Endangered Baby Names

The sort of oh-so-French name that's falling out of favor now.

Despite the voluptuous doll's various career choices, from astronaut to doctor, her name still remains a euphemism for "bimbo".

The quintessential friendly fifties name, nearly epidemic in its day. Now many grownup Debbies have reverted to the full and lovely form of their name, which modern parents often avoid because of the name Debbie ringing too loudly in their ears.

Val Kilmer is so macho, you almost forget he bears this slight girls' nickname.

A name that seems to hail from the old Irish neighborhoods of Boston and New York, Terence actually dates back a lot further, to the time of a famous second-century poet, who started life as a North African enslaved man in the house of a Roman senator and it was also borne by several early saints.

Kids love Bob the Builder, but do they want to be Bob the Builder? Bob and Bobby have been out of style since the 1960s, but as vintage nickname-names -- Fred, Archie -- come back into vogue, Bob may tag along. Charlie Sheen used it for one of his twin sons.

Though associated with a French saint noted for her holiness and strength of character, this name is somewhat dated and it might be better to look to one of the more modern names popular for little girls in France today: Oceane, Lea, Manon.

Peppy cheerleader name of the 1960s and 70s that's sure to evoke the Four Seasons song of that name.

Almost always a girl's name now.

Until recently, Vernon and its short form Vern seemed like grandpa names not ready for revival, but now we can see it happening. Never the popular, Vern works particularly well as a middle name.

When Deborah seemed too formal in the laid-back sixties, Debra stepped in as a pared-down alternative, but the pendulum is about to swing back.

Unfortunate identification with an army of rats in the movie of the same name.

An anglicized spelling of Muirne, the name of the mother of Finn mac Cool in Irish legend, Myrna has a unique sound and two possible meanings, both of which are positive. Actress Myrna Loy was a notable bearer and her fame caused a spike in popularity of the name, when it reached the US Top 150 in the 1930s.

Noreen's in limbo, especially now that Nora has made a comeback.

A name that took on a pronounced country twang via Nashville megastar Garth (born Troyal) Brooks.

A name that works until your daughter is, say, six.

Long integrated into the U. S. name pool but still retaining some Slavic flavor, Tanya feels a bit tired; it's ready for replacement by cooler Russian choices like Sasha, Mischa, or parent name Tatiana.

This sassy, spunky name was used for the mostly Irish jump-roping pigtailed girls of the thirties and forties -- and some Irish and Italian boys as well. Its most noted bearer was iconic country music singer Patsy Cline (born Virginia), and was sighted most recently in the Ab Fab movie. After reaching Number 52 in the late thirties, it dropped off the list completely in 1970--and we're not anticipating a return.

Ron is a masculine name that functions both as a standalone name and as a shortened form of longer names like Ronald, Aaron, or Byron. Ronald, its most common source, derives from the Old Norse 'Rögnvaldr,' meaning 'ruler's advisor' or 'decision maker.' Ron gained significant popularity in the mid-20th century, particularly from the 1940s through the 1970s. Its brevity exemplifies the trend toward shorter, more direct masculine names. The name projects a straightforward, unpretentious quality that has helped it transcend generations. While its peak popularity has passed, Ron maintains steady usage and recognition across English-speaking countries. Notable bearers include actors Ron Howard and Ron Perlman, and more recently, the character Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter series has kept the name familiar to younger generations.