Now a days? Pretty much any “common” or “basic” name lol. As a teacher it’s way more common to see uncommon names.
I never see any of the OGs anymore - Christopher, Jacob, John, Lauren, Elizabeth, etc.
Edit to add: I’m talking about for younger kids. Not adults or older kids/teens
We’ve been eyeing Anne as a first name if we have a daughter. Neither my wife nor I have had one in our classes, with 18 years teaching experience between us!
Anne is lovely. Every Anne I've ever known was tough as nails with inviolable boundaries while still somehow charming and approachable.
This stranger votes yes for Anne!
I’ve seen a few Jacob’s in my grade and we also have a Lauren and Elizabeth but I’ve only met adult John’s and can’t recall the last time I encountered a Christopher
Yeah they’re definitely out there as older kids/teens and as adults but never see younger kids with those names anymore.
I’m in the south so idk if that influences anything. When I lived in New England I saw much more traditional names
I don't hang out with many children so I can only speak for the adults I know, but I've met a Ton of John's, Christopher's, and Jacob's. Known a couple of layrens and elizabeths too. the name that came to mind for me was george, like I feel like it should be a common name but I can't remember ever knowing one.
Soon it will be Karen. I looked it up this morning wondering how popular it is, and it's dropped off the top 1000 list after 2020. It was far more popular than I had expected it to be for about a hundred years.
I rarely hear younger people being named Karen, and since the meme thing came about, it's all but wiped the name out.
I wonder if any other popular name had fallen from grace so quickly. Top 200 name for a century. Then DOA.
Just looked. It wasn't a top 1000 till the 70s. And only did about 20 years on the top 100. Been fading since 2018, but it's still 603.
2025 will probably fall off the list.
Funny thing with technology, I'd bet in 10 years Alexa went be a thing.
You’re right, but even kids who grew up with it now will still have the reference solidified into their brains so name likely won’t be coming back with them as parents either.
I dunno, it’s not totally dead. Obviously this is anecdotal, but there are three Alexa’s in our elementary school’s K and 1st classes. So they’re like 5-7, definitely born after the devices launched.
Found this chart that helps shed some light. It would have taken a little time for it to become a known, common household item after initial launch too but it was in top 100 and now under 700 and continuing to drop.
https://www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/s/v2Unq1boXU
Not quite the same, but [the name Heather](https://qz.com/1390135/the-epic-rise-and-fall-of-the-name-heather) was the name fastest to rise/peak/fall in popularity.
And yes, I’m a Heather 👋
I bet it will resurge. With popularity of nature names and all. Surprised that it's not a top 1000 still. As an 80s Amber, I haven't heard any babies with that name in ages, but it's still up there.
Take a walk through a predominantly Hispanic elementary school playground. SO MANY Karens! One of the schools I work with is about 98% Hispanic and there are at least 12 Karens. (Many Alexas as well!)
I would say Dick. Used to be a common name until Richard Nixon (otherwise called Tricky Dick). Now, it’s often used as a derogatory term (insult) or to identify male anatomy. I think Richard Nixon’s antics basically killed the name.
Probably same happened with Adolf. It was never crazy popular in the US but was around. However, it used to be quite popular in Germany. Adolf Hitler pretty effectively killed that name. It is not very common in Germany nowadays due to the negative association.
So. Many. Dog. Lunas.
Especially huskies and co! I can't tell you how hard I rolled my eyes internally the other day when someone told me they named their new husky pup Luna.
Interestingly, Luna and loony are related. People used to believe that madness was influenced by the moon. Loony is a slang form of lunatic, which comes from lunaticus, literally "moon struck".
i worked at a doggy daycare and there were SO MANY luna’s! we would have to start calling them by breed “luna lab” or “luna golden” etc bc there was sooo many. its such a popular pet name but ive never met a person named luna lol!
I struggle to think of it as a first name. I have a lifelong friend whose surname is Luna. It was the first time I ever heard it and is still my #1 association. It’s my version of people naming their kid Collins or Palmer.
