25 Baby Names Losing Popularity; Is Your Name On The List?
The post-war Baby Boom produced the largest generation in U.S. history. Homogenous naming trends of the time also created one of the most uniformly named demographic cohorts in the world. In 1947, the top 10 most popular names accounted for 20.3% of all newborn baby names in the United States. Naming diversity steadily increased over time, with the top 10 most popular names now accounting for just 4.5% of newborn baby names in 2024.
While some of the most popular Baby Boom and Generation X names feel ubiquitous, recent data suggest that some of the most common naming touchstones of the U.S. may be on their way out. Biblical stalwarts like John, James, Michael, and David have steadily declined since their mid-century peak, while many once-trendy girl names – Linda, for example, which fell from 100,000 newborn girls in 1947 to fewer than 500 today – have nearly vanished. A closer look at the data reveals the older names falling out of fashion.
To determine the older names falling out of fashion, Nifty 50+ reviewed data on baby name counts from the U.S. Social Security Administration. Names that peaked in usage between 1947 and 1980 were ranked based on the decline in newborns receiving the name from their peak year to the five-year annual average for 2019-2024.
Read: 20 older baby names making a comeback – these vintage choices are popular again
25. Charles
– Avg. no. babies named Charles in past 5 years: 5,846 (-35,071 from peak)
– Peak year for the name Charles: 1947 (40,917 babies)
24. Brian
– Avg. no. babies named Brian in past 5 years: 1,158 (-35,322 from peak)
– Peak year for the name Brian: 1972 (36,480 babies)
23. Donna
– Avg. no. babies named Donna in past 5 years: 109 (-36,431 from peak)
– Peak year for the name Donna: 1959 (36,540 babies)
22. Steven
– Avg. no. babies named Steven in past 5 years: 1,444 (-37,044 from peak)
– Peak year for the name Steven: 1956 (38,488 babies)
21. Gary
– Avg. no. babies named Gary in past 5 years: 234 (-38,604 from peak)
– Peak year for the name Gary: 1952 (38,838 babies)
20. Cynthia
– Avg. no. babies named Cynthia in past 5 years: 321 (-39,095 from peak)
– Peak year for the name Cynthia: 1957 (39,416 babies)
19. Karen
– Avg. no. babies named Karen in past 5 years: 236 (-40,431 from peak)
– Peak year for the name Karen: 1957 (40,667 babies)
18. Thomas
– Avg. no. babies named Thomas in past 5 years: 6,573 (-42,155 from peak)
– Peak year for the name Thomas: 1952 (48,728 babies)
17. Susan
– Avg. no. babies named Susan in past 5 years: 227 (-47,257 from peak)
– Peak year for the name Susan: 1955 (47,484 babies)
16. Barbara
– Avg. no. babies named Barbara in past 5 years: 299 (-48,590 from peak)
– Peak year for the name Barbara: 1947 (48,889 babies)
15. Debra
– Avg. no. babies named Debra in past 5 years: 40 (-50,595 from peak)
– Peak year for the name Debra: 1955 (50,635 babies)
14. Jason
– Avg. no. babies named Jason in past 5 years: 2,700 (-53,249 from peak)
– Peak year for the name Jason: 1977 (55,949 babies)
13. Deborah
– Avg. no. babies named Deborah in past 5 years: 294 (-54,461 from peak)
– Peak year for the name Deborah: 1954 (54,755 babies)
12. William
– Avg. no. babies named William in past 5 years: 11,499 (-55,656 from peak)
– Peak year for the name William: 1947 (67,155 babies)
11. Patricia
– Avg. no. babies named Patricia in past 5 years: 206 (-56,368 from peak)
– Peak year for the name Patricia: 1951 (56,574 babies)
10. Richard
– Avg. no. babies named Richard in past 5 years: 1,696 (-57,295 from peak)
– Peak year for the name Richard: 1946 (58,991 babies)
9. Mark
– Avg. no. babies named Mark in past 5 years: 1,446 (-57,406 from peak)
– Peak year for the name Mark: 1960 (58,852 babies)
8. Lisa
– Avg. no. babies named Lisa in past 5 years: 272 (-60,174 from peak)
– Peak year for the name Lisa: 1965 (60,446 babies)
7. Jennifer
– Avg. no. babies named Jennifer in past 5 years: 623 (-63,169 from peak)
– Peak year for the name Jennifer: 1972 (63,792 babies)
6. David
– Avg. no. babies named David in past 5 years: 7,755 (-78,695 from peak)
– Peak year for the name David: 1955 (86,450 babies)
5. John
– Avg. no. babies named John in past 5 years: 8,063 (-80,461 from peak)
– Peak year for the name John: 1947 (88,524 babies)
4. James
– Avg. no. babies named James in past 5 years: 12,168 (-82,852 from peak)
– Peak year for the name James: 1947 (95,020 babies)
3. Michael
– Avg. no. babies named Michael in past 5 years: 8,912 (-84,129 from peak)
– Peak year for the name Michael: 1957 (93,041 babies)
2. Robert
– Avg. no. babies named Robert in past 5 years: 4,106 (-87,785 from peak)
– Peak year for the name Robert: 1947 (91,891 babies)
1. Linda
– Avg. no. babies named Linda in past 5 years: 332 (-99,577 from peak)
– Peak year for the name Linda: 1947 (99,909 babies)
Discover: 20 older baby names making a comeback
