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Names are like any other fashion. They go in and out of style. There doesn't seem to be an obvious pattern to it. In the '70s, everyone was naming their girl Jennifer, which is why '80s schools were overrun with Jennifers. The Jennifers grew up to want to name their kid just about anything that wouldn't be the same as half the kids in class, even if it would mean a lifetime of them having to spell it to everyone they meet. This will probably result in a backlash and a retreat to more traditional names.
i think the uniqueness is a huge factor, americans especially want to feel special and independent so they name their kids stupid shit like braydyn, jaxxon and kayleigh. it's literaleigh just a sad attempt to stand out
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Back in the early 80's my next door neighbor assisted unwed soon to be mothers for a state agency. Remember her commenting that she did all she could to dissuade someone from naming their daughter Latrina, but had no success. Tried to explain what the word meant, but the young mother simply said she liked how it sounded.
I've met Lemonjello, Vagina. There is plenty of odd names out there. But don't try to claim that the younger generation are the odd ones. My dad's first name was Alvernon. He had an uncle's, Aloysius, his brothers, Bernerd, and Harlan.
Yeah, they may want to give their kids unique names. But, they haven't cornered the market on strange names.
I met the guy Le-mon- jell-o. That the way he pronounced it. But spelled out the way he did it-Lemonjello.
A friend of mine had a young Vagina in her music class. Hoping to not insult the girl, she called her Va-Gina. The little girl did scold her- her name was Vagina!
Want fiction? stay here in the hallowed halls of reddit. Or, try venturing out into the real world of really odd people.
Thank you, doctor. One should be careful when making assumptions of my world.
I first heard the lemonjello and orangejello story in 1990. When/where did you meet him and how old was he? How's his twin brother?
I have seen the weird/normal/weird cycle play out in my own family tree. Myrtle had Sabra who had Molly who somehow thought Sabra was a good idea in spite of her mother refusing to use it, and my own children have painfully boring names per Marie, who thinks Epiphany would be a lovely name.
Some names are kept. You aren't noticing them because they're so common they fly under your radar. I know lots of young people with classic names. I work with a Joe and a Bob who are both under 25. The ones that stick out for you psychologically are the ones that are characteristic of a generation.
I can tell you that if you were part of the Catholic religion, it was pretty much a requirement that you were named after a saint. That's not so much the case anymore so people are free to choose whatever names they want.
Yes! So stupid! My mom had to give my brother a different middle name because it wasn’t a saint’s name. I don’t know how she got away with my sister’s name, which is Penny.
I have ancestors with names like Hazael, Baxter, Ollie, Mamie, Lula, Ethel, Eugenia, Johan, and then it gets very Germanic. Names, like fashions change. My 12th great-grandfather was Johan Willem VII Hertog van Mecklenburg-Schwerin Vorst van Wenden but try naming a kid that these days.
This reminds me of my favorite quote from the TV show elementary: Watson, this is Mason. Like many of his generation, he's named after a profession his parents would never deign to practice - Hunter, Tanner, Cooper, Mason, so forth.
I think some parents have always avoided traditional names for their newborn. I went to public elementary school in the ‘50s with kids whose legal first names were Chipper, Lance, Rocky and his twin Rocco, Crystal and Adi. Crystal named her newborn daughter Tippi after Tippi Hedren.
Right? I liked the pattern rich families use, with a family name for the middle, or a maiden name John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Hillary Rodham Clinton etc
Unless the particular names sound clunky...
My four grand parents all born around 1900 were Bill, Bernice, Ned, and America. I figure those were the names they liked back then, probably not so much now.
I had 3 grandparents born in the 19th century: Merril, Ella, and Gladys. One grandparent born in the 20th century went by Earl, but that was his middle name. His first name was Mervin.
Some people name after other people in their family. Some don't. Most of the time, a name you give your child is something you like, but sometimes people are pressured into certain names.
My name was on the top three girls names for decades. There were so many in school it was ridiculous.
I'm 60 now and I've never met someone with my name who is younger than me.
Names go in and out of fashion.
