Has Doris had her day in CBR

Released 12/07/2019

Has Doris had her day in our city? Or will the name make a resounding comeback?

Once a popular name in 1930 – coming in as the eighth most popular girl's name - Doris dropped out of the top 10 from at least 1950.

In fact, Doris has not been registered for a new birth in our city in the last few years.

It's not the only once popular name to go on the decline.

There's no joy for Joyce also dropping out of the rankings and Dorothy has gone down the yellow brick road and not featured as a popular name in the territory for the last 70 years.

Ronald and Donald were top names for the gents in the mid-1900s - but chances are not many Ron's or Don's are putting their hand up in kindergarten classrooms across the ACT.

Minister for Business and Regulatory Services Gordon Ramsay said much had changed in the city over the years including how birth's and names were registered in the ACT.

"Back in the 1930s when Margaret, Joan, Patricia and John, James and Donald topped popular name lists, births were likely recorded on parchment paper," he said.

"Now new parents can jump online using a mobile phone and register a birth – anytime and anywhere," he said.

"Since Access Canberra introduced this new digital service in October 2018, more than 3,400 births have been registered online.

"There are now more than 400 services and transactions which can be done online with Access Canberra and the agency is well on track to have 80% of all services digital by 2020."

Minister Ramsay said birth registration names go in cycles – including drawing inspiration from royalty and popular culture - so we may see a resurgence of more 'traditional' names like Doris, alongside Daenerys.

So far this year a total of 3,166 births have been registered in Canberra.

Top 10 baby names in 1930

Top 10 baby names so far in 2019* (Jan to 10 July 2019)

- Statement ends -

Gordon Ramsay, MLA | Media Releases

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