Extinct Names

Nedra was one of a phalanx of names -- Delma, Verda, Vernice -- popular in the late 19th and early 20th century that dropped out of fashion after World War II and now have disappeared completely. Like the others, Nedra is now extinct.

Nedra was one of a phalanx of names -- Delma, Verda, Vernice -- popular in the late 19th and early 20th century that dropped out of fashion after World War II and now have disappeared completely. Like the others, Nedra is now extinct.

The meaning of this word flipped from "cheerful" to "homosexual" during the twentieth century, and it's now almost certainly too loaded to sit comfortably as a baby name. Which is a shame as sound-wise it's very appealing, just a short step away from Faye, May, and Rae.

Aside from the singer, there aren't many people around named Pink or Pinkie or Pinky -- zero, in fact.

Marge used to be as common as Maggie or Megan, ranking on its own in the girls' Top 1000 from 1900 until right after World War II, when so many Old School names fell off the list in favor of a new generation cuter, perkier choices.

Merilee and Merrilee were early respelled or word names, ahead of their time in some ways. Merrilee hit the Top 1000 for a couple of years in the 1940s, but last year no baby girls were given either version of the name in the US, which makes it more appealing.

We don't see that bright a future for this one either.

As seen on SNL, Pat is the ultimate androgynous name. Stick with long form Patrick, and make sure everyone calls him Patrick.

In an earlier time Shirley was used primarily for boys, but the tide turned with the publication of Charlotte Bronte's novel Shirley in 1849, the story of a character whose parents had selected the name for a boy child, then decided to use it anyway when he turned out to be a she.

An early and still quintessentially androgynous name, now supplanted by thousands of fresher options.

The misspelling that created an indelibly one-person name.

Peg is a nostalgic turn-of-the-last-century nickname, sociable but slight. Like near-identical twin Peggy, Peg is in mothballs.

An adorable nickname for a smiley baby, but not suggested as a legal name.

Barb is a midcentury nickname name that, like Deb and Sue, feels terminally dates now. But with the revival of Barbie, Barb may not be far behind.

If there's an ancestral Earl you want to honor, consider Early instead.

If you're looking for a girl's name that honors an ancestral Arthur, try Artis.

Verlyn is an obscure name that found some use in the US in the early part of the 20th century, but now it and variation Verlin are virtually extinct, given to no baby boys in the US last year.