21-05-2025
Revealed: The happiest NAMES in the UK - and it's bad news for Victors and Susans
Once you've been given a name at birth it – usually – sticks with you for life.
But what you're called could influence how happy people think you are, according to a new study.
A poll of 2,000 people has revealed the happiest and most miserable names in the UK.
And while it's good news for Daves and Katies, those called Victor and Susan aren't so lucky.
For the study, participants were given a long list of names to choose from and were asked to tick all those that they believed were the happiest.
Then, they repeated the exercise but with the most miserable names.
The research found that overall, 23 per cent of Brits claimed some of the happiest people they've ever met are called Dave.
That's enough to put a smile on the face of David Beckham, David Attenborough, David Hasselhoff and David Bowie.
The poll found that 23 per cent of people believe Dave is the happiest name - in good news for David Beckham (left) and David Attenborough (right)
The happiest female name was deemed to be Katie – in good news for Katie Price, Katie Holmes and Kate Winslet.
Other happy names include Charlie, as in Charlie Chaplin, Emily, as in Emily Blunt, and Lucy, as in Lucy Liu.
Poppy, Ben, Jack, Tom and Muhammed also top the list.
In contrast, it's bad news for actor Victor Garber – of Titanic and Legally Blonde fame – as Victor was ranked the most miserable name.
Susan – an incredibly popular name in the 1950s and 1960s – was voted joint second, along with Nigel and Karen.
In recent years the 'Karen' stereotype has come to refer to a middle-class, middle-aged white woman who is obnoxious and entitled in her behaviour.
Other 'miserable' names include Mark, such as the Bridget Jones movie character Mark Darcy and Jeremy, as in Jeremy Clarkson.
Clive, Hassan, Geoff and Brian also come in the top 10 most miserable names.
Both Nigel Farage (left) and Jeremy Clarkson (right) have names that were ranked highly in the 'most miserable' list
What is a 'Karen'?
A 'Karen' is a term for a self-righteous woman, sometimes racist and usually middle-aged, who tells people how to do their jobs, asserts their rights and complains to the manager.
The term became popular in meme culture on internet forum Reddit to describe problematic women.
A Karen meme is often combined with the quote: 'Can I speak to the manager?'
The male version of a 'Karen' is sometimes referred to as a 'Kevin'.
The Happiness Index, which was commissioned by 'Shop & Win' platform Winnerz, 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.
Meanwhile those linked to elegance, strength or beauty are becoming more popular.
Olivia – the most popular name for baby girls in England and Wales in 2023 – was associated with 'elegance', 'grace', 'intelligence', 'creativity' and 'warmth'.
Meanwhile Muhammed, the most popular name for boys, was linked to 'prophet', 'revered', 'leader', 'respected' and 'blessed'.
In recent years, more than half of British boys – 55 per cent – have been given names associated with being powerful.
However names linked to intelligence, which include William and Ada, have become less popular in the last 25 years.
During this period names linked to 'beauty', such as Freya and Willow, have seen a boost, with around three in 10 babies now being given one.
Names associated with wealth, which include Otto and Solomon, are also on the rise.
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.