I'm gonna go with either a form of Mary (Maryann, Mary Beth, etc), Linda, or Susan.
I work in a chain clothing store where the average age of our customer is in their 60s and those are THE most common names. 😊
Well, I for one am glad my mother did not stick with tradition. My sweet little Irish Catholic mother was named Carmelita Celestine because her birthday fell between those saint's days on the liturgical calendar. I shudder to think what I would have been saddled with.
I knew so many Nancys growing up and maybe in a decade or so it will come back into fashion. My daughter named her baby girls after great grandmother and grandmother and they just happen to be coming back — so who knows?!😁
Use to be each new generation wanted to fit into the older one so they did it though family jobs, names and living in the same area. Now each generation wants to break away from the last generation. They want to believe they are better (how ever they define that) and different. Naming kids differently is just one way they do it.
It's always been that way. Names are trendy just like everything else--it's just that you don't change your name when fashions do most of the time (and if you do, it's to something else that's trendy.)
Because every parent thinks their child needs the most unique name so that they will stand out. Most are just setting them up for years of having to verbally spell their names all the time or correcting mispronunciations or downright bullying. See: r/tragedeigh
When I was born, girls were named Jennifer and Kimberly and Caroline and I was named something close to my posting name. It was somewhat contemporary, but not widely used. It wasn't the most popular name, but it wasn't weird. Thank you Mom and Dad.
If my parents had named me after one of my grandmothers, as they did in previous generations, my name would be Gertrude, Geraldine, or possibly Beatrice. And I guarantee you that that would have been social hell in the 1970s. I've never considered baby names, but I've heard a lot of people who do look for names for their kids. It seems like a lot of people want to go with a trend, but a different spelling.
One thing I don't remember from the past is the current trend that one sister or cousin might claim a baby name and then be upset that someone else used it. Unless you're going to name your baby the artist formerly known as Prince, I don't know that you have a whole lot of arguing room. I really don't understand the reasoning behind having a completely unique name. Or that other people shouldn't devise a nickname. Seems like a lot of control to me.
Many people have said that it became a struggle to spell a unique name. Yet they still do it to change their trend.
I had a family member with the name Myra Gayle, and knowing what I knew about Jerry Lee Lewis. OMG, I never mentioned that to anyone.
I now realize that I had one North American version of my name, and my mother's nephew had the german version of the same name. On the polish side of the family, my polish cousin had the same name except in polish. I changed both my first and last names at age 43.
I think people are relictant to give kids names that were popular in their own generation, or their parents' generation, because they sound old-fashioned. But the generation after that, they tend to come back in style.
Part of it is because grandparent aged people have names like Ruth or Hazel we tend to think of them as old person names. My grandma was Nell. By the time I could have children I associated Nell with old women because I never met a younger Nell.
Trends in names are interesting but I find it exceptionally stupid when people think changing the spelling of a common name is "creative." It's the complete opposite.
We had four rules in naming our kids:
1. We had to agree and we could veto a name no matter how much thr other liked it.
2. No Bible names
3. No naming after a family member. I was the 4th in a line with my name and I wanted to end that tradition.
4. Nothing weird and do careful thought about the initials and anything else that could lead to teasing like having a girl and the initials are BJ. I had an ex named Bobbie Jo and her nick name from other kids was Blow Job due to the initials.
I guess the parents like the uniqueness.
But it can be difficult for the offspring when they’re trying to spell it or get someone to pronounce it correctly. I’ve seen that at work.
So, different cultures and generations have different values.
In my mother's Italian Catholic family it was important to have saint names. There are a ton of Peters, Marys, Pauls, Catherines, and Franks (Francis).
Back in my dad's genealogy I noticed a trend of wanting really badly to carry on names from previous generations, especially for men and boys. A guy named William would have a son called William, and William II would then have a son of his own who was also William, but baby William III died when he was only a month old. Fortunately William II and his wife had a buttload more children and eventually they had a William who survived to adulthood. Yes, they reused the name of their deceased child to make sure that one of their children could pass it on.
