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‘Old money’ baby names are surging, with one girls’ name jumping 357 places

‘Old money’ baby names are surging, with one girls’ name jumping 357 places

Heritage baby names are having a moment, with Ottilie, Margot and Otis among the biggest climbers over the past decade.

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Ruairidh Pritchard

Published: September 10, 2026 at 11:40 AM

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From Margot to Mabel, traditional baby names have been making a serious comeback. And if you love a name that sounds equally at home in a period drama and on the nursery register, the latest figures make interesting reading.

New analysis of Office for National Statistics (ONS) baby name data has picked out 20 so-called ‘old money’ names rising through the rankings in England and Wales, with one girls’ name climbing a whopping 357 places in a decade.

The analysis, carried out by baby and nursery retailer Kiddies Kingdom, looked at names in the 2025 top 100 with aristocratic, upper-class or heritage associations, then compared their rankings with 2015. It found girls’ names in its selection had climbed an average of 88 places, compared with 31 places for boys.

Ottilie is the fastest-rising ‘old money’ girls’ name

If Ottilie is sitting on your baby-name shortlist, you're far from alone. The name has jumped 357 places since 2015 and now sits at number 55.

Margot has also made a huge leap, rising 241 places to number 30, while Mabel has climbed 200 places and is now the 16th most popular girls’ name in England and Wales.

The 10 fastest-rising girls’ names identified in the analysis are:

Ottilie, 55th, up 357 places
Margot, 30th, up 241 places
Mabel, 16th, up 200 places
Ophelia, 81st, up 171 places
Ada, 40th, up 147 places
Olive, 47th, up 128 places
Elodie, 49th, up 113 places
Rosa, 96th, up 85 places
Arabella, 22nd, up 73 places
Iris, 57th, up 44 places

Several of these names were outside the top 100 just a decade ago, suggesting that choices once considered a little more unusual are finding their way onto more parents’ shortlists.

If this is exactly your baby-name style, we've also rounded up more old money baby names for boys and girls, including their meanings and origins.

Otis leads the boys’ baby name revival

The boys’ list has its own standout. Otis has risen 188 places since 2015 and now ranks 71st, making it the fastest climber among the boys’ names analysed.

Rupert follows, up 64 places to number 79, while Vincent has climbed 51 places to number 93.

Other more established traditional names are also continuing to perform strongly. Theodore is now ninth and Arthur fifth, putting both firmly inside the top 10.

The 10 fastest-rising boys’ names in the analysis are:

Otis, 71st, up 188 places
Rupert, 79th, up 64 places
Vincent, 93rd, up 51 places
Jasper, 63rd, up 41 places
Alfred, 76th, up 38 places
Theodore, 9th, up 36 places
Felix, 59th, up 36 places
Arthur, 5th, up 32 places
Louis, 49th, up 29 places
Ralph, 96th, up 26 places

Why are traditional baby names becoming so popular?

Kirsty Carroll, parenting expert at Kiddies Kingdom, believes the popularity of heritage names could be connected to a wider appetite for traditional and ‘quiet luxury’ aesthetics.

With ‘quiet luxury’ taking over trends in fashion and interiors, it’s interesting to see a similar preference for heritage and tradition reflected in the names parents are choosing for their children.

Kirsty Carroll, parenting expert at Kiddies Kingdom

Pop culture could be playing a part too. Period dramas and their elaborate wardrobes, grand houses and distinctly traditional character names have remained firmly in the spotlight in recent years.

Carroll adds: “Popular culture may be helping to reinforce that appeal too, with shows such as Bridgerton keeping the aristocratic aesthetic firmly in the cultural conversation, and characters such as Penelope Featherington giving traditional names a more modern relevance. That wider ‘old money’ aesthetic feels much more visible now than it did a decade ago.”

Of course, calling a baby Otis or Ottilie doesn't necessarily mean parents are consciously embracing an ‘old money’ trend. The label and selection of names are Kiddies Kingdom's own interpretation of ONS data, rather than an official ONS category.

What the figures do show, though, is that plenty of heritage-style names have moved sharply upwards over the past decade. So if you're currently searching for something traditional but not quite as expected as the perennial favourites, there may be more competition for your chosen name than you thought.

Authors

Ruairidh PritchardDigital Growth Lead

Ruairidh is the Digital Lead on MadeForMums. He works with a team of fantastically talented content creators and subject-matter experts on MadeForMums.