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Daily Mail
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Alarming baby name trend on the rise as parents unwittingly inspired by true crime are giving newborns the same monikers as famous murderers
Popular culture has a bigger influence on baby names than we might realise, but one particular genre has been unexpectedly providing new parents with inspiration. The explosion in true crime documentaries and dramas over recent years means the names of infamous murderers, scammers and thieves are fresh in our minds - and making their way into baby name lists. According to BabyCentre UK, names linked to headline-grabbing criminal cases, true crime celebrities and viral scandals are trending, even if parents might not realise the origins of the names. The pregnancy app has revealed that monikers like Freddie and Rose are increasingly popular, as well as names like Ted - unwittingly reminiscent of serial killers Fred and Rose West and Ted Bundy. SJ Strum, BabyCentre UK's baby naming expert and author, said: 'These names aren't being chosen because of crime. More often, parents are unconsciously absorbing popular culture, and these names creep into our minds via gripping TV, podcasts and viral content. 'It's a fascinating lens on how culture shapes language and by extension, baby names.' But the rise true crime-inspired baby name trends comes alongside an increase in classic, celestial and high society-inspired names emerging this year, BabyCentre UK added. SJ Strum said: 'Names flow in and out of style, and popular culture plays a huge role in shaping the baby names we see rising. We often choose names in tune with what's happening in the world around us as we welcome our little ones. For example, Evie, the newest addition to Peppa Pig's family, is a perfect short and sweet vintage pick that's now soaring in popularity. 'We've also seen an uplift in names honouring the late Queen, like Eliza, Elsie, and Elizabeth. Royal-inspired names remain strong year-on-year: from Charlotte, Zara, and Mia, to George, Harry, William, Charlie, and Archie. Even Princess has seen a surprising comeback, as the nation rallied around Princess Kate during her recent cancer treatment.' The top names linked to some of the most scandalous true crime figures in BabyCentre's top 100 baby names 2025 are: Anna Inspired by the 'Fake Heiress' Anna Delvey, a con artist who posed as a wealthy heiress in New York from 2013 to 2017. She defrauded major financial institutions, banks, hotels, and individuals out of millions of dollars and was the subject of the 2022 hit Netflix series Inventing Anna. Arthur Inspired by Arthur Leigh Allen, the only named suspect in the shocking Zodiac Killer series of murders that took place between the late 1960s to 1980s. He repeatedly denied the allegations and died in 1992, and the identity of the Zodiac Killer remains a mystery until today. Last year, he was discussed in a three-part Netflix docuseries titled This is the Zodiac Speaking. Bella Inspired by Australian wellness scammer Belle Gibson, who falsely claimed she was diagnosed with brain cancer but had cured it with alternative therapies and healthy eating. Having conned millions of Instagram followers into believing her story, Belle successfully launched a recipe app and cookbook and claimed she was donating most of her profits to charity. The Netflix series Apple Cider Vinegar tells the story of her rise and fall. Erin According to BabyCentre UK, the name 'Erin' has been unwittingly inspired by the high-profile murder case against Erin Patterson, an Australian woman who has been accused of cooking deadly mushrooms and feeding them to her relatives. She was charged with the murders of her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, who all became sick and died days after she cooked them lunch. She denies the charges. The trial continues. If these two names together ring a bell, it may be because of the infamous English serial killers Fred and Rose West. Together, the pair committed at least 12 murders of girls and young women between 1967 and 1987 - including Fred's stepdaughter, Charmaine. Fred died by suicide while detained on remand, before he could be sentenced, while Rose was sentenced to 10 life terms with a whole life order. They recently became the focus of Netflix series Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story. Joseph BabyCentre UK says the name 'Joseph' - while sounding innocuous enough - is a nod to Joe Exotic, the self-proclaimed 'Tiger King' who was the subject of a 2020 Netflix series of the same name. He was suspected of hiring hit men to murder Carole Baskin, a rival to his big cat zoo business, and was convicted and sentenced to 22 years in prison for animal abuse and attempted murder. Luca The name 'Luca' may be a variation of 'Luka', after Luka Magnotta of the viral true crime docuseries Don't F*** With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer. In 2010, Luka shared a video of himself cruelly killing two kittens, which sparked an online manhunt by amateur sleuths. He went on to commit the grisly murder of a student from China named Jun Lin in 2012, for which he was convicted and sentenced to a mandatory life sentence and 19 years for other charges. Teddy The name brings to mind soft, cuddly bear toys, but BabyCentre UK believes 'Teddy' is also surprising spin on notorious serial killer Ted Bundy. Bundy famously abducted, raped and murdered dozens of young women and girls between 1974 and 1978, and has been the subject of numerous true crime series and podcasts. In 2019, he was portrayed by Zac Efron in the film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. Ruby Inspired by Ruby Franke, the subject of the viral documentary Devil in the Family which charted the vlogger's journey from creating content about her picturesque Mormon family to her imprisonment for child abuse. She initially posted parenting content and videos of life with her husband and their six children, but after meeting a woman named Jodi Hildebrandt, things took a much darker turn. Her daughter Shari Franke also recently wrote a book about their experience titled The House of My Mother. Ronnie and Reggie The names Ronnie and Reggie are particularly recognisable in the UK because of the Kray twins, Britain's most notorious gangsters. Ronald Kray and Reginald Kray ran a gang called The Firm, based in Bethnal Green, from the late 1950s until their arrest in 1968. They were involved in an array of crimes, including murder, armed robbery, arson, assault, and protection rackets. Tom Hardy portrayed them both in the 2015 film Legend.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rose West 'increasingly frail' at West Yorkshire prison where she's held
IT has been revealed that serial killer Rose West spends her days in isolation at the West Yorkshire prison where she is an inmate. National newspapers report that West, who has spent the last 30 years behind bars for her depraved crimes, has become increasingly frail. She is currently at HMP New Hall in Wakefield. Rose, along with her husband Fred West tortured, raped and murdered an unknown number of women between 1967 and 1987, most at their home in Cromwell Street, Gloucester, which became known as the 'House of Horrors', with nine sets of bones found under the patio and cellar of the house. Fred West, a builder, killed himself in prison while awaiting trial on 12 murder charges, while mother-of-eight Rose was convicted in 1995 of murdering 10 young girls and women. The Sun reports that she spends her days alone in her cell, knitting and watching nature documentaries. Fellow inmates do not talk to her, it's reported, and the serial killer is said to have resigned herself to dying in prison despite having maintained her innocence. She is understood to be living in a disabled room because she now struggles to walk. The couple's heinous crimes have been thrown back into the spotlight amid the release of a new Netflix documentary Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story. 'Recently discovered police interview tapes with Fred offer firsthand insight into the crimes of this notorious serial-killing couple,' the synopsis says.