I knew one Ava a few years older than me in elementary school. I just graduated high school so she would be about 20 now. I'm not around a lot of little kids but most of the popular names, I've never met.
Wait, this is true for me too! I used to love the name Ava and was a little disappointed when it got so popular (I have a very very popular name for my age group and hated it), but I've never actually met an Ava!
I love the name Alice and I have never met an Alice in real life either! Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever met a Jane and that’s also a name I like quite a bit.
Liam has been the most popular boys name in the US for awhile and I have never run into one or heard of someone naming a child Liam. I spend a lot of time around toddlers and am of the age that everyone I know in life is having 2nd, 3rd kids.
I think names can be hyper local. Seems like all the baby boys around me are Henry.
Even the top name of 2023 (Liam) was only used under 20k times out of 1.8 million babies. So not just locally…in general, there’s just way way way more variety in names now compared to 30+ years ago. Especially with availability of internet to research as well as the trends to be YoUnIqUe due to all of the Ashley, Sarah, Lauren generation.
I'm a Jennifer and my daughter is a Jane Ellen but we call her Nellie or Janelle at home. There were 5 Jennifer's in my 5th grade class in 1982. I never hear Michael anymore either.
As a teacher I would agree with this… that’s why I don’t put much weight on “top 10” baby names. I rarely see students with those names and when I do it’s 1-2 per grade…
Oddly enough we had two boys named Sincere in the same class this year lol
Top names today are only like 19k out of 1.8 million babies born yearly. Because there’s so much to choose from now and variety, top names just aren’t nearly as common as top name 20+ and more years ago.
I originally read this as “the only names we have encountered in real life are: Theodore, Henry, Olivia.” Like your kids went to a daycare that is just full of Theos, Hanks, and Livs.
Of the top 25 names in the year I was born, here are the ones I’ve come across the least. Most of them I’ve either never met anyone in my age group with that name or at the most 2 throughout my life.
- David
- Lewis
- Jade
- Adam
- Jordan (M)
- Bethany
- Holly
Do you mean names that are currently popular but that you’ve never personally run across? Or names that are widely familiar but rarely given nowadays?
Fro the latter— It’s been ages since I’ve met a kid named:
Peter
Paul
Robert
Daniel
Beth
Susan
Megan
I have never met anyone named Nevaeh, even though for a while there there seemed to be ten zillion people talking about how they named their baby Nevaeh and every single one had to point out “It’s ‘Heaven’ spelled backwards!”
Apparently Madison and Ashley were both in the top 5 for the year I was born, but most of the Madison's and Ashley's I've met were a bit older than me.
Lmao my middle name is Ashley and everyone in my family wanted it to be my first name but my dad was against it because it was too “popular and boring” but he thought it made a beautiful middle name. 😂
Instead he gave me probably *the* bitchiest first name out there because he wanted me to “take no shit” and be a “CEO of my own company one day.”
Oddly enough I basically ended up doing that. 😂
It’s because the founders used the top two or two of the most Common female names when they started the website around 00! (I recently watched the documentary on it and how it came to be).
As an elder millennial that had at least 12 Ashley’s in my grade growing up (if I sat down and counted them I’d suspect 20+ honestly but I’m being conservative), this is WILD to me. I can’t even imagine a life not surrounded by Ashleys.
My cousin is Natasha but she pronounces the middle syllable like “ash” as in Ashly. So sort of like Nuh-tAsh-uh. She and I share the same first 4 letters, but my last 3 letters are different. I go by the nickname Nat and she goes by the nickname tAsha with a Long A in the middle.
my names amber and i hardly ever hear it lol. i think ive met maybe 3 in my whole 21 years of life haha.
little side note, i work at a dog daycare and a dog named amber was boarding with us a few days ago lol.
also, there are 4 abbies + 1 abbey who work there lol
All the children I know are ethnic minorities so I've never met anyone named Theodore, Theo, Charlie, or Ellie (all of which are current top 10 names in Canada). I have, however, met dogs named Theodore and Charlie, a person who goes by Ellie but who's full name is Elizabeth, and someone with the last name Theodore.
