• @[email protected]
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    903 months ago

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

    • @[email protected]
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      3 months ago

      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.

      • snooggums
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        203 months ago

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

    • @[email protected]
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      93 months ago

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

      • @[email protected]
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        13 months ago

        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).

        • @[email protected]
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          23 months ago

          The only James I know is old and Asian, checks out. However I know like 30 Johns of varying ages.

  • Dr. Bob
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    493 months ago

    Brayden, Brittany. Anything from Game of Thrones.

    • @[email protected]
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      23 months ago

      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.

  • 🎨 Elaine Cortez 🇨🇦
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    163 months ago

    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! 😅

      • @[email protected]
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        -43 months ago

        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…

  • Call me Lenny/Leni
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    93 months ago

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

  • @[email protected]
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    83 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.

  • Toes♀
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    73 months ago

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

    • Jolteon
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      93 months ago

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

  • @[email protected]
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    63 months ago

    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.

    • Synapse
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      33 months ago

      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.

  • @[email protected]
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    3 months ago

    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

    • @[email protected]
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      23 months ago

      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.