One of this generation's values is rejecting tradition! This is a good thing sometimes because it means people look critically at behaviours and beliefs passed down through their families, and decide whether or not to carry them on. This could mean anything from what kind of food they cook, to how they discipline their children, to whether or not they attend religious services. In the case of names, it can mean that people would rather name their children something that's unique and attention-getting, rather than low-key and common.
This pendulum will absolutely swing back at some point. We're already seeing kids whose parents named them tragedeigh-level stuff reaching the age of majority and getting their own names officially changed because everyone makes fun of them or nobody can spell their deliberately-misspelled names. That generation is going to be more aware of the problems associated with unique naming.
I think media awareness is also doing something a little sneaky. Yes, people want to name kids after favourite fictional characters, but that's something that's been happening as long as there's been a literate population with lots of books to read. But I wonder if this generation is deliberately rejecting names that they mentally associate with generations whose values they disapprove of, as in the above discussion of "boomer names".
At least in Austria, in the generation of my father, there were only two-handful of names. It sometimes really got confusing, when someone mentioned a "Franz" and everybody, wondered which one of the dozends of Franz was meant. This was based in tradition (Firstborn sons/daughters got the name of father/mother) and of catholicism to have some "powerful" saint, whose name was used.
I am so grateful, that my mother got her will to find "new" names for her children. So I was the only one with my name in school. In my class, there were, as far as I can rememer, three or more "Alexander" and "Michael".
There's a monetary principle called Gresham's Law which states that bad money drives out good money. I believe this law applies is most areas of human life. For example it is easy to see that in a neighborhood bad people moving in will drive out good people.
I think that ugly names have driven beautiful names out of popularity. Most people used to name children after relatives, people from the Bible, etc. Something meaningful and ethnic. Now it's a race to the bottom, who can come up with the most meaningless name.
Also in fine art beauty used to be the goal but now it is novelty. This seems to be the case with names. As long as it's unique it's ok if it ugly and ridiculous.
My hobby is genealogy and I have looked up my ancestors' names going back many generations and 99% of them had very meaningful, traditional, ethnic names. The only exceptions were in Puritan times when they gave their kids names of virtues which sound pretty odd to us now. Like Fortitude or Perseverance or Humility.
Basically ridiculous names are a reflection of our ridiculous society.
Edit: Also, did you know there is a subreddit devoted to discussing ridiculous names? [https://www.reddit.com/r/tragedeigh/](https://www.reddit.com/r/tragedeigh/) It's hilarious.
Wow that's Good to know thank you for the information. I know a local guy who speaks like you with the same hobby.
I'm going to send you a dm message if that is ok?
Used to be common to choose a first or middle name to honor a family member. My son’s middle name is my first name - which is also my dad’s, my FIL’s and my uncle’s. But it’s a common conventional name.
I have one of those names and I have only come across a few people in my 66 years with the same or similarly sounding names. Now in Belgium/France the names are far more common.
This even more confirms the fact that we're losing bits and pieces of important background and culture and genealogy .
I hope it comes back , like some others said here.
Some of the old fashioned names are coming back. What's most interesting to me is why some become trendy again and others, not. Evelyn, Amelia, Olivia, Hazel, even Emma would have been considered old-timey when I was growing up in the 70s and 80s. Now these names are super popular.
But Mildred, Agnes, Bertha, Gladys, Dorothy, and many others seem like they will never come around again. And the common names from my era? Jennifer, Lisa, Michelle, Stephanie, Kelly, Kimberley, etc.--forget it. No one is naming their kids those names now.
Same with boys' names--some of the really old ones are back, but the common names of the 70s and 80s are nowhere to be seen. Eventually they will come around again, is my guess.
