Names that have stood the test of time

A name can make or break a person. There is a reason the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages in New Zealand has a “Banned Baby Names” list. Seriously ‘Number 16 Bus Shelter’? That kid is going to end up in prison.

Lucky for the next generation, people are coming to their senses en masse and bringing back the classics giving their kids a chance in life

William

How many Williams did you go to school with? The next generation is about to know at least three! They've swapped the nickname from Bill to Will giving it a modern touch but the name still lives on

James

James' have been far reaching, touching everyone's lives at least once due to the popularity of the name. I'm sure we can also all think of one James Dean-esque James that we knew (or wanted to know) at some point much to our mother's horror

Jack

The name has had more years at number one this century than the Rollingstones. Except 1985...not sure which Jack ruined it for everyone but the name was not even in the top 100...looking at you Jack Nicholson!

Charlotte

Back on the scene after a long break in popularity, you're not likely to know many Charlottes but holding the number one position for the last four out of five years it seems we will come across many more in the future!

Grace

We're secretly very happy about the increase in popularity of the name Grace since the 80's. With perhaps images of Grace Kelly in mind, many people are naming their daughters Grace in the hope they take after their namesake and live a rich life of glamour, royalty and fame.

It seems Australia cannot escape its royal roots as far as influence on naming goes. We're just glad the classics are coming back and everyone has kept the more awkward old fashioned names as middle names. Bertha or Mertle anyone?

Main image: Wiwid Kuntjoro

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