# Are the muppets the reason names like Kermit and Grover have become archaic? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 12, 2026, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-muppets-the-reason-names-like-kermit-and-grover-have-become-archaic/1029219 "2026-04-12T15:40:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-muppets-the-reason-names-like-kermit-and-grover-have-become-archaic/1029219/81 "2026-04-14T04:55:20Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > I know a lot of people named Gary, many young. This is a weird suggestion when it’s such a common name. Gary has dropped off _dramatically_ as a name for baby boys in the U.S. since the year 2000. To the extent it’s still a common name in the U.S., it’s among men over age 25, and especially over age 50. It was consistently among the top 50 baby boy names from the 1940s through around 1975; it then gradually declined in popularity until around 2000, before declining even faster since then, to the point that it’s now barely in the top 1000 names (in 2022, it was ranked #961). At its peak in popularity, in the early 1950s, Gary was the name given to 2% of baby boys in the U.S.; now, the name is given to 0.01% of baby boys. Cite: [Baby Name Gary](https://babynames1000.com/gary/) ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-muppets-the-reason-names-like-kermit-and-grover-have-become-archaic/1029219/82 "2026-04-14T04:55:20Z")
I actually knew a guy who went by Animal, though I think he might actually have gotten that nickname because he reminded people of the Muppet. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-muppets-the-reason-names-like-kermit-and-grover-have-become-archaic/1029219/83 "2026-04-14T05:20:13Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > On a related note, “Gary” is a name that has pretty much disappeared What!!? I’m not even a muppet! ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-muppets-the-reason-names-like-kermit-and-grover-have-become-archaic/1029219/84 "2026-04-14T06:36:41Z")
The name that’s really taken a hit in recent years is “Karen.” In 2007 it was the 165th most popular name for newborn girls. Since then for some mysterious reason it has dropped to 823rd. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-muppets-the-reason-names-like-kermit-and-grover-have-become-archaic/1029219/85 "2026-04-14T16:00:17Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > And, in fact, Oscar Nunez was born in Cuba, while Oscar Isaac was born in Guatemala. Been teaching 20 years in Michigan. I’ve had a few Oscars, not a ton. I work in a district that is 50% Hispanic, 40%, and 10%(or less) Black. Estimates, I mean. Most Hispanic kids have “American” names, so to speak. Then again, I have three Jimenas in one class(one is Ximena). ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-muppets-the-reason-names-like-kermit-and-grover-have-become-archaic/1029219/86 "2026-04-14T17:11:43Z")
This is Grover T. Muldoon. You wanna know what happened? We just whupped your ass. We just whupped your ass! Ha, ha, ha! ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-muppets-the-reason-names-like-kermit-and-grover-have-become-archaic/1029219/87 "2026-04-14T19:38:47Z")
Well, there IS that whole thing about all the serial killers with the middle name Wayne. My dad’s middle name was Wayne, and I know he never killed anybody. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-muppets-the-reason-names-like-kermit-and-grover-have-become-archaic/1029219/88 "2026-04-14T21:33:28Z")
A good literary reference can do a lot to ruin a name. How many Judases do you know? Or Ebenezers? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-muppets-the-reason-names-like-kermit-and-grover-have-become-archaic/1029219/89 "2026-04-14T21:35:27Z")
> [@Johnny\_Q](#): > > A good literary reference can do a lot to ruin a name. As my father liked to joke: “You don’t see a lot of kids named Pontius any more.” ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-muppets-the-reason-names-like-kermit-and-grover-have-become-archaic/1029219/90 "2026-04-14T21:42:33Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > > [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > > > Today is the first time I ever knew that there have been humans named Kermit > > When I was growing up, the school librarian’s husband’s name was Kermit. We thought it was mildly amusing, not that he ever came into the school. He was a veterinarian, actually. Wonder if ever treated any frogs.. 🤭 I went to school with a guy named Kermit. His father was also named Kermit and ran the nearby candy/mini convenience store. I am 68 for time reference. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-muppets-the-reason-names-like-kermit-and-grover-have-become-archaic/1029219/91 "2026-04-14T21:54:41Z")
Did he like fountains? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-muppets-the-reason-names-like-kermit-and-grover-have-become-archaic/1029219/92 "2026-04-14T22:15:24Z")
I had to think about that for a minute. My mom’s name isn’t Stacy, although variations of that name were quite popular when I was born in the mid 1960s. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-muppets-the-reason-names-like-kermit-and-grover-have-become-archaic/1029219/93 "2026-04-14T22:19:31Z")
p.s. My 25-year-old niece’s name is Zoe. My grandmother (1915-2007) had never seen that name before in the rural Iowa town where she lived all her life, and said, “What kind of name is that, anyway? What is going to happen to that poor child when she starts school?” I told her, “It’s Greek, and she may be one of 2 or 3 girls in her class with that name, because it’s actually quite popular right now.” (As it happened, her name was the least of the issues she had in school, but that’s a discussion for another day.) Grandma’s name, BTW, was Lola. Who ever thought THAT name would make a comeback? ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-muppets-the-reason-names-like-kermit-and-grover-have-become-archaic/1029219/94 "2026-04-14T22:26:31Z")
My son shares a name with a Muppet, albeit one who didn’t know he was a Muppet because he was adopted into a human family. (Said Muppet’s human brother is, totally coincidentally, named Gary.) ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-muppets-the-reason-names-like-kermit-and-grover-have-become-archaic/1029219/95 "2026-04-14T22:26:44Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Regarding the name “Oscar” – it became “in vogue” because of James MacPherson’s translations of the poems of the “Northern Bard” Ossian , which McPherson published 1760-1765. These were of huge popularity, I like poetry, so I looked for this. Damn. There is still scads of stuff about the poems, and the controversy, but the actual poems have disappeared. Using the original spelling “Death of Oscur” gets different results, but still no actual text. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-muppets-the-reason-names-like-kermit-and-grover-have-become-archaic/1029219/96 "2026-04-14T22:39:15Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > My 25-year-old niece’s name is Zoe. Which is also the name of a Muppet. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-muppets-the-reason-names-like-kermit-and-grover-have-become-archaic/1029219/97 "2026-04-14T22:41:40Z")
That is true. I had forgotten about that one. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-muppets-the-reason-names-like-kermit-and-grover-have-become-archaic/1029219/98 "2026-04-14T22:44:03Z")
Muppets may take our names, but they’ll never take our FREEDOM!!! ---
**Author:** ![Sylvanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sylvanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylvanz)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-muppets-the-reason-names-like-kermit-and-grover-have-become-archaic/1029219/99 "2026-04-14T22:45:25Z")
I graduated in 1977 there were lots of Garys in my class and school. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-muppets-the-reason-names-like-kermit-and-grover-have-become-archaic/1029219/100 "2026-04-14T22:45:35Z")
“Muppets may take our names, but they’ll never take our FREEDOM!!!” From an independent Canadian political perspective, admitting definitions are elastic and America is complicated, it kind of looks like they already did? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-muppets-the-reason-names-like-kermit-and-grover-have-become-archaic/1029219.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-muppets-the-reason-names-like-kermit-and-grover-have-become-archaic/1029219.md?page=6)