Cancelled Baby Names

[Terrywoodenpic]

My great grandfather was a Herbert, known as Berty. It was quite common in the late 19th century.

 

[Heyo]

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?

Kevin, it's not a name it's diagnose.

 

[SomeRandom]

Somewhat ironically my real name is one that has fallen out of favour and is considered very old fashioned nowadays (named after my grandma.)
I won’t post it here for obvious reasons
But I will say that one of my middle names is Edwina. Supposedly a female variant of Edward, after my father.

 

[Rachel Rugelach]

Kevin, it's not a name it's diagnose.

Is that due to the perception that people in Germany have about the name Kevin being trendy and exotic-sounding?

Kevinismus - Wikipedia
"Kevin Is Not a Name - It's a Diagnosis!" - Freakonomics

 

[Rachel Rugelach]

Classic Star Trek references are always winners.

 

[exchemist]

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?

Hoho, this can be a good one.

A lot depends on what your surname is. I once knew a bloke at the rowing club whose name was Richard Head. What can his parents have been thinking? (He introduced himself, very assertively, as "Rich"). At the other end of the spectrum there was a guy at school whose surname was Gotch. His parents had called him Tarquin. My father commented that if you are unlucky enough to have a name like Gotch, almost any combination is going to sound strange or funny, so you might as well give it some welly and go full weirdo. And then there are the apocryphal ones, like Nestor Robbins and so forth.

I struggle to think, though of more names that are avoided nowadays due to association with a reviled individual. Though there was a time when Sharon and Tracy were dodgy due to association with "Essex girls". I quote from Wiki:-

"The stereotypical image formed as a variation of the dumb blonde/bimbo persona, with references to the Estuary English accent, white stiletto heels, mini skirts, silicone-augmented breasts, peroxide blonde hair, over-indulgent use of fake tan (lending an orange appearance), promiscuity, racism, loud verbal vulgarity, and socialising at downmarket nightclubs."

Essex girl - Wikipedia

This was all terribly unfair - ish...... I lived for a while in Essex, on the Thames estuary, when I worked at an oil refinery. The girls on the train were indeed rather rough types, but also refreshingly friendly, open and unpretentious. I liked them and rather missed the gentle sexual badinage, when I moved to a more salubrious neighbourhood.

 

[JustGeorge]

I have an ex in which the common form of his name(nickname) rhymed with his last name. He was extremely sensitive about it, and if you said his first and last name together, it had to be the official version of his name, and never the nickname, if you wanted to avoid his anger.

 

[Revoltingest]

Fannie

 

[Heyo]

Is that due to the perception that people in Germany have about the name Kevin being trendy and exotic-sounding?

Kevinismus - Wikipedia
"Kevin Is Not a Name - It's a Diagnosis!" - Freakonomics

More than that. It is about parents who name their son Kevin and teach him to be a Kevin. Nomen est omen - because parents who name their children have a certain mentality and that gets reinforced with people reacting to the name.

 

[exchemist]

Is that due to the perception that people in Germany have about the name Kevin being trendy and exotic-sounding?

Kevinismus - Wikipedia
"Kevin Is Not a Name - It's a Diagnosis!" - Freakonomics

That reminds me, my wife, who was French, associated the name Gerard with low class types. She pronounced it Geraaaaard with a hard-sounding aaaaa, to make it as ugly as possible. I have no idea if this is or was a thing in France.

 

[Heyo]

That reminds me, my wife, who was French, associated the name Gerard with low class types. She pronounced it Geraaaaard with a hard-sounding aaaaa, to make it as ugly as possible. I have no idea if this is or was a thing in France.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Speaking of vintage, names like Ethel, Mable, Tilly comes to mind.

Tilly (and/or Matilda) has definitely made a comeback here.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Cornelius, Cornwall, Herbert, Leviticus, Phineas, and Abigail also sound like names from the Wild West now.

Abigail is pretty common here. Often shortened to Abbi, but there are plenty of them in my area.

The other names, not so much.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Somewhat ironically my real name is one that has fallen out of favour and is considered very old fashioned nowadays (named after my grandma.)
I won’t post it here for obvious reasons
But I will say that one of my middle names is Edwina. Supposedly a female variant of Edward, after my father.

Edwina would also be the feminine version of Edwin...that's was my grandfather's name.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Fannie

That was never really a thing here, as it has a different meaning (more personal) than in the states.

 

[exchemist]

I think that makes my wife's point rather eloquently!

 

[Shadow Wolf]

It makes me wonder if Karen will survive?


It's actually a great name.

I hope. The Karens I've known have been wonderful ladies. One's German (so a Kah-rehn) and she's really nice and very helpful where she can be. Another, a black woman, she's stepping stone nice, tolerates more crap than a saint, and takes "until death do us part" so seriously she refuses to divorce her husband even after years of separation and manages to somehow peacefully and friendly coexist with her ex/current/whatever's girlfriend at work.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

By "cancelled" I mean names that were once popular but that nowadays for various reasons parents would be disinclined to give to their child. ......................

Seems around here once popular girl names are now replaced by naming girls with boys names.
I suppose that makes some sort of Rainbow People happy.
McKensey (MacKensie) and Charlie for example.
I think Charlie actually came from Charlotte shortened to 'Sharlie' but now pronounced as Charlie as from Charles.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Aethelred is a once common English name and I don't see that one making a comeback. I haven't heard of any Cnuts or Ragnars in awhile. Can't say I've known many Margarets or Ruths.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

It makes me wonder if Karen will survive? It's actually a great name.

I only know of two Karens:
One Karen freely does a lot for some elderly and disabled ones in our area.
Well over 40 years ago one friend had a co-worker named Karen, and when we were married that Karen gave us a wedding present.
How surprising to get a wedding gift from a total stranger to us.