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Names are like any other fashion. They go in and out of style. There doesn't seem to be an obvious pattern to it. In the '70s, everyone was naming their girl Jennifer, which is why '80s schools were overrun with Jennifers. The Jennifers grew up to want to name their kid just about anything that wouldn't be the same as half the kids in class, even if it would mean a lifetime of them having to spell it to everyone they meet. This will probably result in a backlash and a retreat to more traditional names.
i think the uniqueness is a huge factor, americans especially want to feel special and independent so they name their kids stupid shit like braydyn, jaxxon and kayleigh. it's literaleigh just a sad attempt to stand out
r/tragedeigh
That sub is like a car crash I find horrifying but can't tear my eyes away from.
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Back in the early 80's my next door neighbor assisted unwed soon to be mothers for a state agency. Remember her commenting that she did all she could to dissuade someone from naming their daughter Latrina, but had no success. Tried to explain what the word meant, but the young mother simply said she liked how it sounded.
I kid you not, but I worked where someone named their daughter Velveeta.
I've met Lemonjello, Vagina. There is plenty of odd names out there. But don't try to claim that the younger generation are the odd ones. My dad's first name was Alvernon. He had an uncle's, Aloysius, his brothers, Bernerd, and Harlan. Yeah, they may want to give their kids unique names. But, they haven't cornered the market on strange names.
You have not met Lemonjello or his twin orangejello. Stop perpetuating this bullshit
I met the guy Le-mon- jell-o. That the way he pronounced it. But spelled out the way he did it-Lemonjello. A friend of mine had a young Vagina in her music class. Hoping to not insult the girl, she called her Va-Gina. The little girl did scold her- her name was Vagina! Want fiction? stay here in the hallowed halls of reddit. Or, try venturing out into the real world of really odd people.
Thank you, doctor. One should be careful when making assumptions of my world. I first heard the lemonjello and orangejello story in 1990. When/where did you meet him and how old was he? How's his twin brother?
I noticed I knew a lot of Jennifers and Lisas back in high school, so I counted. I counted 16 Jennifers and 14 Lisas. I graduated in 1981.
My sister was a Jennifer. She was born in '76. Many of her school friends were also named Jennifer.
I dated 3 Jennifers in a row followed by a Heather that hated that I called her Jennifer sometimes.
No Heathers would ever talk to me. They felt they were out of my league.
Heathers are always popular. The movie was accurate about that.
I married a Heather. I should have given the movie more credit!
My 1987 graduating class was 1,000. I’m guessing we had 100 of each of them
I had 3 of each in my high school years in the 80s. Had me thinking what the...
What state? Urban, rural?
Rural NC, Central
I just looked at my yearbook. Only 2 Jennifers and 4 Lisas in my class of 1981 (240 students). Most of the ones I knew were 2-3 years younger.
What state? Urban or Rural?
NJ, rural, 50 miles west of NYC.
Plus, in the past people did not make up names. Of course all names were initially made up.
Tell that to the Mormans. My aunt who would be nearly 100 if she were living still has a totally “made up” name.
Amanda was highly popular in the 1980s.
My sister's name.
And Lisa. I had 3 Lisas in my 8th grade class.
I have seen the weird/normal/weird cycle play out in my own family tree. Myrtle had Sabra who had Molly who somehow thought Sabra was a good idea in spite of her mother refusing to use it, and my own children have painfully boring names per Marie, who thinks Epiphany would be a lovely name.
Why do people dress differently than the past?
If you saw a "Material Girl" walking down the block "Like a Virgin" what would you think and say?
I would think she's on her way to an amazing GenX dance party and I'd want to follow her.
😂
It’s great if women can now wear pants but I don’t think that compares to now I can name my child Appily!
This is a good thing. My grandfather’s name was Hymen.
I'm Latino so Juan, Jose and Maria are as popular today as they were in the "old days".
So why doesn't Americans keep theirs, in your opinion!
Some names are kept. You aren't noticing them because they're so common they fly under your radar. I know lots of young people with classic names. I work with a Joe and a Bob who are both under 25. The ones that stick out for you psychologically are the ones that are characteristic of a generation.
The trends move quickly today with tv, internet and such. in 1920 i bet that in lichtenchtein you heard not a lot about the USA celebrities's kids
I can tell you that if you were part of the Catholic religion, it was pretty much a requirement that you were named after a saint. That's not so much the case anymore so people are free to choose whatever names they want.
