We’ve been analysing baby name trends for over twenty years, tracking how they emerge and evolve. But we have never considered the other side of the coin, the names that people change as adults.
So, we conducted some research. We analysed over 14,000 name changes by Deed Poll, the largest study of this data to date, to discover the first names that Brits are most keen to change and the ones they are most keen to adopt.
You can discover the full lists below…
| Most changed names | Most adopted names | |
| 1. | James | Alex |
| 2. | Elizabeth | Olivia |
| 3. | Michael | Charlie |
| 4. | Susan | Elizabeth |
| 5. | Andrew | Alexander |
| 6. | Rebecca | Ellie |
| 7. | Thomas | Robin |
| 8. | Muhammad | James |
| 9. | David | Jay |
| 10. | Sarah | Rose |
| 11. | Robert | Jamie |
| 12. | Mohammed | William |
| 13. | Alexander | Muhammad |
| 14. | Emily | Alexandra |
| 15. | Matthew | Adam |
| 16. | Charlotte | Sarah |
| 17. | Lucy | Mia |
| 18. | Karen | Emily |
| 19. | Amy | Grace |
| 20. | Laura | Aisha |
Our research shows an increasing trend of people abandoning their traditional names, with the likes of James, Elizabeth, and Thomas all featuring in the top 10 most changed names.
Instead, Brits are choosing abbreviated versions of classic names, such as Alex, Charlie, and Ellie, which all feature in the top 10 most adopted names list.
This mirrors a wider trend we’re witnessing in baby naming where expectant parents are more likely to choose a shortened ‘nickname’ of a classic name than they are the traditional version.
Want to find out more about names? Discover the baby names that have never gone out of fashion.