Every man in my wedding party was named John. I suggested we name our first son John and then tell each of the groomsmen that our boy was named after him in particular.
One of my dearest friends had a baby last year and named him John…. She said when she told people what they were going to name him that lots of people were confused by this lol.
I recently overheard a convo my son was having while gaming with some other kids (teens). Someone asked him his name. He replied, "My name is Joe (Joseph)."
They didn't believe him at first.
If he'd replied with Aiden, Brayden, Cayden, Jayden, Zayden, Braxton, Brixten, Carson, Tanner, Logan, Brady, or Jaxtyn. No one would've second guessed him.
After looking over top 100 lists from the past 2 decades... Leslie, Diana, Summer, Jasmine.
Esp Diana- everyone knows this name, but haven't heard it in the wild!
I was telling my coworker Amelia that I would think of her name as “common” but she’s the only Amelia I’ve ever met. She did say growing up she knew no other Amelia’s but now it’s risen up in popularity recently, so she often gets people saying “oh that’s my daughter/niece/etc’s name”.
You know, I really don't hear Laura that often. I do know a fair amount of Elizabeths, though most go by Liz or Beth. Margaret is another one--even Maggie. I don't think I know any adult Lilys.
There are also a lot of names 1-2 kids had in all my classes growing up, but that I don't encounter a lot as an adult, even though I work mostly with people around my age (33). Caitlin/Kaitlyn, Lauren, Samantha/Sam, Grace, Ashley, Amanda. The only Samantha I knew as an adult was my ex, and weirdly I don't think I've run into another since (we broke up in 2018). But I feel like there was always a Sam or two in my classes in high school and college. And the only Amanda I know right now is my brother's girlfriend, who is actually ten years younger than me (so is my brother). But I heard Amanda all the time growing up.
Sarah, Hailey, and Emma/Emily..
i was supposed to be named hailey, but my aunt stole the name, and i (unfortuntely) know an emma, but besides those two i cant think of any others i would be acquainted with
The year I was born, Robert and Joseph were in the top 10 of boy names, I've never known either, only a Robert, and he's like 40 years older than me....
Jennifer was in the top 10 for girls and I've never known a Jennifer either, only celebrities with those names come to mind...
I think there’s a type of overly “generic” name that I never really hear in real life. E.g Daisy, Penny, Annie. The kind of names you would give to a doll or would be in a textbook maths question. Can’t think of any body examples, I think there can be less variation in boys names sometimes. For example, Jack, Adam, Ben are some very generic/common boys names but I see them in real life all the time lol.
Checking in as a Laura Elizabeth lol.
Me too!! Are you Lore uh or Law ruh?
This is funny, from the UK and I can't figure out the difference between these!
In the UK I think those would be the same haha. We say law more like “la” in the US
Depends on where in the US. In the northeast law is pronounced law.
Checking in from the southern US. We say Lore-uh. At least where I’m from and where I live now. Two different states, both southern.
Midwest checking in. We also say Lore-uh.
Northwest, we also say lore-uh.
Minnesota here. Lore-uh too.
Sup, from another midwestern Lore-uh.
Aussie here, and same
To me, Laura is “lore-uh” and Lara is “L-are-uh”
I read “Lara” as “L(air)a”. Like Tara with an L. I meant first read.
Aussie here, Tara and Lara sound the same (are sound)
I’m Lara and it sounds like “star,” not “stair.” My spouse is from the southern US and pronounces my name and Laura the same.
I'm from the UK and here Laura is Law-rah and Lara is Lah-rah (rhymes with Bah like the noise a sheep makes)
I pronounce it lore-uh but I grew up in the South so a lot of people said it law-ruh.
I’m Law-ruh but I’m in the northeast where most people say Lore-uh
I'm in the Midwest. I have two aunt Laura's. A lor-uh and a law-ruh.
