Baby name expert reveals six names that are going out of fashion in 2026

A baby name consultant has revealed the six names that are firmly going out of style this year.

Naming your little one is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make as let's face it, they're stuck with it for life.

No one wants to give their child a moniker that causes them to be bullied or ridiculed, however, it's still an extremely personal choice and what some parents love, others might completely hate.

Names also come in and out of fashion in cycles, sometimes influenced by culture, famous people, and TV and movies - Ophelia for example, has seen a huge rise thanks to Taylor Swift's song.

As we say, baby name expert and celebrity name consultant SJ Strum, who last year released a book on the topic, has outlined the six names that are set to dwindle even more in 2026.

Speaking to Tyla, the mother-of-three explained: “Normcore Names that you would have heard in many classrooms have gone out of style."

Tyla spoke with baby name expert SJ Strum about her 2026 predictions (Supplied)

If you're unfamiliar with 'normcore,' it's simply a way to describe a subculture that embraces things that are simple, ordinary, or mainstream.

With the emergence of newer and more unique names, the classic monikers are unfortunately getting shoved to the bottom of the pile.

However, if your name is on this list, don't be offended as in a way, it means it's actually becoming more unique.

The names in question are:

• Steven
• Brian
• Stuart
• Ian
• Karen
• Alexa

The expert said: "Steven, Brian, Stuart, Ian were seen as beautiful baby names but now have dated out of the name pool as Gen Z associate them with teachers, dads and definitely not a baby."

She added: "Some female names have been cancelled in recent years - Karen will take a long time to revive and Alexa was lost to AI."

The celebrity name consultant has revealed the monikers that are declining in popularity (Supplied)

While the male names have just gradually declined, the two female names has seen a drop in interest thanks to culture.

Nowadays, the name Karen is sadly associated with middle-aged women who have a specific haircut, and are rude towards retail and hospitality workers.

And Alexa was killed by Amazon, who gave the moniker to it's AI assistant - I can only imagine the stress of shouting your child and having your Echo Dot respond instead.

As for names that are on the rise, Strum predicts that whimsical word names such as Sage, Maverick and Haven will be on the rise, alongside unique names that have roots in tradition such as Rudy, Hector and Francis.

The name consultant explained: "I love a polarising vintage name. We’ve seen the Coastal Grandma and Eccentric Grandpa trends on TikTok so I think we’re ready.

"Thora, Wilma, Mavis, Myrtle and Phyllis could be ready for revival. Edgar, Arnold, Ernest, Clive and Basil are just about old enough to sound fresh and new.”

Sorry Steven, it's time for Clive to make a comeback!