Mamas Uncut

50 Baby Boomer Baby Names That Have Gone Completely Out of Style

Andrew Kreeger

Some baby names are evergreen in their popularity and have been popular in the US and beyond for generations. Names like Elizabeth, John, Mary, and William have been popular in the US since the record-keeping of baby name data began in 1890. Other baby appellations don’t have the same staying power, which is clearly apparent when looking at baby boomer baby names. After returning from WWII, new parents chose a host of names influenced by a myriad of social and pop cultural factors. How have those baby boomer baby names fared?

The folks over at Stacker had the genius idea to turn to the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) baby name database to discover what popular boomer baby names were big between 1946-1964 that are rarely used today. In fact, the following names are given to fewer than 75 babies in 2021 (the latest data the SSA has published)! Many historical factors can explain a name’s decline. For instance, a high-profile serial killer with a popular name could turn parents away. Further, unsavory characters in movies and TV could make parents think twice before using a name. Below you will find 50 of the baby boomer baby names that have fallen completely out of fashion, along with some interesting stats that Stacker uncovered.

Blanche (for girls)

Blanche peaked in popularity two years after the play “A Streetcar Named Desire” debuted on Broadway, Stacker notes. They also suggest that the play’s film adaptation was one of the reasons the name began to decline.

Earlene (for girls)

Earlene is a feminine form of Earl that emerged as a new favorite in 1911. It peaked during the baby boomer years and belonged to a notable athlete. Earlene Brown competed in three Olympic games throughout the 1950s and 1960s.

Jerry (for girls)

Jerry Hall is one famous baby boomer with this appellation.

Cleveland (for boys)

Cleveland peaked as a name for boys just after WWII. It’s extremely rare today unless you are a fan of Family Guy.

Merle (for boys)

Merle is a unisex name of French origin that means “blackbird.” It belonged to many famous athletes, politicians, and musicians in the first half of the 20th century.

Earnestine (for girls)

You might be surprised that a famous performer has Earnestine as a middle name. Diana Earnestine Earle Ross is her full name.

Dick (for boys)

We have President Nixon to thank for the downfall of Dick. The disgraced president was often referred to as “Tricky Dicky.”

Carey (for boys)

Carey is a gender-neutral name of Irish origin that means “dark.” It’s neither popular for girls nor boys today in the US.

Garland (for boys)

Judy Garland famously used this name as a surname, but she was born Frances Ethel Gumm.

Bettye (for girls)

Bettye peaked in popularity just a year after the singer-songwriter Bettye LaVette was born in 1946. Today, Bettye is considered a dated diminutive form of Elizabeth.

Myrtle (for girls)

Myrtle is considered a complete grandma name as it has not been widely used since the 1960s. This botanical name originated in Greek.

Elbert (for boys)

For a time in America, names with the Bert element were hot ticket items. Elbert, Hubert, Norbert, and Osbert have all fallen from fashion.

Gayla (for girls)

Gayla Peevey was one of the brightest child stars of the baby boomer period. We likely have her popularity to thank for making this name trendy way back when.

Sammie (for boys)

Sammie is a unisex option that has always been more popular for boys than baby girls in the US. It’s a diminutive form of the Hebrew name Samuel, meaning “told by God.”

Ernie (for boys)

One of the most well-known war correspondents in American History, Ernie Pyle, died at the Battle of Iwo Jima. According to Stacker, his reputation cemented the name as a popular choice for parents who lived through WWII.

Bart (for boys)

Popular character Bart Simpson put the nails in the coffin of this otherwise delightful name.

Dona (for girls)

Dona never reached the same heights as its sister Donna, but both Italian names flourished during the boomer era.

Ed (for boys)

Ed was a wildly popular given name for boys in the first half of the 20th century. It’s decidedly out today, but that usually means it’s due for a comeback.

Curt (for boys)

Curt climbed the popularity charts between 1946 and 1964. This handsome name means “kind.” We think this name has tons of potential for a baby born today.

Gerry (for boys)

Gerry is considered a diminutive form of Gerald or Geraldine. However, it was most popular among boys in the boomer era. It’s long gone for both today.