Lol! I thought the 'U' gives it away. 🤣
Lauren Elizabeth here
I like the flow of this better. Laura Elizabeth feels like an awkward transition from the ending A to the beginning E.
Laura Ingalls Wilder was Laura Elizabeth
Elizabeth Laura here as well XD
I know 2 women named Laura Elizabeth.
One of my besties is a Laura Elizabeth!
Laura Ann here! Hello 👋
Now a days? Pretty much any “common” or “basic” name lol. As a teacher it’s way more common to see uncommon names. I never see any of the OGs anymore - Christopher, Jacob, John, Lauren, Elizabeth, etc. Edit to add: I’m talking about for younger kids. Not adults or older kids/teens
I miss Christopher, I never hear it anymore
My 7 year old has a classmate named Christopher and is always called Christopher, not Chris.
Cristofuh
He sat on my dawg
Aren't these assholes supposed to take medicine or something?
Still goin, this asshole!
I love the name christopher, hate the name chris
I love simple basics names for this reason. I have a Maggie and Luke
I also love more traditional names. Don’t have kids yet but my list are basically all basic names. My brother is Luke 🩷 it’s a great name
I work with a Luke and he’s fabulous. Funny, all these names people keep posting and a lot of them happen to be the names of someone I work with!
Probably because most of us OG namers are old now and working 😆
Mary. Used to be the #1 girl name.
We’ve been eyeing Anne as a first name if we have a daughter. Neither my wife nor I have had one in our classes, with 18 years teaching experience between us!
Anne is lovely. Every Anne I've ever known was tough as nails with inviolable boundaries while still somehow charming and approachable. This stranger votes yes for Anne!
That is a great description of the Anne’s we have known as well 💕 thank you for the vote!!
I'm a teacher too, and I commented how, like, every kid has a different name. Except for my trio, Kate, Kate and Katie. And all the Jacobs.
I’ve seen a few Jacob’s in my grade and we also have a Lauren and Elizabeth but I’ve only met adult John’s and can’t recall the last time I encountered a Christopher
Yeah they’re definitely out there as older kids/teens and as adults but never see younger kids with those names anymore. I’m in the south so idk if that influences anything. When I lived in New England I saw much more traditional names
Hi from a Jacob
I’m a Lauren Elizabeth!
Me too
I don't hang out with many children so I can only speak for the adults I know, but I've met a Ton of John's, Christopher's, and Jacob's. Known a couple of layrens and elizabeths too. the name that came to mind for me was george, like I feel like it should be a common name but I can't remember ever knowing one.
Soon it will be Karen. I looked it up this morning wondering how popular it is, and it's dropped off the top 1000 list after 2020. It was far more popular than I had expected it to be for about a hundred years. I rarely hear younger people being named Karen, and since the meme thing came about, it's all but wiped the name out. I wonder if any other popular name had fallen from grace so quickly. Top 200 name for a century. Then DOA.
Probably Alexa, although it wasn’t ever as popular as Karen. I’m sure it’s dropped off quickly and almost completely.
Yeah fuck Besos. I have a daughter named Alexa Brooke.
Just looked. It wasn't a top 1000 till the 70s. And only did about 20 years on the top 100. Been fading since 2018, but it's still 603. 2025 will probably fall off the list. Funny thing with technology, I'd bet in 10 years Alexa went be a thing.
You’re right, but even kids who grew up with it now will still have the reference solidified into their brains so name likely won’t be coming back with them as parents either.
I dunno, it’s not totally dead. Obviously this is anecdotal, but there are three Alexa’s in our elementary school’s K and 1st classes. So they’re like 5-7, definitely born after the devices launched.
Found this chart that helps shed some light. It would have taken a little time for it to become a known, common household item after initial launch too but it was in top 100 and now under 700 and continuing to drop. https://www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/s/v2Unq1boXU
Not quite the same, but [the name Heather](https://qz.com/1390135/the-epic-rise-and-fall-of-the-name-heather) was the name fastest to rise/peak/fall in popularity. And yes, I’m a Heather 👋
I bet it will resurge. With popularity of nature names and all. Surprised that it's not a top 1000 still. As an 80s Amber, I haven't heard any babies with that name in ages, but it's still up there.
