Is the name Susan making a comeback

Not every name has the style strength to stick around for generations. This year we say goodbye to 17 of those long-lasting names, as they have dropped off the top-thousand popularity lists for the first time in at least 50 years. In a few cases, it was the first time ever.

I guarantee that some of the departed names will surprise you—either by their disappearance, or by their longevity. They’re a diverse group that together helped shape the sound of the country.

In ascending order of popularity life span:

#17: Kenya (F, top thousand since 1968)
The name of an East African nation, Kenya was among the first of a wave of Afro-centric names that reflected growing interest and pride in African-American heritage. It also proved to be one of the most lasting.

#16: Angelique (F, 1964)
In the 1960s, Angela was the height of fashion and French names like Monique and Danielle were coming on strong. A French film series and a Dark Shadows soap opera character called Angelique sealed the deal.

#15: Courtney (F, 1962)
 Courtney was one of a group of -y surnames that ruled the ’80s and ’90s. (Think Ashley, Whitney, Lindsay). Courtney’s decline has been swift; it still ranked #59 among all girls’ names in the year 2000.

#14: Désirée (F, 1954)
The 1954 historical drama Désirée starred Jean Simmons as the titular French woman, opposite—picture this—Marlon Brando as Napoleon Bonaparte. The film soon faded from memory, but the name didn’t.

#13: Shaun (M, 1953)
In the ’50, the name Sean was a fresh new import and some parents worried it wouldn’t be pronounced right. A wave of phonetic Shauns and Shawns ensued. Actor Shaun Cassidy made this spelling especially popular two decades later.

#12: Kristina (F, 1945)
It wasn’t just Kristina. It was Kristen, Crystal, Christine, Krista, and dozens more. The Kris brigade began its rise in the 1940s and ultimately conquered the 1970s and ’80s.

#11: Kenny (M, 1929)
Cue the “They killed Kenny!” jokes now. This is the kind of All-American nickname that all of America has stopped using. A newborn is now more likely to be named Kensington or Kenzo than Kenny.

#10: Brenda (F, 1929)
Brenda was the fresh young sound of its time. It became hugely popular a decade after its debut thanks to headline-making socialite Brenda Frazier, and comics character “Brenda Starr, Reporter,” who was named after her.

#9: Carla (F, 1926)
The name Carla is used in half a dozen languages, and started out with a continental flair. Carla became so popular in the US that it lost that association, but you can still hear it in the male name Carlo.

#8: Santos (M, 1916)
Santos is Spanish for “saints,” a classic name of reverence. Unlike many of the names on this list, it’s not tied to any particular era. It has been a slow but steady presence, and only missed this year’s top-thousand list by a single baby.

#7: Craig (M, 1912)
A Scottish surname, Craig comes from the same root as the word “crag.” It hit its peak in the 1960s along with other craggy names like Scott and Keith.

#6: Vaughn (M, 1898)
This smooth Welsh name pulled off a neat balancing trick for generations. It was never very popular and ranked below #900 in a dozen different years, but never quite slipped out of the top 1000 until now.

#5: Lamar (M, 1891)
Lamar is an old and courtly surname associated with the South. Its last-syllable stress has put it out of step with white American naming patterns in the past generation, and it has slowly declined as an African-American name as well.

…and finally, four which had been top-thousand names as far back as national baby name statistics go (1880). In ascending order of total popularity:

John and Susan are names that have previously topped the charts but only 13 baby girls were named Susan in 2020.

By

Catherine Wylie

18 October 2021

N

ames such as Margaret Rebecca Paul and John were among the most popular names of the last 100 years but have since fallen out of favour, figures show.

Historic lists from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that Margaret was the number one girls’ name in 1924, 1934 and 1944 while Susan topped the list in 1954 and 1964.

But the latest data shows Margaret has dropped to 357th most popular girls’ name in 2020 in England and Wales with just 124 babies given the name.

Susan is ranked at 2,042nd position on the list, with a total of 13 baby girls named Susan in 2020.

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In the list of boys’ names, John was top in 1914, 1924, 1934 and 1944 but has fallen to 150th in 2020.

Paul was the top name for boys in 1974, but sits at 384th on the 2020 list.

Rebecca was the number one name for girls in 1994, but is ranked 236th in 2020.

Thomas was the top name for boys in 1994, and is placed at 15th in last year’s list.

Sarah topped the lists for girls in 1974 and 1984, but in 2020 is ranked 115th.

Back in 1904 and 1914, the top name for girls was Mary, a name that sits at 291st on the most recent list.

In 1954 and 1964, David was the number one name for boys, but in 2020 is ranked 60th.

The top names for boys in 1984 was Christopher, which in 2020 was in 179th place.

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