Names that Peaked in 1979

More modern options: Shaw, Shay, or even Sean.

Jamin is unsurprisingly related to Benjamin, although it did not develop as a diminutive of the name. In the Old Testament, Jamin is a son of Simeon and a grandson of Jacob.

The Elissa version of a long-popular name is fading in favor of Alyssa, Eliza and other variants. The legion of other forms and spellings includes Alissa, Allissa, Allyssa, Alyssa, Elissah, Ellisa, Ellissa, Ellyssa, Elys, Elyssa, Elyssia, Ilissa, Ilysa, Ilyssa, Lissa, Lissie, Lissy Lyssa.

Part Jason, part Jayce, this name has been among the Top 500 names for boys near-consistently since the late 1960s. While it's a reasonable spelling especially if you're naming your son after someone named Jay or another name that starts with the letter J, it's one of those names that will eternally need to be spelled out for people. But then again, so are classics like Elisabeth and Sara and Jon.

Lesley runs a distant second to more popular sister Leslie, used for just over 50 baby girls in one recent year vs. Leslie's 700+. And interestingly, no baby boys were named Lesley though 45 were named Leslie. Once one of the most widely-used girl names starting with L, Lesley and Leslie now trail behind trendy L-starting girl names like Layla and Lily.

Variant of Aisha. In the 19th century novel She, Ayesha is a beautiful 2000-year-old queen of a lost city, and is known as "she who must be obeyed."

Blink and you’ll miss that the first I in Jedidiah was swapped for an E.

Variation of Terence.

See TRICIA.

Quiana might be thought of as the first synthetic name. Quiana was popular in the 1970s and 80s, along with the same-named form of polyester.

Could run into pronunciation confusion.

Latisha peaked in popularity in the US in 1979, reaching #221.