Old-fashioned names such as Gertrude, Bertha, Willie, Cecil and Rowland are now rarely picked for new babies, they're effectively extinct.

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Not a single baby was registered with any of these names in 2012, according to a recent analysis of birth records by genealogy site Ancestry.co.uk.

And many other traditional British names have fallen so badly out of use that they've become ‘endangered’.

Among those languishing in the endangered baby-name category are Ethel, Hilda, Marion and Phyllis (for girls) and Willie, Cecil, Rowland, Horace, Clifford and Norman (for boys).

And names such as Mildred, Dorothy, Gwendoline, Cyril, Arnold, and Bernard are plunging so fast down this decade's popularity stakes, they've been labelled ‘at risk’.

But, by contrast, there are lots of names that were popular name as far back as 1905 that still remain popular today, including Lily, Hannah and Lydia and Alan, Patrick and Joe.

Other vintage names are enjoying a resuergence in their abbreviated form, with modern parents preferring Alfie over Alfred, Ellie over Eleanor, Freddie over Frederick and Charlie over Charles.

What do you think? Do you have a soft spot for old-fashioned names? Maybe even an endangered one, like Bernard or Hilda? Or do you prefer a moniker that's much more modern? Do please post a comment and let us know!

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