The Sun
03-06-2025
- General
- The Sun
Curse of Fred & Rose West's children – from tragic suicide to paedo son who chillingly said ‘I have a bit of dad in me'
THEY grew up in the house of horrors where their twisted parents sexually tortured and murdered young women - including their own sister. The children of Fred and Rose West lived with the threat that if they misbehaved they could end up buried under the patio like their sister, Heather, while the girls also had to fend off the disgusting sexual advances of their dad. 14 14 14 14 The couple's evil crimes were only uncovered when the traumatised children told teachers about Heather's gruesome grave, sparking a police search that uncovered nine bodies buried in the garden and cellar of 25 Cromwell Street in Gloucester. The rapist and serial killer couple shared ten children in total - including five they had together. Charmaine and Anne-Marie were Fred's daughters from his first marriage, then there were Heather, Mae, Tara, Louise, Rosemary Jr, Lucyanna, Stephen and Barry. Three of these children were conceived with clients Rose slept with while working as a prostitute, while Charmaine and Heather were killed by their parents after enduring years of abuse. The surviving siblings have felt the curse of the Wests' depraved crimes over the years, as they struggled to come to terms with the lasting impact of their warped childhood. Fred committed at least 12 murders and killed himself in January 1995 while on remand in prison. Rose was convicted of ten murders in November 1995 and sentenced to ten life terms with a whole life order. Now, after The Sun revealed their paedophile son Stephen has had his eighth child - a daughter with his former glamour model fiancée Emma Bradley - we look at where the troubled West children are now. Anne-Marie Anne-Marie was Fred's second daughter from his first marriage to Catherine Costello, known as Rena. Her mother and older sister Charmaine were both murdered by the Wests. Anne-Marie is the oldest surviving child of the family and she was the only one of her siblings to testify about the abuse they suffered at Rose and Fred's hands in court. In 1972, when Anne-Marie was eight years old, she was restrained and raped by Fred, while Rose watched and actively encouraged the abuse, even forcibly undressing her step-daughter. After this first assault, Rose — who was sexually abused by her own father — allegedly told Anne-Marie: 'I'm sorry. Everybody does it to every girl. It's a father's job. Don't worry, and don't say anything to anybody.' From the age of 13, Anne-Marie was forced into prostitution, telling clients who visited the house - where Rose was already selling sex - that she was 16. Anne-Marie ran away from home in 1979 when she was 15. She later changed her name to Anne-Marie, and married husband Philip Davis. She later wrote a book about her ordeal at the hands of her parents called Out of the Shadows. Now aged 61, she still lives in Gloucester but has sadly struggled with her mental health for years. Last month her husband told the Daily Mail that she was estranged from her siblings despite them living in close proximity. 'It's the siblings who live with the misery and pain of what went on in that house and the trauma is probably too much for them to have any contact," he said. "Even though some of them live near each other, they don't speak or see each other because that only opens up old wounds for them." Mae West 14 14 14 Shortly after Mae was born in 1972, Rose started selling sex from an upstairs room at their Cromwell Street home, meaning Mae always grew up with a string of strangers coming in and out of the house. Mae also suffered physical abuse at the hands of her mother, and was sexually abused by Fred. After her parents' arrest, Mae initially denied that she'd been sexually abused, but later wrote about it in her 2018 memoir, Love as Always. She also detailed her struggle to come to terms with the crimes her parents committed. "Knowing your parents are regarded by most people as evil beyond belief is incredibly hard to live with, especially when your own experience of them has been more complicated and you've seen a side to them which makes them more than simply monsters," she wrote. "Both of them had a side which seemed, at times at least, like other people. Mum could be tender and gentle with very young children; she had a sense of humour. Dad could be friendly and make us laugh.' Even after Rose was convicted of 10 murders and sentenced to life in prison, Mae still believed she was innocent and continued to write to her and visit her in prison. She told That's Life magazine: 'As the years passed though, I realised how controlling and manipulative Mum was. She'd been dubbed the most evil woman who had ever lived. 