Boys’ Names in Limbo: Is Roy ready to return? How about Howard?
Last week we took a look at the ladies in limbo, the girls’ names not old enough to fall under the Hundred Year Rule, but were most popular from the 1920s to the 1960s, to question whether any of them were eligible for resuscitation.
And now, as promised we perform the same operation on the boys’ list.
We find several differences between the genders. For one thing, the popularity of the boys’ names tend to stretch over longer periods of time (122 years for Howard, for instance), and clearer syllabic and sound patterns tend to emerge. In the 1920s and 1930s, for example, we see a preponderance of two-syllable names ending in the letters n and d. By the fifties and sixties, there are lots of four and five-letter single syllable favorites—the Todds and Troys, Deans and Dales—those surfer dudes we’ve labeled ‘Beach Boys’ in our books.
Not many of these names, except for a few in the pre-1920 list, have shown significant signs of revival—once again, because they’re the names of our grandpas and great-uncles and fathers-in law—the older men in our lives, the men still smoking pipes on Father’s Day cards.
Here too, we’re eliminating the classics—which are so dominant on boys’ lists—and nicknames, and are listing the names in reverse chronological order, showing the periods in which they ranked in the Top 100, and when they reached their highest ranking ever. And if you’re wondering why so many of them burst into popularity in 1880—they didn’t: that’s simply the first year for which Social Security posts rankings.
1920s
Alvin – 1901-38, #70 in 1925
Arnold—1912-31, #91 in 1920-21
Bernard—1885 to 1945, #45 in 1921
Calvin—1923-28, #44 in 1924
Edwin – 1901-41, #52 in 1922
Eugene—1880-1957, #20 in 1927-29
Harold—1884-1966, #12 in 1920-21
Herbert—1880-1946, #25 in 1928-29
Howard –1880-1958, #24 in 1920
Leon—1885-1942, #73 in 1926
Leonard –1880-1957, #37 in 1923
Melvin –1901-55, #47 in 1926
Raymond –1880-1991m #15 in 1923-29
Roland—1924-25, #98 in 1924-25
Russell – 1901-82, #49 in 1922
Vernon – 1908-37, #65 in 1920
Wallace –1920-27, #69 in 1923
Warren – 1917-36, #24 in 1921
1930s
Donald—1895-1990, #6 in 1934
Franklin – 1932-41, $33 in 1933
Gerald – 1908-71, #19 in 1936
Gilbert – 1927-32, #90 in 1930
Gordon – 1911-43, $70 in 1935
Jerome – 1935-40, #93 in 1938-39
Kenneth—1889-2001, #14 in 1931-32, 57-58
Marvin –1906-55, #44 in 1933-34
Norman – 1897-1953, #36 in 1931
1940s
Dennis—1934-84, #16 in 1949
Douglas—1929-89, #23 in 1942
Lawrence—1911-71, # 30 in 1945
Roger—1921-75, #22 in 1945
Ronald – 1926-90, #9 in 1941-43
Wayne – 1915-71, #29 in 1946
1950s
Alan –1938-71, #40 in 1951
Bruce – 1932-70, #25 in 1952
Craig—1947-97, #39 in 1969
Dale—1921-69, #46 in 1953, 58
Gary –1933-87, #9 in 1954
Mark—1944-2002, #64 in 1959
Paul—1880-99, #15 in 1958
Randall—1949-69, #53 in 1955
Scott—1949-95, #10 in 1954
1960s
Barry— 1941-69, #61 in 1962
Curtis –1939-85 on and off, #72 in 1963
Darrell—1954-69 on and off, #86 in 1968
Darryl—1960-66, #69 in 1965
Dean— 1956-69, #78 in 1967-68
Glenn – 1912-69, #55 in 1962
Gregory –1945-96, #21 in 1962-3
Jay—1956-70, #78 in 1960
Jeffrey—1945-98, #9 in 1966
Keith—1946-91, #32 in 1966
Kevin—1949-2010, #11 in 1963
Rodney –1946-77, #33 in 1965
Todd—1959-85, #28 in 1964, 68-70
Troy— 1962-79, #40 in 1967-68
Here are some others that peaked earlier, but continued to be used into our period:
Any of the names on these lists appeal to you? Do you prefer one decade over another?