pratan ounpitipong // Shutterstock
1 / 30#15 Boy: Merle
- Historical Average Rank: #1,172
- 2025 Rank: #3,485 with 33 babies born in 2025
- Change in Rank: down 2,313
30 classic baby names that are going extinct
Naming your baby can be a momentous decision. The internet is rife with articles on choosing a baby name and how a particular name can significantly impact your child's future. In some cases, baby naming can mean big business—as noted in a June 2024 report from Business Insider, dedicated baby name consultants can charge up to $10,000 to help you decide what to call your kid.
While spending $10,000 for a unique baby name may not be in everyone's budget, research does prove that names are, in fact, important. There are some perennially popular picks, like Olivia and Liam—the two most common baby names for seven years running, according to the most recent data from the Social Security Administration—but names can also reflect shifts in pop culture and parents' priorities. For instance, a June 2026 report from Good Housekeeping notes that names with quirky spellings such as Charleigh, Emmitt, and Kori are on their way out these days, likely as a result of the plentiful online commentary surrounding so-called "tragedeigh" names.
For those seeking a more unusual name for their newborn, this list of 30 baby names going extinct is a good place to start. We calculated the average annual rank for baby names from 1880 to 2015 using the Social Security Administration's historical archives of baby names. Then we compared it to where those names placed in 2025, the most recent year of data available. Our list focuses on classically popular names that historically ranked in the top 1,500 names. Six of them had fewer than five babies born in 2025, the minimum the SSA reports, meaning they've dropped out of the data entirely. From Merle to Catharine, find the top 15 vintage boys' and girls' names flying out of fashion.
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Olga Bogatyrenko // Shutterstock
2 / 30#15 Girl: Patsy
- Historical Average Rank: #1,345
- 2025 Rank: #6,059 with 20 babies born in 2025
- Change in Rank: down 4,714
STANZI // Shutterstock
3 / 30#14 Boy: Napoleon
- Historical Average Rank: #1,205
- 2025 Rank: #4,651 with 22 babies born in 2025
- Change in Rank: down 3,446
Samuel Borges Photography // Shutterstock
4 / 30#14 Girl: Margie
- Historical Average Rank: #1,192
- 2025 Rank: #6,730 with 17 babies born in 2025
- Change in Rank: down 5,538
Olena Zaskochenko // Shutterstock
5 / 30#13 Boy: Lynn
- Historical Average Rank: #925
- 2025 Rank: #6,032 with 15 babies born in 2025
- Change in Rank: down 5,107
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
6 / 30#13 Girl: Consuelo
- Historical Average Rank: #1,208
- 2025 Rank: #7,977 with 13 babies born in 2025
- Change in Rank: down 6,769
Lopolo // Shutterstock
7 / 30#12 Boy: Rickie
- Historical Average Rank: #1,463
- 2025 Rank: #6,728 with 13 babies born in 2025
- Change in Rank: down 5,265
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marina shin // Shutterstock
8 / 30#12 Girl: Gail
- Historical Average Rank: #1,205
- 2025 Rank: #8,535 with 12 babies born in 2025
- Change in Rank: down 7,330
AlexAnnaButs // Shutterstock
9 / 30#11 Boy: Sandy
- Historical Average Rank: #1,423
- 2025 Rank: #7,112 with 12 babies born in 2025
- Change in Rank: down 5,689
javi_indy // Shutterstock
10 / 30#11 Girl: Peggy
- Historical Average Rank: #977
- 2025 Rank: #8,740 with 12 babies born in 2025
- Change in Rank: down 7,763
Anna Grigorjeva // Shutterstock
