# Names you don't hear much these days **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 8, 2009, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-you-dont-hear-much-these-days/502371 "2009-07-08T21:50:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-you-dont-hear-much-these-days/502371/1 "2009-07-08T21:50:05Z")
We’ve got yet another thread about flaky names parents give their kids, but it got me to thinking about the names of my younger days that have fallen from popularity. For example, among my close friends in high school were Denise, Jeanette, Mary, Karen, Patricia, and Ruth. Others names among my classmates were Janice, Pam, Gail, Richard, Frederick, Don, and Phil. For a frame of reference, I graduated high school in '72. And from my parents’ generation, there’s Loretta, Stella, Jean, Joe, Walter, Eleanor, Dorothy, Harold, Connie… I’m not suggesting that no one chooses these names, but they’re certainly not as common as they used to be. So, what names did you hear a lot in your youth that don’t seem to be as popular these days? ---
**Author:** ![taxi78cab](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47c2d/32.png) [@taxi78cab](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taxi78cab)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-you-dont-hear-much-these-days/502371/2 "2009-07-08T22:12:26Z")
I’m from the Sarah/Jennifer/Jessica days of those of us born in the late-70s and early-80s. I have no idea if anyone’s naming their kids Jennifer and Jessica any more. I think Sarah’s pretty classic, though, isn’t it? It’s a lot of fun to play around on the Social Security Admin’s baby name [website](http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/). I’m embarrassed to admit how much time my husband and I have spent there putting in every name we can think of and looking to see when its peak was in the last 100 years. Pretty interesting really. ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-you-dont-hear-much-these-days/502371/3 "2009-07-08T22:24:04Z")
FairyChatMom, I’m about the same age as you. And even if you hadn’t put your graduation year in that post, I’d know it from the names you listed. Linda Cheryl Debbie David Bruce Allen I’m getting a kick out of the fact that a lot of new babies these days have what I always thought of as old lady names. Sophie, Grace, Lucy, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-you-dont-hear-much-these-days/502371/4 "2009-07-08T22:25:41Z")
Check out the [Baby Name Wizard](http://www.babynamewizard.com/voyager) and look at the historical trend for names. For example, naming a baby “Denise” peaked about 1960, while the name “Loretta” peaked 30 years earlier. Sorry, but “FairyChatMom” isn’t listed, but “Fairy” peaked in 1900 and was gone by 1930. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-you-dont-hear-much-these-days/502371/5 "2009-07-08T22:26:32Z")
Ah yes, old lady names… One of my daughter’s friends had a baby recently and named her Frances - I love it! ---
**Author:** ![Mrs.Cake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-you-dont-hear-much-these-days/502371/6 "2009-07-08T22:28:13Z")
It was all Barbies, Debbies, Jackies, Kellys, and Pattys when I was growing up (graduated HS in 1980). All the cheerleader names. All of them ending with a y or an ie, except for a few unfortunate nerds like me. The guys were all Mikes, Dans, Johns, and Bobs. You can practically see the flattop haircuts and plaid shirts of the elementary school years. You still see plenty of these names, but not the girls names so much. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-you-dont-hear-much-these-days/502371/7 "2009-07-08T22:33:49Z")
> [@taxi78cab](#): > > It’s a lot of fun to play around on the Social Security Admin’s baby name [website](http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/). I’m embarrassed to admit how much time my husband and I have spent there putting in every name we can think of and looking to see when its peak was in the last 100 years. Pretty interesting really. Holy sh!t. My given name was number one for a decade and a half, a top 10 name until the late '80s and now is barely clinging to top 50 status! ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-you-dont-hear-much-these-days/502371/8 "2009-07-08T22:51:09Z")
My name, Michelle, was 93 in the 50s when I was born, then jumped to 9 in the 60s, and 4 in the 70s. Last year, it was 103. I guess it peaked after the Beatles immortalized it. ---
**Author:** ![MissGypsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@MissGypsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissGypsy)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-you-dont-hear-much-these-days/502371/9 "2009-07-08T23:15:15Z")
I went to school with herds of Jennifers, Michelles, and Melissas. (I was born in 1970.) There were at least two dozen of each in my class, I know, and often 4-5 in the same classroom. Very confusing! Yet I haven’t met a person under 20 with any of those names in the past decade. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-you-dont-hear-much-these-days/502371/10 "2009-07-08T23:29:32Z")
Here’s one that really confuses me. I was a kid in the early 1970s, and there were always several boys named Toby at my school. I always think of it as a very 1970s name. But now, I cannot think that I have _ever_ met someone as an adult named Toby. Where did they all _go_? ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-you-dont-hear-much-these-days/502371/11 "2009-07-08T23:41:54Z")