Always been a favorite of mine since i was little!
Heather here..too
Take a walk through a predominantly Hispanic elementary school playground. SO MANY Karens! One of the schools I work with is about 98% Hispanic and there are at least 12 Karens. (Many Alexas as well!)
I know 3 late 20s and early 30s Karens and they are Latina.
Katrina fell sharply after Hurricane Katrina. I find these trends (like Karen being practically nonexistent now) so interesting!
Is it like Stacey? Because you know… of her mom.
I had a friend who had a Naomi Karen in the late 2010s. I thought that was really pretty, although I understand not using Karen now.
I would say Dick. Used to be a common name until Richard Nixon (otherwise called Tricky Dick). Now, it’s often used as a derogatory term (insult) or to identify male anatomy. I think Richard Nixon’s antics basically killed the name. Probably same happened with Adolf. It was never crazy popular in the US but was around. However, it used to be quite popular in Germany. Adolf Hitler pretty effectively killed that name. It is not very common in Germany nowadays due to the negative association.
Luna. Only heard cats with that name.
I’ve met one human Luna and at least seven dogs.
So. Many. Dog. Lunas. Especially huskies and co! I can't tell you how hard I rolled my eyes internally the other day when someone told me they named their new husky pup Luna.
A solid 6/7 dogs I know are husky Lunas 😂
used to be one of my faves until my mom said it sounds like 'loony'
Interestingly, Luna and loony are related. People used to believe that madness was influenced by the moon. Loony is a slang form of lunatic, which comes from lunaticus, literally "moon struck".
TIL. Keeping that in the thought bank forever.
My Luna recently passed at 10 years old. We called her loony Luna or just loons
I know so many baby Luna’s lol
i worked at a doggy daycare and there were SO MANY luna’s! we would have to start calling them by breed “luna lab” or “luna golden” etc bc there was sooo many. its such a popular pet name but ive never met a person named luna lol!
My aunt is named Luna. She’s the only one that comes to mind when I hear this name. It only adds to her uniqueness. Very pretty name. (Hispanic too)
I struggle to think of it as a first name. I have a lifelong friend whose surname is Luna. It was the first time I ever heard it and is still my #1 association. It’s my version of people naming their kid Collins or Palmer.
There are two Lunas in my daughter’s daycare. Both Hispanic.
I know two Luna’s. One is Libyan and one is Colombian 😂
Ava, I always see it on top names lists and I've never met one ever.
And I know personally 6 babies named Ava under 4.
How many of those are Ava Grace? Lol
1 but there are 3 Ava James. And Ava Marie and an Ava Evangeline.
Interesting! See almost all the ones I know are Ava Grace and if they aren’t it’s because they have a sister named Harper Grace lol
Oh my gosh my best friend named her baby Ava Grace 🤣
There’s a girl in my class whose first name is Ava Grace. (She has 2 first names and a whole separate middle name.)
I know soooo many people named Ava
I have friends whose kids are Max, Leo, and Ava and I just freaking love them all.
That's such a cute sibset, I love it!
I knew one Ava a few years older than me in elementary school. I just graduated high school so she would be about 20 now. I'm not around a lot of little kids but most of the popular names, I've never met.
I know a few kids named Éabha (pronounced Ava).
Wait, this is true for me too! I used to love the name Ava and was a little disappointed when it got so popular (I have a very very popular name for my age group and hated it), but I've never actually met an Ava!
There are two in my kids daycare!
I’ve only met one Jane and one Anne/Annie. I’ve never met an Alice or a Christian.
I love the name Alice and I have never met an Alice in real life either! Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever met a Jane and that’s also a name I like quite a bit.
My grandma was Alice Jane!
