The top baby names for 2020 according to a bizarre 100-year 'rule'

They say history repeats itself and, according to a strange ‘100-year rule’, popular baby names from the 1920s are set to undergo a renaissance a century later as we head into the 2020s.

The theory, touted by Kidspot, states that names that are considered dated or old fashioned tend to spend several generations - about 100 or so years - on the ‘no’ list before becoming trendy again.

With the 100-year rule in mind, a glance at the top 5 most popular American boys’ and girls’ names of the roaring ‘20s as per US social security records could predict the cool monikers of the future.

Expect to hear parents calling out classic names such as Mary, John, Betty and Charles in the playground in the coming years, as they were all the rage when flappers were sipping champagne and dancing the Charleston.

Here are the top 5 most popular boys’ and girls’ names of 1920s America:

Most popular US girls names of the 1920s

1. Mary

2. Dorothy

3. Helen

4. Betty

5. Margaret

Most popular US boys names of the 1920s

1. Robert

2. John

3. James

4. William

5. Charles

While we’ll have to wait until the end of the current decade to see if the 100-year rule rings true, comparing the hot names of the 1920s with their equivalents almost a century later could give us an idea.

According to research body McCrindlel, 2019’s most popular baby names for Australia featured heavily with traditional choices like Olivia and Oliver.

When it comes to comparing the girls’ names, there are no exact matches between the 1920s and 2019 lists, however, the top name for 2019 - Charlotte - does pop up at number 79 on the 1920s roundup.

While Amelia, Ava and Mia - names that rounded out 2019’s top five - don’t make an appearance on the 1920s list, similar monikers such as Eva (#71), Ida (#79) and Ella (#95) were very much in vogue.

Most popular Aussie girls names of 2019

1. Charlotte

2. Olivia

3. Amelia

4. Ava

5. Mia

Meanwhile, there are far more similarities between the boys’ names lists for the 1920s and 2019, with the very regal William very nearly holding the exact same ranking across both.

The number two spot on each list is also arguably the same, with Jack (#2 in 2019) being a nickname for John (#2 in the 1920s).

Prince Harry’s full name, Henry, which rounds out the top five boys names in 2019, came in at number 18 in the 1920s.

Most popular Aussie boys names of 2019

1. Oliver

2. Jack

3. William

4. Noah

5. Henry

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