My name peaked in the 1930’s and has swirled downward towards obscurity since then. THANKS MOM! ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-you-dont-hear-much-these-days/502371/12 "2009-07-08T23:49:56Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Ah yes, old lady names… One of my daughter’s friends had a baby recently and named her Frances - I love it! I’m a Frances, and I almost never meet anyone my age (I graduated h.s. in '76) named Frances, although I hear all the time, “My [grandmother, aunt, mother] was named Frances!” (On a totally unrelated note, I have a simple mnemonic I use to help people remember that Francis is the boy spelling and Frances is the girl spelling. Ya see, the “e” in Frances has a hole in it, and the “i” in Francis sticks up straight!) ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-you-dont-hear-much-these-days/502371/13 "2009-07-09T00:19:36Z")
> [@freckafree](#): > > I’m a Frances, and I almost never meet anyone my age (I graduated h.s. in '76) named Frances, although I hear all the time, “My [grandmother, aunt, mother] was named Frances!” I had an aunt Frances! > [@](#): > > (On a totally unrelated note, I have a simple mnemonic I use to help people remember that Francis is the boy spelling and Frances is the girl spelling. Ya see, the “e” in Frances has a hole in it, and the “i” in Francis sticks up straight!) That’s as bad as my mnemonic for remembering which Superman was Reeve and which was Reeves. (There’s only one _s_ between the first and last names for both, so Christopher Reeve but George Reeves.) ---
**Author:** ![emcee2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emcee2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emcee2k)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-you-dont-hear-much-these-days/502371/14 "2009-07-09T00:31:53Z")
If I have a son, I’m naming him Robert. There’s no Bobs anymore, and I think it’s a shame. ---
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-you-dont-hear-much-these-days/502371/15 "2009-07-09T00:35:35Z")
I have three, count 'em three Yolandas in my family and have never come across another. Big fan of Otis too, which seems to have disappeared. ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-you-dont-hear-much-these-days/502371/16 "2009-07-09T00:41:16Z")
> [@freckafree](#): > > I’m a Frances, and I almost never meet anyone my age (I graduated h.s. in '76) named Frances, although I hear all the time, “My [grandmother, aunt, mother] was named Frances!” I’ve heard the same thing all my life about my own name. I’m a good twenty years past my time. But I think it’s coming back. I’m hearing about more baby Alices these days. I dont’ know if it’s just cycled around, or if there’s a celebrity I don’t know about. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-you-dont-hear-much-these-days/502371/17 "2009-07-09T00:59:35Z")
There’s a category of womens’ names that I think of as “baby boomer names,” though they were popular for a bit before that, too. They’re usually short, 5-6 letters and have two syllables. They are just nice, simple, no-nonsense names that NOBODY is using any more! How long has it been since you’ve met a baby named… -Donna -Linda -Susan -Karen -Paula -Janet -Ellen Okay, I think I just named most of my mom’s friends! My mom is a Julie. There are Julias galore, but not Julies. We met a baby named Julie a few months ago, and we all nearly fainted. Anybody have other names that fit into this category? > [@delphica](#): > > But now, I cannot think that I have _ever_ met someone as an adult named Toby. Where did they all _go_? They’re hanging out with the Damians. I had _three_ in my 3rd grade class! Now I can’t find a Damian anywhere. On preview, in response to **thirdwarning** –I think Alice has just cycled around, and it’s part of the old-fashioned name trend. I think it’s a lovely name, so I’m glad it’s back. My cousin’s step-granddaughter is an Alice–but they live in Italy, so it’s pronounced A-lee-chay! ---
**Author:** ![Sue\_White](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@Sue\_White](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sue_White)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-you-dont-hear-much-these-days/502371/18 "2009-07-09T01:10:22Z")
I LOVE the name Agnes and want to bring it back when I have a daughter. My husband disagrees. I’m also a fan of Gladys. Aren’t these cute names? Gladys just makes you smile when you say it! ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-you-dont-hear-much-these-days/502371/19 "2009-07-09T01:15:34Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > They’re hanging out with the Damians. I had _three_ in my 3rd grade class! Now I can’t find a Damian anywhere. Wonder how much the movie franchise of the same name had to do with it. [Checking] Hmm. Slight uptick after the first movie came out, skyrocketed 10 years later. ---
**Author:** ![emcee2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emcee2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emcee2k)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-you-dont-hear-much-these-days/502371/20 "2009-07-09T01:51:13Z")
> [@Birdmonster](#): > > I have three, count 'em three Yolandas in my family and have never come across another. Big fan of Otis too, which seems to have disappeared. I know both an Otis and a Yolanda. I’ve never met a white person with either of those names, though. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-you-dont-hear-much-these-days/502371.md?page=2)