By "cancelled" I mean names that were once popular but that nowadays for various reasons parents would be disinclined to give to their child.
Perhaps the most obvious name is Adolf/Adolph, despite the fact that in the pre-WWII years this was a once a very popular name, even among Jews (as a secular name). Harpo Marx (1888-1964) of the famous Marx Brothers comedians was an Adolph. Professional basketball player, coach, and twelve-time NBA All-Star Adolph Schayes (1928-2015), is another example of a Jewish Adolph -- although he understandably shortened his first name to "Dolph."
These days, I've heard many parents-to-be say they absolutely would not name a baby daughter Karen -- a name which has sadly become a meme for a self-entitled, obnoxious, hateful complainer. I hope that someday reruns of Will & Grace will redeem that name, because Megan Mullally's character of Karen Walker always cracked me up. Come to think of it, that Karen was self-entitled and obnoxious, too -- but hilariously so, and certainly not hateful.
Can anyone think of other, once popular, baby names that you now might avoid giving to a child?
Perhaps the most obvious name is Adolf/Adolph, despite the fact that in the pre-WWII years this was a once a very popular name, even among Jews (as a secular name). Harpo Marx (1888-1964) of the famous Marx Brothers comedians was an Adolph. Professional basketball player, coach, and twelve-time NBA All-Star Adolph Schayes (1928-2015), is another example of a Jewish Adolph -- although he understandably shortened his first name to "Dolph."
These days, I've heard many parents-to-be say they absolutely would not name a baby daughter Karen -- a name which has sadly become a meme for a self-entitled, obnoxious, hateful complainer. I hope that someday reruns of Will & Grace will redeem that name, because Megan Mullally's character of Karen Walker always cracked me up. Come to think of it, that Karen was self-entitled and obnoxious, too -- but hilariously so, and certainly not hateful.
Can anyone think of other, once popular, baby names that you now might avoid giving to a child?
