Just like clothing trends, baby names have a way of coming into fashion… and going right back out again! But whilst certain baby names stick around for generations, others drop out of fashion and a rare few disappear completely. In the U.S., certain baby names that were once super popular are now at risk of going extinct, since they’re so rarely given to newborns in modern times!
Of course, that doesn’t mean to say they’ll be gone forever. Like baggy jeans, chainmail and oversized blazers, once-popular names could come back into fashion at a later date – against all the odds!
But for now, let’s take a look at names that are rapidly falling in the popularity ranks. From the rarely heard Earl and Gilbert to the very uncommon Karen and Marjorie, these are the baby names that could go extinct in the US very soon…
Boy names at risk of going extinct
Here are the top 20 baby boy names at risk of going extinct in the US. Let’s take a closer look at their origins and meanings, and how likely they are to come back into fashion!
1. Earl
Whilst you might meet a few octogenarian Earls, you’re not likely to meet any Earls born in the 21st century! The name peaked in popularity in the late 1800s and early 1900s and didn’t even make the top 3000 baby names in 2024!
This super traditional name has English origins and means ‘nobleman’. We predict that this name will all but disappear in the coming years when it comes to names for boys.
2. Terry
You’re probably more likely to meet a female called Terri than a male called Terry! This nearly-extinct name has both English and German origins and means ‘ruler of the people’. This boy’s name peaked in popularity between 1940 and 1960 in the US but didn’t make the top 1000 baby boy names in 2024.
Whilst the name won’t be topping the popularity charts any time soon, we think Terry has a cute ring to it, and might find itself on the up, just like other cute traditional names like Albert and Freddie.
3.Fred
Whilst Freddy or Freddie is still a pretty popular name, you’re unlikely to meet many Freds or Fredericks who are under 50! This traditional name has German origins and means ‘peaceful ruler’.
It didn’t make the top 1000 names for baby boys in the US in 2024, and we think this form of the name is unlikely to grow in popularity any time soon. Freddy and Freddie, however, are names that are thriving!
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4. Norman
Norman is a boy’s name at risk of going extinct in the US. It has both German and English origins and means ‘Norseman’. It peaked in popularity in the 1930s and has faced a rapid decline ever since. We don’t think Norman is likely to make a big comeback any time soon.
5. Bernard
Bernard has German origins and means ‘brave as a bear’. It’s certainly a very uncommon name in the US for newborn boys. In fact, it didn’t even make the top 2000 names in 2024! Bernard was at its most popular in the early 1900s, but has been declining in popularity ever since.
Whilst we can’t rule out the shortened version – Bernie – becoming increasingly popular – we can’t imagine Bernard climbing the popularity charts in the coming years.
6. Leslie
Leslie is a unisex name that we’re more used to hearing as a name for girls. But Leslie used to be a popular name for boys, too. The name was consistently popular for boys from the late 1880s in America all the way through to the mid-1900s. But, today, the name doesn’t even make the top 3000 for boys! That’s quite the decline.
This Scottish name – meaning ‘garden of holly’ – is unlikely to be a popular name for boys again. Not for a very long time, at least!
7. Gilbert
Gilbert is a German name with a lovely meaning: bright. This uncommon name for boys has a very traditional feel; you won’t be meeting any newborn Gilberts any time soon!
The name peaked in popularity in America from the 1920s to the 1940s and, in 2024, didn’t make the top 1500 names for boys. A nickname for Gilbert – Bertie – is even more uncommon, but we can see the cuteness of Bertie making it much more popular in the years to come.
8. Allan/Alan
Allan is a name with both Celtic and Gaelic origins. It means ‘handsome’. Whilst this boy’s name was super popular in the 1930s and 1940s in America, in 2024, it didn’t make the top 1000 names for boys and we don’t think it will be making any kind of comeback in the coming years!
9. Randolph
Randolph – or Randy for short – means ‘shield wolf’. This German name is very traditional and has certainly fallen out of favor in recent years. In fact, in 2024, the name didn’t make the top 6000 baby boy names for the year. That’s quite a decline from the 1950s, when the name was incredibly popular!
Randolph is another nearly extinct name that we can’t see making a comeback in the near future!
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10. Terrence
Terrence has Latin origins and means ‘smooth’. It’s often shortened to Terry and isn’t a name you’ll hear for a newborn any time soon! It’s a name that was consistently popular in America from the 1940s right through to the 1980s, but now it doesn’t make the top 1000 baby boy names.
Terry is a slightly cuter form of the name, but we doubt it will increase in popularity in the immediate future.
11. Randall
Randall is an English name for boys that means ‘shield wolf’. It’s an alternative to Randolph that’s just as uncommon for newborns in the US! We doubt Randall or Randy will be increasing in popularity any time soon.