11 / 30#10 Boy: Doyle
- Historical Average Rank: #1,170
- 2025 Rank: #7,815 with 10 babies born in 2025
- Change in Rank: down 6,645
Bodler // Shutterstock
12 / 30#10 Girl: Tabatha
- Historical Average Rank: #1,456
- 2025 Rank: #9,394 with 11 babies born in 2025
- Change in Rank: down 7,938
Oksana Kuzmina // Shutterstock
13 / 30#9 Boy: Ned
- Historical Average Rank: #1,313
- 2025 Rank: #9,452 with 8 babies born in 2025
- Change in Rank: down 8,139
Michael Pettigrew // Shutterstock
14 / 30#9 Girl: Sue
- Historical Average Rank: #1,194
- 2025 Rank: #9,387 with 11 babies born in 2025
- Change in Rank: down 8,193
Anna Grigorjeva // Shutterstock
15 / 30#8 Boy: Thad
- Historical Average Rank: #1,340
- 2025 Rank: #9,610 with 8 babies born in 2025
- Change in Rank: down 8,270
phadungsak sawasdee // Shutterstock
16 / 30#8 Girl: Tonya
- Historical Average Rank: #1,206
- 2025 Rank: #9,412 with 11 babies born in 2025
- Change in Rank: down 8,206
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Alena Vostrikova // Shutterstock
17 / 30#7 Boy: Bob
- Historical Average Rank: #1,143
- 2025 Rank: #9,845 with 7 babies born in 2025
- Change in Rank: down 8,702
AlikeYou // Shutterstock
18 / 30#7 Girl: Cathleen
- Historical Average Rank: #1,295
- 2025 Rank: #9,581 with 10 babies born in 2025
- Change in Rank: down 8,286
FamVeld // Shutterstock
19 / 30#6 Boy: Kennith
- Historical Average Rank: #1,402
- 2025 Rank: #11,374 with 6 babies born in 2025
- Change in Rank: down 9,972
gualtiero boffi // Shutterstock
20 / 30#6 Girl: William
- Historical Average Rank: #1,385
- 2025 Rank: #13,115 with 7 babies born in 2025
- Change in Rank: down 11,730
FamVeld // Shutterstock
21 / 30#5 Boy: Barney
- Historical Average Rank: #1,440
- 2025 Rank: #12,274 with 5 babies born in 2025
- Change in Rank: down 10,834
Nina Buday // Shutterstock
22 / 30#5 Girl: Phyllis
- Historical Average Rank: #1,053
- 2025 Rank: #12,873 with 7 babies born in 2025
- Change in Rank: down 11,820
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
23 / 30#4 Boy: Lenard
- Historical Average Rank: #1,394
- 2025 Rank: #13,132 with 5 babies born in 2025
- Change in Rank: down 11,738
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Natalia Kirichenko // Shutterstock
24 / 30#4 Girl: John
- Historical Average Rank: #1,388
- 2025 Rank: #13,974 with 6 babies born in 2025
- Change in Rank: down 12,586
2xSamara.com // Shutterstock
25 / 30#3 Boy: Clair
- Historical Average Rank: #1,462
- 2025 Rank: Unranked (fewer than 5 babies born in 2025)
- Change in Rank: dropped out of the data
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DanielReche // Pixabay
26 / 30#3 Girl: Madge
- Historical Average Rank: #1,479
- 2025 Rank: Unranked (fewer than 5 babies born in 2025)
- Change in Rank: dropped out of the data
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showice // Shutterstock
27 / 30#2 Boy: Ed
- Historical Average Rank: #1,430
- 2025 Rank: Unranked (fewer than 5 babies born in 2025)
- Change in Rank: dropped out of the data
Oksana Kuzmina // Shutterstock
28 / 30#2 Girl: Myrna
- Historical Average Rank: #1,471
- 2025 Rank: Unranked (fewer than 5 babies born in 2025)
- Change in Rank: dropped out of the data
Minnikova Mariia // Shutterstock
29 / 30#1 Boy: Carroll
- Historical Average Rank: #1,429
- 2025 Rank: Unranked (fewer than 5 babies born in 2025)
- Change in Rank: dropped out of the data
Nolte Lourens // Shutterstock
30 / 30#1 Girl: Catharine
- Historical Average Rank: #1,442
- 2025 Rank: Unranked (fewer than 5 babies born in 2025)
- Change in Rank: dropped out of the data