'I've read about Stockholm syndrome, where a person can become emotionally dependent on the person who is holding them hostage. I realised I was an emotional hostage to Mum. Now we no longer speak.' Mae is now married and has two children, Amy and Luke. After Luke was born she became a recluse, terrified to leave the house in case she was recognised as a West. But with the help of therapy she has come to terms with her past and has a job in retail. Stephen West 14 Stephen, now 51, lives in Gloucestershire with his former glamour model fiancée Emma Bradley just a few miles away from his childhood home, the Cromwell Street house of horrors. Stephen may have been the first person Fred confided in about his crimes. On the morning police began searching their infamous 25 Cromwell Street home, Fred reportedly told his son: 'Look son, look after mum and sell the house… I've done something really bad. I want you to go to the papers and make as much money as you can.' Later, while in custody, Fred made chilling admissions to Stephen, including the horrifying revelation that as a child, the young boy had unknowingly helped dig the graves of his father's victims. Stephen recalled: 'He [Fred] said to me: 'Can you remember helping me dig those holes in the garden when you were a kid?' I said I couldn't remember, but he said: 'We did it together, you know.' Then he said: 'That's where the girls were found, in the exact holes.'' Stephen struggled mentally and attempted suicide in 2002. Two years later, he was sentenced to nine months in prison after admitting to seven counts of having underage sex with a 14-year-old girl when he was 20. He reportedly once remarked: 'There's a bit of my dad in me.' Sources said Stephen and fiancée Emma are planning to tie the knot in August at the posh Celtic Manor hotel in Newport - against her family's wishes. One family insider told The Sun: 'None of us support it. He makes us uncomfortable.' Stephen, who is a grandad, has been married twice before and now has eight children. The former builder is believed to be out of work and living on benefits, driving a motability car he gets for one of his daughters, who is disabled. Last month he told the Daily Mail that most of the West children are estranged, explaining, "We don't have anything to do with each other. I don't speak to my siblings and there are no large happy family get-togethers. Too much has gone on. It's probably too painful for us." Barry West 14 14 14 Born in 1980, Barry was one of the West's younger children and claimed to have seen his parents murder his sister Heather when he was just seven years old. He said: 'I heard my mum slap her, then I looked through the crack and saw my dad walk round behind her and put his leg out. Then he grabbed her neck and tripped her over. 'She went on to the floor. I could see her just a few feet away. Then my mum just booted her. 'She was kicking and kicking her and calling her a s**g. My dad still had her by the throat.' He later branded his mother a 'psychopath' and said: 'I was happy when my dad committed suicide and now I think they should put my mum in a room with all the parents of the people she helped murder so they could tear her to pieces.' Who are the UK's worst serial killers? THE UK's most prolific serial killer was actually a doctor. Here's a rundown of the worst offenders in the UK. British GP Harold Shipman is one of the most prolific serial killers in recorded history. He was found guilty of murdering 15 patients in 2000, but the Shipman Inquiry examined his crimes and identified 218 victims, 80 per cent of whom were elderly women. After his death Jonathan Balls was accused of poisoning at least 22 people between 1824 and 1845. Mary Ann Cotton is suspected of murdering up to 21 people, including husbands, lovers and children. She is Britain's most prolific female serial killer. Her crimes were committed between 1852 and 1872, and she was hanged in March 1873. Amelia Sach and Annie Walters became known as the Finchley Baby Farmers after killing at least 20 babies between 1900 and 1902. The pair became the first women to be hanged at Holloway Prison on February 3, 1903. William Burke and William Hare killed 16 people and sold their bodies. Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe was found guilty in 1981 of murdering 13 women and attempting to kill seven others between 1975 and 1980. Dennis Nilsen was caged for life in 1983 after murdering up to 15 men when he picked them up from the streets. He was found guilty of six counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder and was sentenced to life in jail. Fred West was found guilty of killing 12 but it's believed he was responsible for many more deaths. He tragically died of a suspected overdose in 2020, aged just 40, while he was living in a supported hostel for adults coming out of rehab or prison. Journalist Howard Sounes, who wrote a book on the depraved couple, met Barry and had stayed in touch. He said Barry was tormented by his childhood. He said: 'He was totally haunted by his childhood. How do you overcome being the son of Fred and Rose West? 'The whole West story is littered with these really tragic stories, there was a lot of collateral of the West murder case.' Tara West Tara was born of Rose West's prostitution and her biological father was one of Rose's clients. Tara, now 47, was named after the Tara Hotel in Gloucester, which Rose frequented with her clients. In 1992, she was taken into care and forbidden contact with her parents or her older siblings. She is now believed to be married and living in the north of England under a different name. Louise West Louise, now 46, was also taken into foster care as a child and is now thought to be living in the north of England. She is believed to have intermittent contact with some of her sisters. Rosemary Jr. and Lucyanna Both Rosemary Jr, 42, and Lucyanna, 41, were fathered by clients of Rose. They too had their names changed when taken into foster care in 1992 and have remained private under their new identities. 14 14 14
