Do you think tired Boomer/X female names will ever make a comeback?

Eventually most come back. We just won't be around to see it.

We’re you constipated and trying to pinch a loaf on the toilet when you came up with this doozy of a post?

I think they will make a comeback in the near future. Celebrities will start naming their kids Jacqueline, Stephanie, Patricia, Sally, Laura, Maryann and the masses will follow suit.

Growing up in the 80’s, there were so many Jennifer’s and Amy’s. Now—none under 30

I think some of the names considered “old fashioned” that friends have used are adorable. One named her daughter Greta Pearl, Sophie, Adelaide,

Yes, although Karen is doomed for a couple of generations.

the male names that OP posted are also “dated,” not just the female names.

No one who has had to deal with an HR office in the past 30 years is going to name their child Linda.

If Mabel, Hazel and Hannah could come back, I'm sure Debbie and Linda have a chance.

Still waiting for Hilda, Myrtle, Ethel and Gertrude...

For R8.

R8 Or Sandra.

The other day I was trying to come up with what the equivalent "Karen" name would be for a man, and I think it's Gary. It was so specific to a couple of decades and then vanished utterly, just like Karen.

I predict that girls names that I associate more with the silent generation than with the baby boomers will make a quicker comeback - Joan, Sally, Ruth, Nancy. I think “peak boomer” names like Linda, Susan, Debbie, Cathy and Brenda are going to languish for a while yet. Karen is more of a GenX name and she alongside her sisters like Heather, Melissa and Nicole will become the new Linda’s, eventually to be followed by the late GenX/early Millennial Jennifer, Ashley and Amanda.

R12 I'm Gen-X (1972) and don't know any Gen-X Karens. None in all my years of K-12th grade, none in college. The only Karens I know are Boomers. I think Jennifer is the single most ubiquitous girl's name from my generation.

We had a few Karens in my Gen-X cohort (I was born in 1966), but it was more of a Boomer name, as was "Carol" (which was more popular in my cohort than Karen).

The most popular names for girls we had when I was growing up in suburban Minneapolis:

Lisa and Jennifer (these two above every other name); Melissa; Ann(e); Susan; Kristin/Kristina/Christina/Christine

For boys:

Michael (most popular of all); David; the names of all the apostles except Jude, Judas, and Simon; Daniel; Christopher; Scott

Names tend to come back just when they die off.

Emma, Mabel, Ava/Eva, Matilda, Grace, Emily, Ruby... all these were very popular names the last twenty years because they were the names of beloved dead grandparents and great-grandparents who were born near the turn of the century. Some of the names of that generation have yet to come back (like Ethel, Edith, and Gladys) because they were stamped as permanently uncool, but many of them came back.

I predict by this rule the next generation of popular names for girls will be Greek names (e.g. Phyllis, Doris, Mavis, Clio) popular as babies' names back in 1910-1930.

What about Jan?

A friend of mine had a great-grandmother born in the 1890s named Melissa, which was highly unusual for the time. She hated it and felt self-conscious about it, so as soon as she turned 18 she had it legally changed to Omer Mae.

Melissa is a great name, and means "honey."

I think it came into popularity in the 60s because of Lawrence Durrell's "Alexandria Quartet."

Sorry: I meant to write "Melissa is a GREEK name."

I've never met a Karen who wasn't a lesbian.

I think Kathy is more of a Boomer name than Karen I was born in 1974

Most popular names when i was growing up where Jason, Matthew, Mark, John, Steven, Jennifer, Lisa, Melissa, Kelly, Sarah

Of course OP

As Grandma Lisa, Grandma Debbie, Grandma Staci, Grandma Melissa, Grandma Jennifer et al start to die off in 20 years or do, their grandchildren will revive the name.

Naming conventions for the upper middle class in particular seem to follow this path.

While our Flyoverstani Friends seem to know a surplus of Kaydyns and Jaydyns, more upscale areas have numerous kids named Jake, Sam, Max, Ben, Sophie, Sadie, Ella and Rose.

Singer Lily Allen has a daughter named Ethel.

yes, but they're English

[Quote] Eventually most come back. We just won't be around to see it.

I highly doubt we'll ever see a resurgence in names like "Gertrude" or "Judy" or "Ethel."

According to the Social Security Administration's baby name popularity app, we reached peak Karen in 1965.

The top 10 names for boys in 1964 (my birth year):

1. Michael, 2. John, 3. David, 4. James, 5. Robert, 6. Mark, 7. William, 8. Richard, 9. Thomas, 10. Jeffrey

Here are their ranks in 2018:

Michael (14), John (27), David (22), James (4), Robert (71), Mark (210), William (3), Richard (188), Thomas (49), Jeffrey (331)

Other than Robert, Mark, Richard, and Jeffrey, these names haven't fallen out of favor that much.

For girls:

1. Lisa, 2. Mary, 3. Susan, 4. Karen, 5. Patricia, 6. Kimberly, 7. Donna, 8. Linda, 9. Cynthia, 10. Tammy

2018:

Lisa (891), Mary (126), Susan (not in the top 1000), Karen (635), Patricia (913), Kimberly (170), Donna (986), Linda (726), Cynthia (693), Tammy (not in the top 1000)

None of the girl names are popular anymore.

If you want to do your child a favour, go to Nameberry, and choose a first name that's been in the top 10 for the last 100 years. It will be something boring like William or John. Then give him 3 middle names that are attractive but not too trendy. If you want your child to have any kind of bright future, avoid any names associated with the lower classes, eg, Caden, Jaden, Hadyn, etc.

The name Karen has been ruined

As a Gen Xer, I grew up with lots of Craigs, Todds, Chads. I think those would be the male equivalents of OP's Debbie, Cindy, etc.

every Todd you meet was born between 1955 and 1975

and is gay

... and yes, Karen.