You probably know a lot of new babies named after the current crop of trendy names like Ezra, Amara, and Jayden (just to name a few).
But what about popular names of the past? As it turns out, some names stick around while others...go extinct! Babbel — the language learning platform — analyzed Social Security Administration records to see which popular names from a century ago have fallen out of fashion so much that they can now be considered extinct, and it's super interesting.
Babbel considers a name "extinct" if it hasn't been in the top 1,000 names for any year since 2020.
So, here are the once "everywhere" names that today are basically unheard of for a baby. Let's start with the "extinct" boys' names:
1. Arnold — ranked 93rd in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 in 2004.
2. Bernard — ranked 46th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 in 2008.
3. Bill* — ranked 98th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 in 1993.
*used as a full given name and not a nickname.
4. Billy* — ranked 78th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 in 2019.
*used as a full given name and not a nickname.
5. Cecil — ranked 87th in 1923 — dropped out of the top 1,000 for good in 1997.
6. Chester — ranked 63rd in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 in 1995.
7. Clarence — ranked 29th in 1923 — disappeared from the top 1,000 after 2010.
8. Clifford — ranked 65th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 in 2005.
9. Dale — ranked 90th in 1923 — was last a top 1,000 name in 2009.
10. Earl — ranked 31st in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 in 2006.
11. Elmer — ranked 57th in 1923 — failed to appear on any top 1,000 list after 2009.
12. Ernest — ranked 38th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 in 2018.
13. Floyd — ranked 64th in 1923 — dropped out of the top 10,00 list in 1998.
14. Fred* — ranked 33rd in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 2002.
*used as a full given name and not a nickname.
15. Glenn — ranked 84th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 2008.
16. Herman — ranked 66th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 1999.
17. Herbert — ranked 40th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 2002.
18. Lester — ranked 71st in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 1999.
19. Lloyd — ranked 59th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 2002.
20. Milton — ranked 81st in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 2008.
21. Norman — ranked 44th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 2005.
22. Ralph — ranked 23rd in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 2018.
23. Vernon — ranked 67th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 2003.
24. Virgil — ranked 100th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 1991.
25. Willard — ranked 92nd in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 1989.
The girls' names are next, but first — if you're wondering why all these names fell out of favor — baby name expert Laura Wattenberg of Namerology has an interesting explanation:
OK! Now for the "extinct" girls' names:
26. Agnes — ranked 63rd in 1923 – last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 1972.
27. Ann — ranked 52nd in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 2019.
28. Bernice — ranked 43rd in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 1984.
29. Bertha — ranked 64th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 1985.
30. Bessie — ranked 81st in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 1975.
31. Betty* — ranked 5th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 1996.
*used as a full given name and not a nickname.
32. Dolores — ranked 83rd in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 1989.
33. Doris — ranked 11th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 1992.
34. Edna — ranked 32nd in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 1991.
35. Ethel — ranked 38th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 1975.
36. Geraldine — ranked 58th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 2012.
37. Gertrude — ranked 59th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in1965.
38. Gladys — ranked 29th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 1999.
39. Ida — ranked 68th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 1986.
40. Jean — ranked 19th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 1994.
41. Jeanne — ranked 90th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 1990.
42. Juanita — ranked 51st in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 2002.
43. Lois — ranked 27th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 1983.
44. Lorraine — ranked 57th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in1995.
45. Marian — ranked 65th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 2000.
46. Marjorie — ranked 16th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 2017.
47. Mildred — ranked 8th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 1984.
48. Myrtle — ranked 84th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 1965.
49. Norma — ranked 41st in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 2002.
50. Patricia — ranked 56th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 2019.
51. Pauline — ranked 37th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 1997.
52. Phyllis — ranked 45th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 1984.
53. Rita — ranked 50th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 2002.
54. Shirley — ranked 26th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 2008.
55. Thelma — ranked 31st in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 1982.
56. Viola — ranked 79th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 1972.
57. Wanda — ranked 80th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 1990.
58. Willie* — ranked 67th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 1972.
*used as a full given name and not a nickname.
59. And Wilma — ranked 74th in 1923 — last appeared in the top 1,000 names in 1973.
