Brits ditching traditional names in favour of celebs' for their kids

London, Aug 13 : Edna, Norman and Gertrude are just a few of the classic British names that have virtually died out within a lifetime as parents copy celebrities when naming their kids, suggests a new survey.

According to the study, parents today are shunning traditional British names for titles of famous people.

Almost 300 baby girls were named Gertrude in 1907, but this name of the 17th-century saint was not give to a single baby in 2005, the study found.

While over 400 boys were named Norman in 1907, the name belonging to the Norman conquest fell to two in 2005, one in Shropshire and another in Tyne and Wear, the research revealed.

Surprisingly, the research showed a decline of the name Richard, which was the UK's most popular name 200 years ago, reports the Scotsman.

In 1807, a total of 4,671 babies were named Richard, which fell to 2,289 in 1907. And it finally reached to 538 Richards in 2005.

Dr Geoff Ellis, a statistician conducted this research, and said that some of the most popular names have stood the test of time.

One such name is Thomas, which was in the top five names for boys 200 years ago and 100 years ago. And it still was the second most popular name last year, after Jack.

Another name is Elizabeth, which seems to have survived due to a royal connection. It was in the top ten 200 years ago and 100 years ago, and was placed 36th last year.

ANI