half admitting that choosing a name is ‘very hard’.

And while over two thirds (65%) eventually settled on a name while still pregnant, almost a fifth wait until they see the baby’s face when born and an indecisive 4% wait six weeks until the legal limit for registering the baby’s birth and name.

Maybe they’re hoping to avoid baby name regret, like the 7% of parents polled.

Welcome to the world baby Corbyn. [Photo: Pixabay via Pexels]
Welcome to the world baby Corbyn. [Photo: Pixabay via Pexels]

Commenting on the findings Siobhan Freegard, founder of ChannelMum.com said: “Never mind showing your political allegiance at the ballot box, there’s a new and growing trend to choose a baby names based on the party you support.”

“The recent referendum and General Election has seen young parents on all sides of the political spectrum engaged in politics like never before, so it’s inevitable that this will be reflected socially in baby name trends,” she continued.

“It’s already well known that a celebrity can make or break a baby name, and with certain politicians taking on rockstar status – and others almost unanimously turning off young voters – parents are picking names they feel reflect the times. But as the quote goes, all political careers eventually end in failure, so if you’re inspired to pick a political name, ensure it’s one you love anyway which will stand the test of time.”

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