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12. Irvin
Irvin is a name with both Scottish and Gaelic origins. It means ‘fresh water’. The name was incredibly popular for boys in the US in the early 1900s, but the name fell outside of the top 3000 in 2024.
Whilst the full Irvin is unlikely to gain popularity in the coming years, we can see variations being used more – Vinnie, for example.
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13. Horace
Horace is a Latin name that means ‘keeper of time’. The name was very popular in the US during the late 1880s and early 1900s, but, in 2024, the name didn’t make the top 7000 names for boys! And we think it’ll stay there for a while yet…
14. Glen
Glen is a nature-inspired name for boys that means ‘valley’. It has both Scottish and Gaelic roots and was popular in America all the way from the early 1900s through to the late 1960s. After that, it saw a dramatic drop in popularity and now falls outside of the top 2000 names for boys.
It’s a short and somewhat old-fashioned name that we don’t see making a comeback for a good few years!
15. Percy
Percy is a name with French and Latin origins. It means ‘piercing the valley’ and is very rarely heard as a name for newborn boys in the US. It was super popular in America in the late 1800s and early 1900s, but didn’t make the top 1000 names in 2024. Having said that, we think Percy has a pretty cute edge that may draw parents to bring it back into fashion in the coming years. Watch this space!
16. Clarence
Meaning ‘bright’ and ‘clear’, Clarence is a Latin name that’s very traditional. Like many names on this list, Clarence was super popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s in the US, but didn’t make the top 2000 names in 2024.
The name doesn’t have any obvious shortened versions and we don’t think it has the cuteness factor that has driven many other traditional names to make a comeback in recent years.
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17. Willie
Willie – or William – is a German name that means ‘protector’. The name was very popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s in the US, but fell outside of the top 1500 boys’ names in 2024! Whilst we think Will and William will maintain popularity in the US, Willie isn’t likely to make a comeback any time soon.
18. Barry
Barry is an Irish and Gaelic name for boys that means ‘fair-haired’. Whilst Barry is a name in its own right, it’s also used as a shortened version of the Irish name Finbar or the Hebrew name Bartholomew.
The name was super popular in the US in the 1940s through to the 1960s. In 2024, though, the name fell outside of the top 1000 names for boys. Unfortunately, we don’t think Barry has the cuteness factor that’s seen some other traditional names shoot back up the popularity charts.
19. Geoffrey
Geoffrey is a German name that means ‘peaceful traveler’. It can be shortened to Geoff or Jeff and was at the height of popularity as a name for newborns in the US in the 1970s. In 2024, though, the name Geoffrey didn’t make the top 3000 names for boys, and we can’t see it making a significant comeback in the coming years.
Girl names at risk of going extinct
20. Karen
There are no prizes for guessing why the name Karen has fallen out of favor in recent years. The name has become a negative label for a stereotype – women of a certain age who ‘like to complain’. The negative press for Karen certainly won’t help its popularity.
The name peaked in popularity in the US in the 1950s and 1960s, but fell outside of the top 2000 baby names for girls in 2024.
Considering the extent of the ‘bad press’ when it comes to the name Karen, we think it will be decades before Karen’s PR nightmare turns around, if at all.
21. Edna
Edna is a very traditional name that has Hebrew origins. It means ‘rejuvenation’. But despite its lovely meaning, Edna is a name you won’t hear very often anymore. It was super popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s in the US, like many names on this list, but it fell outside of the top 5000 names for girls in 2024.
Considering how uncommon the name currently is, we can’t see it making a significant comeback in the US.
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22. Patty
Patty is a name that’s often used as a shortened version of Patricia. It means ‘noble’ and has Latin origins. The name was at the height of popularity in the 60s in America, but didn’t make the top 5000 names for girls in 2024! It’s a name heading for extinction, for sure…
23. Jeanette
Jeanette is a French and Hebrew name that means ‘God is gracious’. The name was incredibly popular for girls in the 1930s in America, but it’s been declining in popularity ever since. In fact, in 2024, the name didn’t make the top 4000 names for girls. And we can’t see Jeanette becoming a more common girl’s name any time soon.
24. Janet
Janet means ‘God is gracious’ and has both Scottish and Hebrew roots. The name was consistently popular in the US from the 1930s through to the 1960s. But in 2024, the name didn’t make the top 2000 names for little girls. We think the name’s pretty unlikely to see a boom in popularity in the coming decades!
25. Erma
Erma is a German name that means ‘whole’. This very traditional name was popular in the US in the early 1930s, but is truly a name that’s at risk of becoming extinct in 2024! In fact, it fell outside of the top 8000 names for baby girls in 2024.
26. Wanda
Wanda has both Slavic and Polish roots and means ‘shepherdess’. This super rare name was popular in the US from the 1920s all the way through to the 1960s. But if there’s a name on this list that we can confidently say is near extinction, it’s Wanda.