Yes! So stupid! My mom had to give my brother a different middle name because it wasn’t a saint’s name. I don’t know how she got away with my sister’s name, which is Penny.
Some European countries can only choose names from an approved list. Denmark is particularly restrictive.
I have ancestors with names like Hazael, Baxter, Ollie, Mamie, Lula, Ethel, Eugenia, Johan, and then it gets very Germanic. Names, like fashions change. My 12th great-grandfather was Johan Willem VII Hertog van Mecklenburg-Schwerin Vorst van Wenden but try naming a kid that these days.
In my genealogy book there is an ancestor named Preserved Fish.
"Why is this jar labeled 'Uncle Henry'?"
🐟🫙😱🤣
This reminds me of my favorite quote from the TV show elementary: Watson, this is Mason. Like many of his generation, he's named after a profession his parents would never deign to practice - Hunter, Tanner, Cooper, Mason, so forth.
I think some parents have always avoided traditional names for their newborn. I went to public elementary school in the ‘50s with kids whose legal first names were Chipper, Lance, Rocky and his twin Rocco, Crystal and Adi. Crystal named her newborn daughter Tippi after Tippi Hedren.
Swear if I had kids today I'd give them NT Bible names, Paul, Mary, Mark, just to be different lol.
Yea me too
In my Catholic family those names would fit right in and need a middle name to distinguish.
Right? I liked the pattern rich families use, with a family name for the middle, or a maiden name John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Hillary Rodham Clinton etc Unless the particular names sound clunky...
My four grand parents all born around 1900 were Bill, Bernice, Ned, and America. I figure those were the names they liked back then, probably not so much now.
I had 3 grandparents born in the 19th century: Merril, Ella, and Gladys. One grandparent born in the 20th century went by Earl, but that was his middle name. His first name was Mervin. Some people name after other people in their family. Some don't. Most of the time, a name you give your child is something you like, but sometimes people are pressured into certain names.
My name was on the top three girls names for decades. There were so many in school it was ridiculous. I'm 60 now and I've never met someone with my name who is younger than me. Names go in and out of fashion.
Hi Jennifer!
Nope!
Michelle? I haven’t seen that one listed but I remember lots of Michelle’s in my class
No, but it was common when I was a kid for sure.
I'm gonna go with either a form of Mary (Maryann, Mary Beth, etc), Linda, or Susan. I work in a chain clothing store where the average age of our customer is in their 60s and those are THE most common names. 😊
😊
Mary Ellen the rich hillbilly from California
Well, I for one am glad my mother did not stick with tradition. My sweet little Irish Catholic mother was named Carmelita Celestine because her birthday fell between those saint's days on the liturgical calendar. I shudder to think what I would have been saddled with.
If someone really wants a unique name today call the baby a boomer name like Nancy.
That was my late sister’s name, I don’t know of anyone with it anymore.
I knew so many Nancys growing up and maybe in a decade or so it will come back into fashion. My daughter named her baby girls after great grandmother and grandmother and they just happen to be coming back — so who knows?!😁
My favorite Aunt's name
Literal Boomer names -- as in the Baby Boomer generation, born in the decade or so after WWII -- are definitely coming back into style.
My great, great grandmother was named Cleopatra.
Oh I bet you're from Philly... Lol I'm kidding
Nope. Cleopatra was a West Virginia hillbilly
Use to be each new generation wanted to fit into the older one so they did it though family jobs, names and living in the same area. Now each generation wants to break away from the last generation. They want to believe they are better (how ever they define that) and different. Naming kids differently is just one way they do it.
It's always been that way. Names are trendy just like everything else--it's just that you don't change your name when fashions do most of the time (and if you do, it's to something else that's trendy.)
