text: The name Gary - once one of the most popular name in Britain - is now heading for extinction. Just 28 of 700,000 babies born in the UK in 2013 were given the name, data from the Office of National Statistics shows. That compares to 235 Garys being born in 1996, when the name was the 147th most popular in Britain. In 2013, it didn't even make the top 1,000. All in a name: Others suggest that Gary Lineker, left, or Take That singer Barlow might have put some off . Helped by the popularity of actor Gary Cooper, there was a surge in  Garys  born in the US in the early 1950s. There was even a trend of girls being given the name. The name peaked in Britain roughly decade later. In 1964, it was ranked 16th most popular. Since then, there has been a fall in the number of Garys. It is now among a number of once-common names that are close to dying-out completely. Fall from grace: Some blame shamed pop star Gary Glitter, pictured, for the name's declining popularity . There has been suggestion that football pundit Lineker, or Take That singer Barlow might have put some off the name. But others point to Britain's most notorious Gary, paedophile pop star Glitter, who was jailed for 16 years for a string of sex attacks on girls, as the reason behind the name's fall from grace. Speaking to the Sun, Gary Davis, from south London, said: 'Gary Glitter has obviously done us no favours.' Between 1996 and 2013, unusual names such as Dexter (there were 1,019 born in 2013), Jenson (1,055) and Harley (1,275) all climbed in popularity to break the top 100. Meanwhile, the country went from having no girls called Harper - the name given to David and Victoria Beckham's daughter - to hundreds. Nearly 200 were born in 2013. Other names inspired by famous faces including Rihanna (60 born in 2013), Hermione (77) and Paris (107) were also more popular than humble Gary. Data from last year shows a surge in Arabic names in the UK, with Omar, Ali and Ibrahim all entering the boys’ top 100 for the first time. For girls, Maryam has shot up 59 places to number 35, while Nur is a new entry in the girls’ top 100, jumping straight to number 29. And Muhammad has risen an astonishing 27 places compared to last year to claim the number-one spot for boys. Sophia was the top name for baby girls but the year’s biggest riser within the girls’ top 100 was Maryam, while the highest new entries were Nur, Emilia and Gracie. For baby boys, Teddy was the biggest climber within the top 100. The highest new entry was Kian. Popular: Between 1996 and 2013 country went from having no baby girls called Harper - the name given to David and Victoria Beckham's daughter - to hundreds. Above, Harper with her brothers and father last month . GIRLS . Alpha - Alpha may be the first letter in the Greek alphabet, but it’s one of the last names modern parents consider for their baby girls. Not so in 1880, the first year baby name records were kept in the US, when Alpha was Number 301. It dropped off the Top 1000 in 1944 and is about to disappear for good. Barbra - Singer Barbra Streisand made her unusually-spelled, condensed name famous in the 1960s, when it peaked at Number 511, only to drop off in the Top 1000 in 1971. Barbara, a Top 10 name for three decades, hangs on in the Top 1000, but Barbra is about to vanish. Claudine - This feminization of the ancient Roman name Claudius ranked in the Top 1000 for first half of the 20th century, then blipped to a new height in 1970 on the popularity of singer Claudine Longet, only to fall off the charts in 1975. Claudine along with most other once-popular –ine and –een-ending girls’ names are now out of favor. Nanette - Nanette ranked among the Top 1000 until 77, peaking in 1956. But today, most parents say no to Nanette. Sheba - Sheba is the short form of the Biblical Bathsheba, disappearing from view with only five baby girls named Sheba in the US in 2013. Sondra - Sandra’s exotic sister Sondra ranked in the Top 1000 from the 1920s through the 80s, peaking in 1939. But the devastating Hurricane Sandy took a lot of wind out of all forms of this name, given to only five girls in 2013. Thisbe -Thisbe was never ranked in the Top 1000, but this ancient mythological name – she was a doomed young lover whose tale inspired Romeo & Juliet – is about to vanish from the modern lexicon. Zelma - Zelma nearly broke the Top 200 in 1902 but fell off the list in 1955. Selma, Thelma, and even Velma, might be hanging on by the tips of their antiquated fingernails, but Zelma is about to lose her grip on modern usage. BOYS . Elmo - Just over a century ago, this short form of Guglielmo, the Italian form of William, stood at a respectable Number 247, hanging in there until the 1950s, when it disappeared from view. Any hope of revival was shattered by the ticklish toy from SesameStreet. Icarus - A dramatic Greek mythological name, Icarus is known for flying too close to the sun with dire consequences. His name has never broken into the national Top 1000, probably due his rash reputation and the icky sound of the first syllable of his name. Inigo - Inigo is another name that’s never ranked here, though it’s admired enough on Nameberry to make it Number 261. It’s the medieval Spanish version of Ignatius, which has ranked as high as Number 602 on the national list and was used by Cate Blanchett, but Inigo is a no-go. Llewellyn - A common name in Wales, with the distinctive Welsh double-l beginning, Llewellyn appeared on the US list for six decades, ending in the early 1940s. But despite its rich Welsh history, literary cred and quirky nicknames, Llewelyn seems headed for extinction. Remus - With his twin brother Romulus, he was a legendary founder of Rome. But the stereotypical image of Uncle Remus, plus the unpleasant first syllable, have kept him permanently off the Top 1000. Sherwood - The stiff surname Sherwood, which does have the distinguished namesake of influential novelist Sherwood Anderson, managed to make it onto the list from 1897 to 1963, peaking at Number 533 in 1938, Anderson’s heyday, but it hasn’t been heard from in the 7+ decades since then. Waldo - Where’s Waldo? He’s nowhere to be found except on the birth certificates of a scant five boys last year. Waldo actually reached as high as Number 347 in 1881 and remained on the list till 1941, when it became a victim of anti-German sentiment.
target: Gary fell from 147th most popular British name in 1996 to 1,001st in 2013 .
  Reached height of its popularity in 1964, when it was ranked 16th .
  Meanwhile, names including Dexter and Jenson are now in the top 100 .