It didn’t make the top 13000 baby girl names in the US in 2024! That’s right – 13000! We doubt that a name that’s fallen so out of favor will make any kind of a comeback in the coming years.
27. Joan
The name Joan skyrocketed in popularity in America in the 1930s, but has been declining ever since. This French and Hebrew name hasn’t been used in any significant way since the 1970s in the US, and fell outside of the top 1000 baby names for girls in 2024.
Given how long the name has been out of use, we don’t think it will be making its way back up the charts any time soon.
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28. Phyllis
Phyllis – pronounced ‘FILL-IS’ – is a Greek name that means ‘foliage’. The name was super popular in the US in the 1920s and 1930s, but has been declining in popularity since. In 2024, the name failed to make the top 7000 baby names for girls!
Considering how incredibly rare the name is, we don’t think it will be making its way back up the rankings in the coming years.
29. Gladys
Gladys is a Welsh and Latin name for girls that means ‘princess’. Despite its lovely meaning, Gladys has fallen out of favor in the US as a name for newborn girls. It was popular all the way from the late 1800s in America to the 1930s, but has been declining ever since.
In 2024, the name failed to make the top 6000 names for girls! It’s another name on this list that we think is heading straight for extinction.
30. Doris
Doris means ‘gift of the sea’ and has Greek roots. It peaked in popularity in America in the 1920s and 1930s. But in 2024, it didn’t make the top 6000 names for girls, and we think it will be staying there for a few years yet!
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31. Dolores
Dolores is pronounced ‘DUH-LOR-EZ’ and means ‘sorrows’. It has both Spanish and Latin origins and is a name you’re very unlikely to hear for a newborn little girl. Like many names on this list, Dolores was super popular in the 1920s and 1930s in the USA. But it fell outside of the top 5000 names for girls in 2024.
Despite the name being so rare, we think Dolores is one of the cutest names on the list, and could see it making a comeback in a few years! Watch this space…
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32. Jackie
Jackie has both English and Hebrew origins and means ‘supplanter’. It’s a shortened version of Jacqueline. Jackie peaked in popularity in the US in the 1960s and has been falling rapidly down the rankings ever since.
In 2024, the name didn’t make the top 2000 names for little girls, and we don’t think it’s a name that will see a surge in popularity in the coming years.
33. Cindy
Cindy is a name that was super popular in the US in the 1950s and 60s. The name has Greek roots and means ‘light’.
It didn’t make the top 2000 names for little girls in America in 2024, but we think Cindy’s pretty cute. We wouldn’t be surprised if the name started to creep up in popularity in the coming years.
34. Myrtle
Pronounced ‘MERT-UHL’, Myrtle is a Greek name that means ‘evergreen shrub’. The name was uber-popular in the US in the late 1800s and early 1900s, but is facing extinction in 2024! In fact, the name didn’t even make the top 13000 baby girl names in this year.
It lacks the cuteness of some other names on this list and doesn’t have any obvious nicknames, so we think it’s a name that will soon be completely extinct in the US.
35. Marjorie
Marjorie means ‘pearl’ and has Greek and Latin origins. It was super popular in the early 1900s in America, but has been in decline ever since. In 2024, it didn’t make the top 2000 baby names for little girls, and we can’t see it becoming popular again any time soon.
36. Gertrude
Gertrude is a super rare name that means ‘spear of strength’. It has German origins and was at its most popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s in America.
It fell outside of the top 6000 baby names for girls in the US in 2024, and we think its popularity will continue to decline in the coming years!
37. Crystal
Crystal is a Greek name that was mega-popular in the US in the 1970s and 1980s. Its popularity has declined ever since and, in 2024, the name failed to make the top 1000 baby girl names in America.
We think it will be a long time before Crystal makes a comeback as a popular name for girls, if ever!
Final thoughts
Just like leggings, skorts and baggy jeans, baby names are prone to going in and out of fashion. And whilst some names have staying power and last for generations, some names are at risk of going completely extinct in the US! All of the names on this list have fallen out of favor with modern parents, and won’t be topping any baby name charts any time soon.
But whilst some are clearly heading straight out the door, like Myrtle, Norman and Gladys, some of the rare names on this list have a cuteness that may help them to make a comeback in the coming years. We think names like Percy and Cindy could be set to climb back up the popularity ranks, just like other old-fashioned names that have made a big comeback in recent years – Albert, Iris and Edith, for example.
If you’re looking for some vintage names that are likely to stick around for decades to come, don’t miss our roundup of the best traditional names for boys and girls.
Let’s see what the next few years have in store for baby names. Some popular names are sure to hold their spot in the top baby name rankings, but there might just be some surprises thrown in…
From our families to yours.