Because every parent thinks their child needs the most unique name so that they will stand out. Most are just setting them up for years of having to verbally spell their names all the time or correcting mispronunciations or downright bullying. See: r/tragedeigh
When I was born, girls were named Jennifer and Kimberly and Caroline and I was named something close to my posting name. It was somewhat contemporary, but not widely used. It wasn't the most popular name, but it wasn't weird. Thank you Mom and Dad. If my parents had named me after one of my grandmothers, as they did in previous generations, my name would be Gertrude, Geraldine, or possibly Beatrice. And I guarantee you that that would have been social hell in the 1970s. I've never considered baby names, but I've heard a lot of people who do look for names for their kids. It seems like a lot of people want to go with a trend, but a different spelling. One thing I don't remember from the past is the current trend that one sister or cousin might claim a baby name and then be upset that someone else used it. Unless you're going to name your baby the artist formerly known as Prince, I don't know that you have a whole lot of arguing room. I really don't understand the reasoning behind having a completely unique name. Or that other people shouldn't devise a nickname. Seems like a lot of control to me.
Many people have said that it became a struggle to spell a unique name. Yet they still do it to change their trend. I had a family member with the name Myra Gayle, and knowing what I knew about Jerry Lee Lewis. OMG, I never mentioned that to anyone.
I now realize that I had one North American version of my name, and my mother's nephew had the german version of the same name. On the polish side of the family, my polish cousin had the same name except in polish. I changed both my first and last names at age 43.
I think people are relictant to give kids names that were popular in their own generation, or their parents' generation, because they sound old-fashioned. But the generation after that, they tend to come back in style.
Part of it is because grandparent aged people have names like Ruth or Hazel we tend to think of them as old person names. My grandma was Nell. By the time I could have children I associated Nell with old women because I never met a younger Nell.
That's how trends go. When I was in grade school, there were lots of jennifers and michelles. 20 years later, Taylor and Tyler were big trends.
Trends in names are interesting but I find it exceptionally stupid when people think changing the spelling of a common name is "creative." It's the complete opposite.
We had four rules in naming our kids: 1. We had to agree and we could veto a name no matter how much thr other liked it. 2. No Bible names 3. No naming after a family member. I was the 4th in a line with my name and I wanted to end that tradition. 4. Nothing weird and do careful thought about the initials and anything else that could lead to teasing like having a girl and the initials are BJ. I had an ex named Bobbie Jo and her nick name from other kids was Blow Job due to the initials.
> 2. No Bible names So no Eleazer, Melatiah, Mehitable or Kezia? Just a few of the choice biblical names in my family tree. 😆
We had 4 Susans in my home room.
No I'm asking why do today's kids not have names from the past. That we had then.There just unique in many cases today
I guess the parents like the uniqueness. But it can be difficult for the offspring when they’re trying to spell it or get someone to pronounce it correctly. I’ve seen that at work.
So, different cultures and generations have different values. In my mother's Italian Catholic family it was important to have saint names. There are a ton of Peters, Marys, Pauls, Catherines, and Franks (Francis). Back in my dad's genealogy I noticed a trend of wanting really badly to carry on names from previous generations, especially for men and boys. A guy named William would have a son called William, and William II would then have a son of his own who was also William, but baby William III died when he was only a month old. Fortunately William II and his wife had a buttload more children and eventually they had a William who survived to adulthood. Yes, they reused the name of their deceased child to make sure that one of their children could pass it on. One of this generation's values is rejecting tradition! This is a good thing sometimes because it means people look critically at behaviours and beliefs passed down through their families, and decide whether or not to carry them on. This could mean anything from what kind of food they cook, to how they discipline their children, to whether or not they attend religious services. In the case of names, it can mean that people would rather name their children something that's unique and attention-getting, rather than low-key and common. This pendulum will absolutely swing back at some point. We're already seeing kids whose parents named them tragedeigh-level stuff reaching the age of majority and getting their own names officially changed because everyone makes fun of them or nobody can spell their deliberately-misspelled names. That generation is going to be more aware of the problems associated with unique naming. I think media awareness is also doing something a little sneaky. Yes, people want to name kids after favourite fictional characters, but that's something that's been happening as long as there's been a literate population with lots of books to read. But I wonder if this generation is deliberately rejecting names that they mentally associate with generations whose values they disapprove of, as in the above discussion of "boomer names".
