It goes without saying that names like Hilda, Gertrude, and Elmer are long past their prime. But nowadays, there are tons of names that were commonplace during the Boomer generation and have since become old-fashioned. While we could seemingly go on and on and on listing every one of those names, we’ve highlighted ten of the most notable for now.
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1. Jan or Janet
Is it just us or does everyone who has seen “Rocky Horror Picture Show” silently insert a “Dammit” before “Janet” every time we see or hear that name? We blame Brad for that, although we’re not saying it’s his fault the name is no longer frequently gracing birth certificates. Nevertheless, we can’t say we know a slew of Janets or Jans outside of the Boomer generation.
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2. Gary
The name Gary evokes a toothy smile from Busey himself, the clerk at a small town hardware store, or heck, maybe even a cartoon snail from “Spongebob Squarepants.” One thing is for sure, though, and that’s that you probably haven’t met a Gary in recent years who didn’t have gray hair, white hair, or no hair.
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3. Barbara
Babbling is about the only form of Babs that comes to mind these days when you set your eyes upon a baby. Alas, the name Barbara’s heydey is but a blur in the rearview, reserved for the likes of Streisand, Walters, and pretty much exclusively Boomers.
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4. Ronald
Maybe you think of a clown with bright red hair snacking on some salty fries at Mickey D’s when you hear the name “Ronald.” Or perhaps you picture the million-watt smile of former President Ronald Reagan. Whatever comes to mind, your association with the name Ronald is more than likely not tied to a Milennial or even a Gen Xer.
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5. Shirley
Once a common name and Laverne’s partner-in-crime, Shirley isn’t a name we hear much of anymore. Unless you’re talking to someone between the ages of 57 and 75, you probably don’t hear it uttered very often unless someone is ordering a Shirley Temple to drink.
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6. Douglas or Doug
Last time you went to a kids’ birthday party, how many parents did you hear shouting, “Doug, finish your sandwich before you get a slice of cake?” None. The answer is none. Doug and Douglas are Boomer names and their reach hasn’t extended very far beyond that generation.
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7. Karen
In today’s world, the name Karen is more commonly thrown around as a descriptor rather than an actual name that belongs to someone. Basically, a Karen is a middle-class woman who acts demanding or entitled beyond what is considered “normal.” That’s pretty much the extent of the name Karen now. A couple of bratty Karens gave the name such a tarnished reputation it became ruined for younger generations. What a Karen thing to do.
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8. Larry
Looking down at the tiny little button nose, soft skin, and preciously rosy cheeks of a newborn baby, how often do you suppose the new parents of today look up at the person from birth records and say, “I think we’ll call him LARRY?” The answer is just shy of never. That hasn’t been the name that comes to mind in that scenario in decades.
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9. Patricia or Patty
Patricia was once one of the most popular baby girl names … about six decades ago. Nowadays, you might know plenty of Boomer Pattys, but it’s unlikely you know any who haven’t dialed a number found in a phone book using a rotary phone.
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10. Linda
Listen, Linda! Listen, listen, listen! In recent years, the most popualarity the name Linda has seen was from a Youtube video of an argumentative three-year-old going back-and-forth with a woman named Linda. The video has more than 35 million views, and we’re pretty sure that’s more than all of the people named Linda in this world combined.
This article was produced and syndicated by MediaFeed.
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