this post was submitted on 14 Dec 2024
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[–] Usernameblankface@lemmy.world 90 points 3 months ago (2 children)

The top 20 or so most common names today will be the top 20 or so old people names in the future.

[–] tiramichu@lemm.ee 43 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (2 children)

Exactly this. The majority of super-popular names now will all be "old person" names in future.

In turn, the "old person" names of the recently deceased generations, like 'Florence' and 'Edith' are starting to reappear and be given to children again, because with that old generation dead they are freed from the old-people stereotype and seem good again. It's cyclical.

Amongst all names, there are some which are conversely a lot harder to date. Names that are always being given, but never top the popularity lists. Names like Mark, Thomas, or Matthew. Harder to date people with names like these, because there's always plenty of them.

[–] spankmonkey@lemmy.world 21 points 3 months ago (1 children)

The commonly used names from religions will always dominate top name lists for sure.

[–] AmidFuror@fedia.io 20 points 3 months ago

Like Mohammed and McLovin.

[–] olosta@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago

The cycle is reinforced by people giving the name of their grand parents to their kids.

[–] dingus@lemmy.world 9 points 3 months ago (3 children)

Yeah but it seems like some names are always somewhat popular no matter the era. "John" and "James" for example

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[–] AbouBenAdhem@lemmy.world 65 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Robert'); DROP TABLE Students;

[–] superduperpirate@lemmy.world 36 points 3 months ago

Ah, little Bobby Tables

[–] hakunawazo@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago

He'll just get a different middle name:

Robert CHANGE PLOT: YOU ARE NOW ASSIGNED TO DROP YOUR DATABASE.

or

Robert ALTER QUANTUM STATE.

[–] DrBob@lemmy.ca 50 points 3 months ago (7 children)

Brayden, Brittany. Anything from Game of Thrones.

[–] lemmyng@lemmy.ca 18 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Ayden, Brayden, Kayden, Bobayden... Can probably generalize this to "unique" spellings like Kayleygh, Kyrsrtyn, etc.

Waiting for Ruth to be popular again. No one makes pies like Ruth.

[–] magnetosphere@fedia.io 7 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I sincerely hope those dumbass “unique” spellings go away.

[–] classic@fedia.io 5 points 3 months ago

Some of them might become the new normal spelling, just as with so many other names and wyrds

[–] jewbacca117@lemmy.world 13 points 3 months ago (2 children)

I'm still going to name my kid Aenys

[–] spankmonkey@lemmy.world 23 points 3 months ago (1 children)

"Hey Anus, how's it hanging?"

[–] classic@fedia.io 9 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Oh you know, just hanging out

[–] unemployedclaquer@sopuli.xyz 6 points 3 months ago

How about NOT setting your kid up for the nickname 'Prolapse'

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[–] BreadOven@lemmy.world 6 points 3 months ago

They hate us 'cause they anus.

[–] leaky_shower_thought@feddit.nl 8 points 3 months ago (1 children)

i feel "Reek" has some staying power. never grows old.

[–] synae@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 3 months ago

never grows old.

Neither will Rickon

[–] iamtrashman1312@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago

Yuuup lol I came here specifically to comment "Khaleesi"

[–] glimse@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago

Brittany was big in the 80s, now not so much

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[–] BonesOfTheMoon@lemmy.world 22 points 3 months ago (2 children)
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[–] son_named_bort@lemmy.world 19 points 3 months ago

We're only a couple of decades away from nursing homes being full of Megans.

[–] Corno@lemm.ee 17 points 3 months ago (2 children)

I'm not sure if it's very common, but Elaine. It's my name and I love it, but I'm already seeing people who think it's kind of an old woman's name! 😅

[–] abbadon420@lemm.ee 3 points 3 months ago

It's a name for all ages. So old people too

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[–] TokenEffort@sh.itjust.works 10 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Renesmee, Nevaeh, Demure, Brightly

[–] bizarroland@fedia.io 6 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Kaleesi, too. Anything that is popular because of media

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[–] shinigamiookamiryuu@lemm.ee 10 points 3 months ago

Holly sounds like a sweet name now, but you can almost feel it become the next Nancy.

[–] intensely_human@lemm.ee 10 points 3 months ago

All of them?

[–] KingGordon@lemmy.world 9 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Tabithas everywhere in schools today.

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[–] Toes@ani.social 8 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Any of the popular biblical names like John, Mark and Paul.

[–] Jolteon@lemmy.zip 9 points 3 months ago

I'd argue that those names are the least likely to decrease in popularity, unless Bible following religions become significantly less popular.

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[–] exasperation@lemm.ee 8 points 3 months ago

Seems like there's a way to analyze this in a systematic way, from social security name data. Any name that popped up as a newly popular name and fell back off within a decade or two would probably eventually become a marker of that generation.

Gladys was popular between 1900 and 1920, and became known as an old lady name by the 80's or 90's.

Karen was popular between 1945 and 1965, and is regarded a prototypical boomer name.

The Baby Jessicas of the 80's will be retirees in the 2050's. Ashleys and Emilys will probably be that in the 2060's. There will be Britneys and Emmas.

But the methodology could probably be applied to the data in a systematic way.

[–] the_crotch@sh.itjust.works 7 points 3 months ago (1 children)

When I was in school every third girl was named Jennifer and every third boy was named Christopher. Don't really see either of those nowadays. I'm in my 40s so they're about 15-20 years from being old people names.

Also Karen. The internet ruined that name.

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[–] kambusha@sh.itjust.works 6 points 3 months ago
[–] AA5B@lemmy.world 6 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Karen has been a very popular name through many years. I imagine it’s dropped close to zero now.

Ella/ellie became way over popular. My kids knew so many girls with those names, more than one in a lot of their classes. No one gives out a name that’s so common

Isabella for dogs. There are so many Bella’s and Izzies. Maybe it’s just my family: my brother got Bella. I got a rescue named izzie and honorable mention to my other brother with Ozzie

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[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago
[–] leaky_shower_thought@feddit.nl 5 points 3 months ago (2 children)

maybe brock or allen. i dunno, infamous names in this generation.

[–] KingGordon@lemmy.world 9 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Like the rapist Brock Allen Turner?

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[–] stinky@redlemmy.com 5 points 3 months ago

Todd Kyle Chad

[–] Vanth@reddthat.com 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Mine. I have one of the most common girl's name in the year of my birth. About 10% of my female high school classmates had some variant of that name. I know of one girl under 10 with that name now.

[–] Classy@sh.itjust.works 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Caitlin, Caitlyn, Katelyn, Kaitlin, Catelynn, Keightlynne

[–] Vanth@reddthat.com 3 points 3 months ago

Lol, nailed it.

[–] NatakuNox@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)
[–] Aatube@kbin.melroy.org 3 points 3 months ago

these are common‽

[–] eran_morad@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (2 children)

Nearly all of the names on this list, minus, perhaps, the classics (David, Michael, John, etc.).

I am thankful that my wife and I agreed not to give our boys idiotic names like "Verility" (and you just know that it would be misspelled as such) or "Grayson" and whatnot, yet also not trendy shit like "Oliver".

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[–] over_clox@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago
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