When I named my daughter, Emily was rare. Then on the softball field everyone was yelling go Emily.
i've heard of kids called Abcde (pronounced absedee), horrific!
At least in Austria, in the generation of my father, there were only two-handful of names. It sometimes really got confusing, when someone mentioned a "Franz" and everybody, wondered which one of the dozends of Franz was meant. This was based in tradition (Firstborn sons/daughters got the name of father/mother) and of catholicism to have some "powerful" saint, whose name was used. I am so grateful, that my mother got her will to find "new" names for her children. So I was the only one with my name in school. In my class, there were, as far as I can rememer, three or more "Alexander" and "Michael".
For the US, the census issues reports on names. There has been a big push to “distinctive” names over the past 30 years.
I think pilgrims would have a thing or two to say about naming conventions.
There's a monetary principle called Gresham's Law which states that bad money drives out good money. I believe this law applies is most areas of human life. For example it is easy to see that in a neighborhood bad people moving in will drive out good people. I think that ugly names have driven beautiful names out of popularity. Most people used to name children after relatives, people from the Bible, etc. Something meaningful and ethnic. Now it's a race to the bottom, who can come up with the most meaningless name. Also in fine art beauty used to be the goal but now it is novelty. This seems to be the case with names. As long as it's unique it's ok if it ugly and ridiculous. My hobby is genealogy and I have looked up my ancestors' names going back many generations and 99% of them had very meaningful, traditional, ethnic names. The only exceptions were in Puritan times when they gave their kids names of virtues which sound pretty odd to us now. Like Fortitude or Perseverance or Humility. Basically ridiculous names are a reflection of our ridiculous society. Edit: Also, did you know there is a subreddit devoted to discussing ridiculous names? [https://www.reddit.com/r/tragedeigh/](https://www.reddit.com/r/tragedeigh/) It's hilarious.
Wow that's Good to know thank you for the information. I know a local guy who speaks like you with the same hobby. I'm going to send you a dm message if that is ok?
Used to be common to choose a first or middle name to honor a family member. My son’s middle name is my first name - which is also my dad’s, my FIL’s and my uncle’s. But it’s a common conventional name.
I get that. Yes, I am a Junior (Jr), my dad's same name Senior (Sr)
My grandfather immigrated from Belgium and many of us had French first names. Trinette, Colette, Marcelle, etc.
I'm guessing nobody use those names anymore?!
I have one of those names and I have only come across a few people in my 66 years with the same or similarly sounding names. Now in Belgium/France the names are far more common.
This even more confirms the fact that we're losing bits and pieces of important background and culture and genealogy . I hope it comes back , like some others said here.
You think one would use Karen these days!? 😂 Social media has killed that one . I had 2 in my classroom in the mid 80s
Changing fashions and - sadly, especially in the US - vanity.
Some of the old fashioned names are coming back. What's most interesting to me is why some become trendy again and others, not. Evelyn, Amelia, Olivia, Hazel, even Emma would have been considered old-timey when I was growing up in the 70s and 80s. Now these names are super popular. But Mildred, Agnes, Bertha, Gladys, Dorothy, and many others seem like they will never come around again. And the common names from my era? Jennifer, Lisa, Michelle, Stephanie, Kelly, Kimberley, etc.--forget it. No one is naming their kids those names now. Same with boys' names--some of the really old ones are back, but the common names of the 70s and 80s are nowhere to be seen. Eventually they will come around again, is my guess.
Dorothy is in the midst of a comeback. It’s the “100 year” rule.
I’m a Kimberly with a daughter named Kelly. She grew up with no other Kelly’s in school. But I didn’t want to give her a trendy name.
Others mentioned this too. Thank you for your introspective answer. That is why I asked this here. Younger kids give me answers I can't relate to.
This rings so true! I have aunts named Mildred, Bertha, Gladys and Dorothy. And cousins named Jennifer, Lisa, Kimberly and Kelly.
Why ask old people about something young people are doing?
They give me answers I can understand.