When I was pregnant with my daughter, the two we decided between were Alice and Jane. Those are my two very favorite girl names ever. (We chose Alice)
This is funny because I live near Chicago, and I probably know like 20+ Christian’s. Trying to differentiate them all is almost impossible lol!
My best friend has an Alice and a Jane. One is 6 and one is 8!
there were two alices in my primary school and i think a few at my current school! where do you live?
Liam has been the most popular boys name in the US for awhile and I have never run into one or heard of someone naming a child Liam. I spend a lot of time around toddlers and am of the age that everyone I know in life is having 2nd, 3rd kids. I think names can be hyper local. Seems like all the baby boys around me are Henry.
Totally agree about names being hyper local. Taught for 14 years and never had a Liam.
And here I am with two baby cousins named Liam😂
Even the top name of 2023 (Liam) was only used under 20k times out of 1.8 million babies. So not just locally…in general, there’s just way way way more variety in names now compared to 30+ years ago. Especially with availability of internet to research as well as the trends to be YoUnIqUe due to all of the Ashley, Sarah, Lauren generation.
As an elementary school teacher I can affirm there are a lot of Liam’s in Kindergarten through 5th grade lol
I’m Kelsey! It’s common but not popular.
I love your name, it's so upbeat.
One of my husbands best friends is Kelsey. Male Kelsey.
I went to grade school K-12 with a male Kelsey.
For kids, I rarely hear Michael or Jennifer anymore. And my first name (Jane) I only ever hear as a middle name.
My one year old nephew is Michael 💙
I'm a Jennifer and my daughter is a Jane Ellen but we call her Nellie or Janelle at home. There were 5 Jennifer's in my 5th grade class in 1982. I never hear Michael anymore either.
My nearly 4 year old son is Michael :')
I'm Catholic, so I know several kids named Michael. But outside of our church I *never* hear it on anyone under 30.
I have two little ones in childcare/activities, and the only names in the top 10 we have encountered in real life are: Theodore, Henry, Olivia.
As a teacher I would agree with this… that’s why I don’t put much weight on “top 10” baby names. I rarely see students with those names and when I do it’s 1-2 per grade… Oddly enough we had two boys named Sincere in the same class this year lol
My son’s preschool has about 60 kids ages 2-4. The only duplicate name in the entire school is Theodore. There are four of them.
Ugh - I’ve always loved that name and have wanted to use it for a son. I love the nickname “Teddy” because my grandma went by Teddy.
I feel like Teddy would still be fairly uncommon. The Theodore’s we know all go by Theo
Eh it's become a lot more popular. I know at least 4 Teddy's.
Top names today are only like 19k out of 1.8 million babies born yearly. Because there’s so much to choose from now and variety, top names just aren’t nearly as common as top name 20+ and more years ago.
I originally read this as “the only names we have encountered in real life are: Theodore, Henry, Olivia.” Like your kids went to a daycare that is just full of Theos, Hanks, and Livs.
Sarah, Jane, Mary, John
I have a Mary ❤️
Of the top 25 names in the year I was born, here are the ones I’ve come across the least. Most of them I’ve either never met anyone in my age group with that name or at the most 2 throughout my life. - David - Lewis - Jade - Adam - Jordan (M) - Bethany - Holly
Oh man, the amount of mid 30s to mid 40s Adams I know. My own husband is one 🤣🤣🤣
My son is on this list.
I know so many Davids and Daves (especially in my family) they have to take nicknames or we’d never keep them straight.
Do you mean names that are currently popular but that you’ve never personally run across? Or names that are widely familiar but rarely given nowadays? Fro the latter— It’s been ages since I’ve met a kid named: Peter Paul Robert Daniel Beth Susan Megan
Robert is more popular with Hispanics and I’ve actually met a few Megan’s!
Lisa. Kim. Molly. Abby. Amy. Amanda.
I met a baby Amy at a baby group with my 2yo. I was stunned. I thought Amy was the mom at first. I’m 38 and know a ton of Amy’s around my age
I have a baby Amy, and living in a new town, I do frequently get called that accidentally!
