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The Extinct Baby Name List

Apr 04, 2016

When I was younger and attended school, there were always at least 3 girls that shared the same name as me. There were also 5 Rebecca’s who shared the same last name as me in the whole school. Rebecca was a popular name back in the 80’s and 90’s, so I find it surprising that my name is on the possible extinction list of baby names.

I’m not the only one surprised by the possible extinction of certain names.

On an Essential Baby forum, mums and dads around Australia have discussed baby names that were popular in their time, but no longer used or heard of these days.

extinct baby names

One mother wrote, “Thinking of my generation, some names were everywhere and are now nowhere.”

“Amanda, Michelle, Stephen and David seem to have just dropped off the radar.”

Other parents agreed, with another mum noting, “Kelly, Joanne, Nicole, Tracey, Sharon, Justine, Vanessa and Jackie were all in my school, but very rare now.”

New parents are always looking for unique names for their little ones and it seems inspiration can come from anywhere these days.

Essential Baby came up with a list of common names that have dropped off in use from the last generation. Some of the names on the list are surprising. I have no doubt that they will trend again, but who knows when.

Here is the potentially extinct baby names list.

Girls’ names:

Amanda

Angela

Barbara

Belinda

Christine/Christina

Cheryl

Danielle

Diane

Donna

Fiona

Gaye

Gail/Gayle

Jacqueline/Jacqui

Jennifer

Jenny

Jessica

Joanne

Jodie

Julie

Karen

Kathy

Katrina

Kelly

Kerry

Kirsty

Kristy

Kylie

Laura

Leanne

Linda

Lisa

Marie

Megan

Melanie

Melissa

Melinda

Michelle

Nicole

Pam

Rachel

Rebecca

Renee

Sarah

Sharon

Stacey

Susan

Stephanie

Tanya/Tania

Trish

Tracey

Boys’ names:

Adam

Andrew

Anthony

Bill

Brendan

Brett

Bruce

Chris

Craig

Damien

Darren

Gary

Geoff/Jeff

Ian

Jason

Jim

Justin

Mark

Matt

Michael

Paul

Peter

Phil

Scott

Stuart

Richard

Ross

Troy

Funnily enough, I have friends or old classmates with most of these names. How about you? Know anyone who has used one of these names recently to name their baby?

Rebecca Senyard

Rebecca Senyard is a plumber by day and stylist by night but these days she changes more nappies than washers. She is a happily married mum to three young daughters who she styles on a regular basis. Rebecca is not only an award winning plumber, she also writes an award winning blog called The Plumbette where she shares her life experiences as a plumber and mother. Rebecca also blogs at Styled by Bec believing a girl can be both practical and stylish. Links to the blogs are http://www.theplumbette.com.au and http://www.styledbybec.com.au/blog

88 thoughts on “The Extinct Baby Name List”

  7. AvatarTracey Eaton

    Maybe because those names are having their own babies, and don’t really want to name them the same as themselves or classmates? Just a thought. Perhaps they will come back with the next couple of generations (although hopefully mine won’t – such a 70’s name!)

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    1. AvatarShelle Belle

      That’s what I was thinking, I’m a Michelle and there’s a few of my girlfriends names on that list! We’re 70’s and 80’s babies…and some of those names are also our mums, grandmothers or aunts names which we aren’t going to use either! (Like Susan and Kerry in my case!)

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  11. AvatarMonica Taylor

    Funny my sister and sister in law are Angela’s and my mum and my mother in law are both Michelle’s. But alas not many people name their kids that in this generation. My own, my partner and both our son’s names are not on that list

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  16. AvatarJohanna V. Edmond

    My name was always less common than Joanne and Jodie but still added to the many “Jos”. It’s generational. It’s not cool to name your kid after your school friends but it is after their grandparents’. When the Jennifers and Melissas are grandmothers these names will get a reboot. I have a David, but I didn’t know any of the many 70s Davids when he was born.

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  18. AvatarAnneke Panter

    All those names are still out there. In different age brackets. I was born in the 70s and my kids in the 90s and now in the last 5 years. These names turn up all over the place. From my husbands name to my kids names and their school friends.
    Think you have to go a little further back in time and get those real old names (that aren’t very common).
    Like Lorna, Kingsley, Clifford, Ronald 🙂

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  38. AvatarChloe Kraeft

    My name was very rare in the 1990’s only 2 Chloes at my primary school. Now i hate how common Chloe is these days. And i can’t stand it spelt with a K 😠. I’m 30 and i have always had to spell it out with the Silent “H” but now people ask me , if it’s spelt with a C or a K!

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  40. AvatarJessica Amy Pond

    My name and my Mum Pam are on the list… I was saying only the other day that I was always one of many Jessicas but these days I rarely hear it, I turn and look when I do hear it now! It is because I had such a common name that I wanted something less so for my girls. I got it right for 2 of them but my youngest I named Isla and I literally hear that name everywhere I go :/ oh well two out of three ain’t bad lol

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  56. AvatarPhae Tran

    My name isn’t on the list, it’s always been extinct I think. I don’t think those names are extinct, just less common. My son’s middle name is Richard which was on the list.

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  64. AvatarSue Mooney

    My oldest daughters name is on the list,(Laura) she has just turned 14. When she was born there was not many Laura’s around. In her school of 2500 kids there is only 4 Laura’s between (p-12)

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