Debby (for girls)

“You Light Up My Life” singer Debby Boone is one famous boomer with the name.

Melba (for girls)

We likely have Melba toast for making the baby girl name Melba… well, toast.

Bert (for boys)

Character Bert from Sesame Street ended the use of this name for baby boys.

Kathi (for girls)

Beloved children’s author Kathi Appelt is a boomer with this name. The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp is one of the most treasured books for kids.

Diann (for girls)

By the 1970s, Diann’s run ended. But one currently famous person secretly has this name, Shailene Diann Woodley.

RELATED: Prediction: These Vintage Names Are Primed for a Comeback

Dee (for girls)

Dee peaked in popularity during the boomer years, climbing each year from 1946-1964. By 1975, the name was virtually unused. A fast rise and fall!

Carroll (for boys)

Mid-century race car driver Carroll Shelby gave this name a boost. But it’s left the track today.

Saundra (for girls)

Actor Saundra Santiago of Miami Vice fame is one of the most famous boomers with this name.

Phil (for boys)

One of the most famous boomers named Phil is none other than Phil Collins.

Doyle (for boys)

Doyle was just starting to decline by 1946, but it was still a widely used name through 1964. It clung onto mild popularity through the early 1980s before going virtually unused.

Wilbert (for boys)

We told you the Bert boy names were last popular in the boomer era, and we weren’t fibbing!

Sondra (for girls)

Sondra Bianca was a child prodigy and famed concert pianist who gained notoriety in the boomer era.

Gay (for girls)

Gay was a popular name until it became associated with homosexuality. Beginning in the 1950s and 1960s, the name was seen as too politically loaded.

Chuck (for boys)

By the 1980s, the name Chuck was totally out. Today, it’s so far gone that it might just be time for new parents to return to it.

Laverne (for girls)

Laverne was already out of style when the 50s-set sitcom Laverne & Shirley aired in 1976. The smash hit made the already-dated Laverne a no-go for new parents. That’s unfortunate because this pretty name has a French root that means “springlike.”

Horace (for boys)

Horace was a top-100 name at the end of the 19th century, but it was on the decline by the boomer era. The ancient Roman clan name shares a root with the word hour.

Delbert (for boys)

You better believe that the comic book character Dilbert put the baby name Delbert to bed in the US.

Pat (for boys)

The name Pat fared well through the boomer baby era but fell off a cliff by the 1970s.

Pat (for girls)

One of the famous boomer Pats is rocker Pat Benatar.

Deloris (for girls)

The Deloris spelling never was as popular as Delores, but both were favored in the boomer era. The name means “lady of sorrows” and originated in Spanish.

Gale (for girls)

Gale had a great run, but by the 1970s, it had petered out.

Doug (for boys)

The parent name, Douglas, has hung on much longer than the short form Doug. Most of the Dougs you meet today are actually named Douglas.

Ronda (for girls)

After the boomer years, Ronda actually continued to be fairly popular until the 1980s. The name is of Welsh origin and means “noisy one.”

Pam (for girls)

Pam and her mother name, Pamela, have both fallen from fashion today.

Lynn (for boys)

After the boomer era, the unisex Welsh name Lynn did a gender flip and began going to more girls than baby boys. Today, it’s not a popular choice for either.

Kim (for boys)

Kim was wildly popular among boys during the boomer baby years, but that swiftly ended by the 1980s.

Sheila (for girls)

One of the most famous boomers named Sheila is iconic drummer Sheila E.

Patty (for girls)

The Patty Hearst spectacle in the 1970s ended the name Patty for girls. Hearst was famously kidnapped and brainwashed into committing various crimes.

Bob (for boys)

Bob Marley is one of the most famous boomers who were given the name. By the 1980s, few parents chose it, and a shift back to the formal Robert took place.

Jan (for girls)

The Brady Bunch‘s Jan Brady did not help Jan’s popularity as a name for baby girls. In fact, she tanked it.

There you go! Now you know all the boomer baby names that have gone virtually extinct in the US. It’s fascinating how much name trends shift so quickly.