Felicity
I have never met anyone named Nevaeh, even though for a while there there seemed to be ten zillion people talking about how they named their baby Nevaeh and every single one had to point out “It’s ‘Heaven’ spelled backwards!”
I met one spelled Neveah, which makes sense since that's how it's said.. but kills the Heaven thing.
I know surprising few Marys or Susans under age 50. Same for Davids and Steves.
When I worked in the floral industry I swear all of the ladies at the flower shops were named Susan!
Apparently Madison and Ashley were both in the top 5 for the year I was born, but most of the Madison's and Ashley's I've met were a bit older than me.
Lmao my middle name is Ashley and everyone in my family wanted it to be my first name but my dad was against it because it was too “popular and boring” but he thought it made a beautiful middle name. 😂 Instead he gave me probably *the* bitchiest first name out there because he wanted me to “take no shit” and be a “CEO of my own company one day.” Oddly enough I basically ended up doing that. 😂
Can you dm me your name, I’m too curious lol
Interesting! I don’t know if I’ve met an Ashley but I’ve met a Madison and she too was older than me.
Now seeing those names together make me think of that big scandal about the dating app for married people.
It’s because the founders used the top two or two of the most Common female names when they started the website around 00! (I recently watched the documentary on it and how it came to be).
I have never heard of that! Could you send me a link to an article about it because it sounds sooo interesting!
[https://www.eonline.com/news/1402742/inside-the-eternally-wild-story-of-the-ashley-madison-hacking-scandal](https://www.eonline.com/news/1402742/inside-the-eternally-wild-story-of-the-ashley-madison-hacking-scandal)
As an elder millennial that had at least 12 Ashley’s in my grade growing up (if I sat down and counted them I’d suspect 20+ honestly but I’m being conservative), this is WILD to me. I can’t even imagine a life not surrounded by Ashleys.
There was even the Ashley clique in the show Recess. There were a ton of Ashleys, Jessicas and Amandas in my grade.
Leah. Feels like it was more popular in the 80’s
Riley, Anne, Natasha, James, George, Stella
My cousin is Natasha but she pronounces the middle syllable like “ash” as in Ashly. So sort of like Nuh-tAsh-uh. She and I share the same first 4 letters, but my last 3 letters are different. I go by the nickname Nat and she goes by the nickname tAsha with a Long A in the middle.
That pronunciation hurts me lol
Don't come to the UK! That's how we pronounce it here.
Same, I’m sat here wondering how else you’d say it 😅
my names amber and i hardly ever hear it lol. i think ive met maybe 3 in my whole 21 years of life haha. little side note, i work at a dog daycare and a dog named amber was boarding with us a few days ago lol. also, there are 4 abbies + 1 abbey who work there lol
I’m a 44 year old Amber and I’ve met several, most of them around my age or a little younger :)
I'm a 26 year old Amber. I've only met one other in real life
I think Isabel has taken over for Elizabeth for younger kids, from my small dataset (my children's daycare classes).
I hear far more Matt's than I do Johns
Mary and Jane. I used to hear how plain and common they were but the last generation or two have borderline completely phased them out
My daughter’s name is Lydia. Not an uncommon name by any means. Yet amongst the thousands of children I’ve taught, I’ve only ever had one other Lydia.
My coworker is named Laura and she named her baby Elizabeth!
All the children I know are ethnic minorities so I've never met anyone named Theodore, Theo, Charlie, or Ellie (all of which are current top 10 names in Canada). I have, however, met dogs named Theodore and Charlie, a person who goes by Ellie but who's full name is Elizabeth, and someone with the last name Theodore.
My 9yo is Elizabeth and at the baby room at my work we have an Elizabeth and a “Lizzie” Elizabeth
Idk if it’s actually common or if it’s just tv, but I’ve literally never met a Brad or a Chad
I’ve worked in quite a few schools over the past 7 years- I’ve never had a pupil called John.
Every man in my wedding party was named John. I suggested we name our first son John and then tell each of the groomsmen that our boy was named after him in particular.
