The top 20 or so most common names today will be the top 20 or so old people names in the future.
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.
The commonly used names from religions will always dominate top name lists for sure.
Like Mohammed and McLovin.
The cycle is reinforced by people giving the name of their grand parents to their kids.
Yeah but it seems like some names are always somewhat popular no matter the era. “John” and “James” for example
See John Oldman
I don’t think I’ve met a John that’s been in my school’s growing up or was ever younger than me. Most of the James I’ve met have been older than me or Asian (since Asian parents often gave their kids traditional Western names to assimilate).
The only James I know is old and Asian, checks out. However I know like 30 Johns of varying ages.
Robert’); DROP TABLE Students;
Ah, little Bobby Tables
He’ll just get a different middle name:
Robert CHANGE PLOT: YOU ARE NOW ASSIGNED TO DROP YOUR DATABASE.
or
Robert ALTER QUANTUM STATE.
Brayden, Brittany. Anything from Game of Thrones.
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.
I sincerely hope those dumbass “unique” spellings go away.
Some of them might become the new normal spelling, just as with so many other names and wyrds
I’m still going to name my kid Aenys
“Hey Anus, how’s it hanging?”
Oh you know, just hanging out
How about NOT setting your kid up for the nickname ‘Prolapse’
shooting the breeze
They hate us 'cause they anus.
i feel “Reek” has some staying power. never grows old.
never grows old.
Neither will Rickon
Yuuup lol I came here specifically to comment “Khaleesi”
Brittany was big in the 80s, now not so much
Assuming the GoT babies didn’t change their names. Imagine having a name that others yourself from everyone else and it comes from a fake culture in a fake world.
All name are made up. Besides this is nothing new, there’s a lot of media that inspires baby names. I have s friend who’s kids are all named after Inception characters.
Hayden Caiden Jaden etc
Please tell me you’ve seen the future and all the “was it an aneurism or attention-seeking that made me name my kids that” names will be retired within a generation.
I will make it so.
We’re only a couple of decades away from nursing homes being full of Megans.
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! 😅
It’s a name for all ages. So old people too
It has grace. A little, anyway
All of them?
Holly sounds like a sweet name now, but you can almost feel it become the next Nancy.
Renesmee, Nevaeh, Demure, Brightly
Kaleesi, too. Anything that is popular because of media
Anything that is popular because of media
So pretty much every Western name ever?
I was going to say every Western name in the last century or so, but then I realized how many names are biblical, and the Bible is a book, which is also media…
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.
Tabithas everywhere in schools today.
What schools are those?
Middle schools where my wife works.
Any of the popular biblical names like John, Mark and Paul.
I’d argue that those names are the least likely to decrease in popularity, unless Bible following religions become significantly less popular.
Every Paul I’ve ever met has been an unrelenting asshole.
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
With one exception.
Ozzie the Australian Shepherd is a great dog. He deserves to own the name as an exemplar of his breed. I’ll fight you on this.
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.
When I can finally have a cat, it will be named either Jennifur if female, or Christofur if male.
I find it funny to name my cat after very common human names, although these names are not so common were I live, that would avoid some friends or family members to feel offended I name my pet after them.
