Revealed: The top 10 most miserable names in the UK... so is YOURS on the list?

Daily Mail​

22-05-2025

For some it might be love, for some wealth and for others it may be the simple joy of a cold drink on a hot day.
But the surest route to happiness? Being called Dave.
A poll found that those with the name are seen as being the most cheerful.
But at the other end of the scale, Victors and Susans are perceived to be the most miserable.
The survey of 2,000 Britons found that Katie followed Dave as the happiest name in the UK.
For the study, participants were given a long list of names and asked to tick all those they believed were the most upbeat, or, conversely, the grumpiest.
From this, a percentage was calculated to give an overall ranking. The research found that, overall, 23 per cent claim the happiest people they've ever met are called Dave.
That could include former Prime Minister David Cameron or ex-football legend David Beckham – but one of the few celebrities to use the abbreviated form is Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, who, appropriately, has always been seen as the 'Nicest Man in Rock'.
Meanwhile, the happiest female name was deemed to be Katie – in unusually good news for British ex-model Katie Price.
So too for gardener Charlie Dimmock, Emily Blunt and historian Lucy Worsley, who are also thought to have merry monikers. Poppy, Ben, Jack, Tom and Muhammad make up the cheerful top ten.
Conversely, Victor was ranked the most miserable name, a view that may have been influenced by TV's grumpiest sitcom character Victor Meldrew, played by Richard Wilson in 90s BBC hit One Foot in the Grave.
Susan was voted joint second in the gloomy list, along with Nigel and Karen.
The Happiness Index of names was commissioned by British 'Shop & Win' platform Winnrz.
It also revealed that despite their grumpy stereotype, Northerners are the happiest in the UK with 44 per cent of those polled insisting people from up north are generally a cheery bunch.
This compares to just 17 per cent who said Southerners had the most to smile about.
Unsurprisingly the nation's 'happy' place is lazing on a beach while on holiday, followed by sitting in their garden on a beautiful sunny day and snuggled on the sofa with a Friday night takeaway.
Other things that make Brits happy were winning prizes, going for long walks in the countryside and meeting up with friends at the local pub.
Overall romantic Brits cited their partner as the person who brings them the most joy, followed by their children and the nation's mums.
Sadly, for the nation's fathers only four percent said their dad brought them the most joy.
Nearly nine in ten agreed that an unexpected cash injection would make them happier, with a modest £5,000 emerging as the amount most Brits said would put a smile on their face.
A separate study recently revealed that baby names associated with intelligence are dying out.
Happiest:
1. Dave - 23 percent
2. Katie - 17 percent
3. Charlie - 16 percent
4. Emily - 16 percent
5. Lucy - 14 percent
6. Poppy - 14 percent
7. Ben - 13 percent
8. Jack - 12 percent
9. Tom - 11 percent
10. Muhammed - 9 percent
Most miserable:
1. Victor - 17 percent
2. Susan - 15 percent
3. Nigel - 15 percent
4. Karen - 15 percent
5. Mark - 10 percent
6. Jeremy - 10 percent
7. Clive - 9 percent
8. Hassan - 9 percent
9. Geoff - 9 percent
10. Brian - 8 percent
Methodology: 2,000 participants were given a long list of names to choose from and were asked to tick all those that they believed were the happiest/ most miserable. From this, a percentage was worked out based on how many people had ticked that particular name, and they were then ranked in order.