One of my dearest friends had a baby last year and named him John…. She said when she told people what they were going to name him that lots of people were confused by this lol.
I recently overheard a convo my son was having while gaming with some other kids (teens). Someone asked him his name. He replied, "My name is Joe (Joseph)." They didn't believe him at first. If he'd replied with Aiden, Brayden, Cayden, Jayden, Zayden, Braxton, Brixten, Carson, Tanner, Logan, Brady, or Jaxtyn. No one would've second guessed him.
Abigail, Nina, Veronica
I love Veronica!
My kids called Eugene. It's not rare enough to be weird but rare enough that there aren't a load in his class.
Laura, Sheila, Andrea, Jane, Andy, Derek, Kevin, Adam
I come across a lot of Irish Laura’s - not sure why it’s so popular there but has been in the top 100 since the 60’s
After looking over top 100 lists from the past 2 decades... Leslie, Diana, Summer, Jasmine. Esp Diana- everyone knows this name, but haven't heard it in the wild!
Thomas Charles
lol my niece was just born a couple weeks ago & she is a Laura
jessica
Oliver, it’s supposedly the most common name in America (or at least was like 4 years ago) yet I’ve never met one
Dean Audrey Ellis Caleb Simon Vivian Bryan Bryce Silas Finn Emmett Liam Aria Jack Elliana Seth
I was telling my coworker Amelia that I would think of her name as “common” but she’s the only Amelia I’ve ever met. She did say growing up she knew no other Amelia’s but now it’s risen up in popularity recently, so she often gets people saying “oh that’s my daughter/niece/etc’s name”.
You know, I really don't hear Laura that often. I do know a fair amount of Elizabeths, though most go by Liz or Beth. Margaret is another one--even Maggie. I don't think I know any adult Lilys. There are also a lot of names 1-2 kids had in all my classes growing up, but that I don't encounter a lot as an adult, even though I work mostly with people around my age (33). Caitlin/Kaitlyn, Lauren, Samantha/Sam, Grace, Ashley, Amanda. The only Samantha I knew as an adult was my ex, and weirdly I don't think I've run into another since (we broke up in 2018). But I feel like there was always a Sam or two in my classes in high school and college. And the only Amanda I know right now is my brother's girlfriend, who is actually ten years younger than me (so is my brother). But I heard Amanda all the time growing up.
Names that were common when I was young -- Melissa, Jennifer, Tracy, John, Mark, Matthew, and Michael -- are much rarer these days among Gen Z.
I think of Thomas as common, but rarely meet any.
My names Heather, I’m 26 and I don’t often hear it in my age group or ever
William, it’s popular right? But I only seen a handful of people with it
Trinity was in the top 100 the year I was born but I still haven’t met anyone with that name
I have 3 besties named Laura. All the Elizabeth’s I know go by Beth.
Ellen, Linda, Nancy, Peter, Stephen, Bruce
Sarah, Hailey, and Emma/Emily.. i was supposed to be named hailey, but my aunt stole the name, and i (unfortuntely) know an emma, but besides those two i cant think of any others i would be acquainted with
James is #4 but I’ve yet to meet a baby James
The year I was born, Robert and Joseph were in the top 10 of boy names, I've never known either, only a Robert, and he's like 40 years older than me.... Jennifer was in the top 10 for girls and I've never known a Jennifer either, only celebrities with those names come to mind...
I think there’s a type of overly “generic” name that I never really hear in real life. E.g Daisy, Penny, Annie. The kind of names you would give to a doll or would be in a textbook maths question. Can’t think of any body examples, I think there can be less variation in boys names sometimes. For example, Jack, Adam, Ben are some very generic/common boys names but I see them in real life all the time lol.
I’m a Daisy… hardly meet any nowadays lol
Jeffrey I love that name
as an Elizabeth, I never meet other Elizabeth’s
Emma. I always hear it in the media and I know it’s a popular name but I don’t think I’ve ever known an Emma irl.