Daily Mail
02-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Glamour model who had baby girl with the son of serial killers Fred and Rose West is former Premier League WAG
This is the former glamour model who recently had a baby girl with the son of serial killers Fred and Rose West. Emma Bradley ignored concerns from her family to settle down with Stephen West and the pair, who are also engaged, most recently welcomed a baby girl named Eden. But she will never see her grandmother Rose, 71 after Emma revealed that Stephen had cut off all ties with his evil mother who is serving a life sentence in prison for the rape, torture and murder of 10 women and girls. His depraved father Fred killed himself in 1995 while awaiting trial for 12 murders. In social media pictures, Emma and Stephen, 51, can be seen cuddling and kissing while in one she lovingly strokes his face as they announce their engagement in 2020. Other pictures show the couple enjoying a break in Paris and at family gatherings, underlining the deep bond they share. The happiness captured in the images represents a far cry from Stephen's upbringing in the 'House of Horrors' at 25 Cromwell Street where his parents, among Britain's worst serial killers, committed multiple murders and subjected him and his siblings to sickening sexual and physical violence. Rose and Fred West (pictured) collaborated on their heinous crimes but Fred escaped justice when he died by suicide while awaiting trial while Rose was sentence to life imprisonment Former topless model Emma featured in magazines like Nuts and Zoo in her early 20s and reportedly once dated ex-Arsenal striker Paul Merson and singer Dane Bowers before settling down. She also worked at Maxxis Babes, which provides models for car and bike shows around the UK. Emma has since switched careers and after graduating from the University of West England in 2007 with a degree in nursing, now works at Gloucester Royal Hospital and at a leading cosmetics clinic as a surgeon's assistant. She and Stephen live in a modest three-bedroom semi-detached home in Gloucester just five miles from the 'House of Horrors,' with four girls aged one to 17. Two of them are from a previous relationship Emma had. The couple are due to tie the knot in August at the Celtic Manor Hotel in Newport. But their relationship has caused a huge rift within Emma's family because of Stephen's conviction in 2004 for seven counts of underage sex with a 14-year-old girl. He chillingly admitted at the time: 'There's a bit of dad in me.' The happiness captured in the images of the couple represents a far cry from Stephen's upbringing in the 'House of Horrors' at 25 Cromwell Street where his parents, among Britain's worst serial killers, committed multiple murders and subjected him and his siblings to sickening sexual and physical violence After reports of Rose being in ill health in HMP New Hall, West Yorkshire, Emma told The Sun that neither she or Stephen were aware as they have cut ties with the serial killer. She said: 'Stephen doesn't want to say anything because his main priority is the little ones. He is adamant, at this time of his life he's got a young family to protect.' She said her older children 'don't know about the family history,' and added: 'They are old enough to be aware but too young to understand.' One inside source claimed that Emma's family were 'uncomfortable' with her relationship to Stephen due to his family and 'where he comes from'. They also claimed that Stephen, a former builder, is currently unemployed and drives a Motability Scheme car due to one of his daughter's being disabled. The source said: 'None of us support it. He makes us uncomfortable. It's created a rift in the family.' Stephen has been married twice before his engagement to Emma and has eight children in total. He is also a grandfather. He grew up in the 'House of Horrors' and once revealed in an interview that 'it was important' to cut ties with Rose following her conviction. Rose had blamed Stephen for her and Fred's horrific campaign of rape, torture and murder - which included their killing of his older sister Heather - and said it was his fault that she had ended up behind bars. Stephen added: 'She rang me in 1999 with hate, blaming me for everything. She said I should have died when I was born and that I was a disgrace to the family. 'You don't need enemies when you've got family like that.' At 14 years old, his father Fred told him to dig a hole in his garden that would be used for a fishpond. But it was to be used for his 16-year-old sister's grave. The couple would often tell their other children they would 'end up under the patio like Heather' if they did not behave. Of Fred and Rose's 10 children, only seven are still alive today. Four of them are believed to have moved to other parts of the UK to begin new lives, away from the 'House of Horrors' - but three, including Stephen, have remained in Gloucester and live around ten minutes away from each other.
