Women called Kelly, Lisa and Sarah are more likely to end up in prison

Women called Kelly are more likely to end up in prison than those with other names, official figures suggest. Statistics from the Ministry of Justice show that Kelly is the most common name among female inmates even though it has never made the top ten list of most popular girls' names.

Women called Kelly are more likely to end up in prison than those with other names, official figures suggest. 

Statistics from the Ministry of Justice show that Kelly is the most common name among female inmates – even though it has never made the top ten list of most popular girls' names. 

The discovery is all the more odd because the list of most common prisoners' names otherwise largely tallies with that of the general population. 

Women called Kelly are more likely to end up in prison than those with other names, official figures suggest

Women called Kelly are more likely to end up in prison than those with other names, official figures suggest

The largest age group within the current prison population is of those born during the 1980s. 

They account for around 25,000 inmates, just under 31 per cent of the total. 

According the Office for National Statistics, the name Kelly peaked in 1984, when it was the 15th most popular baby name, a fleeting rise perhaps linked to the popularity of actress Kelly LeBrock in films such as The Woman In Red. 

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Share The largest age group within the current prison population is of those born during the 1980s (file image)

The largest age group within the current prison population is of those born during the 1980s (file image)

According to the Ministry Of Justice, there were 74 women with the first name Kelly behind bars on December 31 last year. 

MOST COMMON NAMES IN BRITAIN'S PRISONS

Women 

1 Kelly 

2 Lisa 

3 Sarah 

4 Emma 

5 Michelle 

Men 

1 David 

2 Michael 

3 John 

4 Daniel 

5 Paul

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Two of the other names in the top five – Sarah and Emma – were popular throughout the 1980s and the remaining two – Lisa and Michelle – commonly chosen by parents in the 1970s. 

Among the male prison population, the most common name is David (1,956 inmates), a popular choice for boys from the 1930s right through until the 1980s, followed by Michael (1,885), John (1,555), Daniel (1,514) and Paul (1,430). 

Several research projects have been carried out into whether names are linked to an offender's criminal tendencies. 

A study by Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania concluded that young people with unpopular names were at greater risk of getting into trouble with the law. 

Jennifer Moss, chief executive of Babynames.com, said: 'Kelly was not as high on the name charts as more common names like Michael, David or Sarah because biblical names tend to rank higher.' 

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