Names like Kieran and Gemma could be extinct in a few years

Is your name on the endangered list?

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Is your name Gemma or Kieran?

Well you could become a unique breed. They're among the names that could go extinct in a matter of years.

Research done over in the UK and published in The Mirror by My Nametags looked at the popularity over over 1.5 million names over the years.

The study found that the use of the names Gemma and Kieran declined by more than 65% over the last ten years. Researchers say that if this trend continues, those names are at risk of dying out completely.

There are other names at risk too. Names like Rebecca, Tia, Aimee, Heather, Scott, Kyle, Ross and Reece have all experienced a sharp decline in popularity.

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On the flipside, names like Penelope and Joey are becoming more trendy. The use of nicknames is also proving to be in demand. Names like Albie, Teddy and Belle all made it onto the list of the top 50 fastest growing names.

Speaking about the research, Lars B. Andersen the Managing Director at My Nametags said:

"At My Nametags, we see thousands of names every day and we were interested to see how the popularity of certain names has changed over time."

"Our analysis revealed that names once popular with Baby Boomers, such as Gemma, Kieran, Hannah, and Ryan, are experiencing a steep decline in overall popularity."

"These names are being replaced by new favourites, and we were interested to find that modern parents tend to fall into three distinct camps when it comes to naming their children. The data shows a strong trend for modern names influenced by pop culture, vintage names that are having a come-back, and shortened versions of more traditional names, such as Ronnie and Albie."