Metro
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
'Dark' ITV true crime drama quietly added to Netflix soars up chart
Netflix viewers are bingeing a crime drama detailing the horrific crimes of serial killers Fred and Rose West. The harrowing Netflix documentary Fred & Rose West: A British Horror Story has brought renewed interest to the frightening serial killer case that gripped headlines in the 90s. Viewers are now turning to a dramatisation of the grim case, Appropriate Adult, which was recently added to Netflix and is now ranking in the streaming platform's top 10. The two-part mini series focuses on how Fred and Rose West were brought to justice, first airing on ITV in 2011. As the opening credits state: 'This is a true story. What follows is based on extensive research, interviews and published accounts. Some scenes have been created for the purposes of dramatisation.' Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. The drama follows Gloucester social worker Janet Leach (Emily Watson) and her pivotal role in discovering the bodies of women the couple had killed and buried on their property. Dominic West plays Fred West in the drama, while Mr Bates vs The Post Office star Monica Dolan plays his wife Rose. Across the two episodes, we follow Fred's arrest, his subsequent suicide and the lifetime conviction of Rose. West went on to win the Best Actor Bafta for his turn in the chilling drama, while Emily Watson took home the Best Actress gong. Leach became Fred West's 'appropriate adult' – hence the show's title – and sat in on police interviews with him. During these interviews, he revealed in terrifying detail the horrors his victims had faced. Police officers tapped Leach in order to avoid any future insinuation Fred West had not understood the charges he was under investigation for. The Crown star said at the time that inhabiting the serial killer was so difficult it gave him nightmares. 'I have this recurring dream where I'm perched on a wall and Fred West is trying to grab me and pull me down,' he told the BBC. He also defended the drama against accusations it would prove triggering to the victims' families. 'I think it's effective without being sensational in any way,' he continued. 'Thousands of people still go missing in this country every year and are never found. 'Fred West preyed on runaways without being caught for 25 years. We should not forget this case, because there could be others like him. Netflix subscribers have been returning to the drama since the true crime documentary dropped on the streaming service – and it now ranks fifth on the platform's ranking of top TV. Sharing their reviews on IMDB, @truecrimeallthetime said the drama is 'seriously gripping', writing: 'Excellent dramatisation of this deeply disturbing case. Respectfully done with classy performances and simple but effective direction.' @Aimeemcdonald-55532 wrote it is 'definitely a must-see', adding: 'I was very moved by this dramatisation. Brilliant acting which left me with chills. I had to keep reminding myself that these events actually happened, because it's so stomach churning.' More Trending However, not everyone was taken with the dramatisation as @rupie had issues with the apparent sympathetic portrayal of Fred West. They wrote: 'It was repellent – as well as incomprehensible – to watch Leach's developing interest and fascination with Fred West. 'Anyone watching this movie should first do some Googling to find out the details of what Fred and Rosemary West perpetrated. If anyone deserves to be called human monsters, it is this pair. In the light of this knowledge, the script's clear intention – to me anyway – to actually make West into a figure of sympathy is disgusting.' Appropriate Adult is available to stream on Netflix. This article was originally published on May 27, 2025. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. View More » MORE: Rose West has new grandchild after son welcomes baby with former model MORE: British Soap Awards 2025 afterparty evacuated due to security alert MORE: Netflix viewers rush to watch 'astonishing' drama starring Sheridan Smith as beloved British icon
