Community Chat

[LoveMyBaby]

The following once-common names are quickly dying out, according to BabyCentre, which used its database of 300,000 parents to determine this year’s most popular and unpopular names, according to Brit + Co.

• The company says that not one parent has registered a child with these names in their system so far in 2017.

And here they are — 36 names in danger of becoming extinct:

• Angela, Bertram, Beverly, Carol, Cecil, Clarence, Clive, Cyril, Debra, Diane, Donna, Dean, Doris, Dennis, Derek, Duncan, Elaine, Ernest, Geoffrey, Horace, Joanne, Leonard, Maureen, Malcolm, Nigel, Neville, Paula, Roy, Sally, Sandra, Sharon, Sheila, Tracey, Wendy, Yvonne, Wayne

While mostly British parents register with BabyCentre, we’re pretty sure it’s the same story in America.

• In 2016, more than 400,000 mostly American parents voted for their favorite names with BabyCenter.com.
• The most popular girls’ names were Sophia, Emma, Olivia, Ava and Mia, while the most popular boys’ names were Jackson, Aiden, Lucas, Liam and Noah.

Just for fun, we looked at the most popular names in America 50 years ago.

The most popular girls’ names were Lisa, Kimberly, Michelle, Mary and Susan, while the most popular boys’ names were Michael, David, James, John and Robert.

[Trix]

This is not surprising. Think about the names of your family members, neighbors, co-workers, etc.  Their names generally match up with what was in vogue during the era in which they were born (family names where people are Jr., III, etc excluded). Also, if you meet someone, but have not seen them in person a perception of their age can be formed from their first name.  For example whenever I have dealings with a Heather, I automatically assume she is 25 to early 30s. I'm usually shocked if Heather turns out to be in her 50s.  Vice versa, if I encounter a (sight unseen) Jane, I perceive her to be an older woman and there is a bit of surprise if she's in her 20s.     

[cancun08]

---

@LoveMyBaby wrote:

The following once-common names are quickly dying out, according to BabyCentre, which used its database of 300,000 parents to determine this year’s most popular and unpopular names, according to Brit + Co.

• The company says that not one parent has registered a child with these names in their system so far in 2017.

And here they are — 36 names in danger of becoming extinct:

• Angela, Bertram, Beverly, Carol, Cecil, Clarence, Clive, Cyril, Debra, Diane, Donna, Dean, Doris, Dennis, Derek, Duncan, Elaine, Ernest, Geoffrey, Horace, Joanne, Leonard, Maureen, Malcolm, Nigel, Neville, Paula, Roy, Sally, Sandra, Sharon, Sheila, Tracey, Wendy, Yvonne, Wayne

While mostly British parents register with BabyCentre, we’re pretty sure it’s the same story in America.

• In 2016, more than 400,000 mostly American parents voted for their favorite names with BabyCenter.com.
• The most popular girls’ names were Sophia, Emma, Olivia, Ava and Mia, while the most popular boys’ names were Jackson, Aiden, Lucas, Liam and Noah.

Just for fun, we looked at the most popular names in America 50 years ago.

The most popular girls’ names were Lisa, Kimberly, Michelle, Mary and Susan, while the most popular boys’ names were Michael, David, James, John and Robert.

---

@LoveMyBaby

Uh....yeah....some of those names NEED to become extinct!!   Lol.

[queendiva]

Mine was one of the most popular baby girl names post WWII. It was my mother's favorite then and when I was born ten years later. I believe it is extinct now. Only my youngest sister and I were not named after a family member. She was born mid-60s. I see her name is on the endangered list.

I knew a woman who for her whole life never knew another Emma until she was a grandmother. Often what's old is new again, including the popularity of some names from the Old Testament.

[Yardlie]

Names come and go. Names like Sophia and Olivia are very old-fashioned, but sometimes "old-fashioned" are the "in" names. Personally, I prefer unique names. To each his own.

[OKPrincess]

When I looked up my name it was rated #2 in my birth year. 

[LoveMyBaby]

@cancun08

I agree, LOL. Never met a Bertram or Horace. But you never know, it could come back in vogue some day. 

[summerwind]

That's funny, in the 80s I worked with a group of 5-6 women, and some were temps. We learned we were getting a new one named "Madonna". We expected a 20-something teeny-bopper sort. We got a woman our age, in our upper 30s! She and her husband had gone to Woodstock, we were very jealous!

@Trix

[puttypiesmom]

I think the only time we will see a come back of names that were popular in the 50's and 60's is when the grandchildren or great grandchildren are named after their relative a baby boomer.  I did meet a 20 year old recently with a first name from that era and was surprised. She most likely was named after a baby boomer.  

[2blonde]

I think Bertram and Horace are more British names.  When I was in school, out of over 400 kids there was only one other Laura, and she was a year older.  At first I thought I was weird because kids usually want to fit in, but later I appreciated my name because it wasn't common, but also not hard to understand or to spell.  As I got older, there were more and more younger girls with my name.

BTW, my mother came up with my name after watching the movie, "Laura," that came out the same year I was born (1948).  There also was a song.....