If you want to give your baby a classic name that’s also not common enough to be repeated in a classroom, there’s a new report listing several viable options that were moderately popular in the 1950s.
BabyCenter, an online media company under the Everyday Health Group – Pregnancy & Parenting (EHG P&P), has compiled a list of baby names parents may want to consider from the “Baby Boom” decade.
“Following World War II, the ‘Baby Boom’ saw about 76 million babies born between 1946 and 1964 in the U.S., and the 1950s sits right in the middle of that boom,” Rebekah Wahlberg, a baby name trends specialist at BabyCenter, told Fox News Digital.
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“We’re still seeing the impact of that baby boom today – we all likely know more than one John, Mary, or Michael,” she continued.
Some of these 1950s baby names that BabyCenter found include Roger, Marilyn, Stephen and Gail. (iStock)
In exploration of “popular 1950s names” that are “now forgotten,” BabyCenter came up with a list of names that regularly ranked in the top 50 on baby name lists from 1950 to 1959, but they also never quite made it to the top 10, according to Wahlberg.
Some of these 1950s baby names the media company found include names like Roger, Marilyn, Stephen and Gail.
“With precious nickname opportunities, beautiful meanings, and ties to modern naming trends aplenty, it could be time to bring these once-popular names back,” said Wahlberg.
Here are 10 baby names that made it onto BabyCenter’s 1950s list for boys and girls.
Popular boy names of the 1950s
In the top 50, but under the top 10.
1. Douglas
The name Douglas originally started out as a Scottish surname, and it’s related to one of the most powerful families (Clan Douglas) in what was once the kingdom of Scotland, according to Wahlberg. The Gaelic name reportedly means “dark stream.”
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BabyCenter found that the name Douglas peaked as the 23rd most popular name in the U.S. in 1942, and it fell to the top 50 in the 1950s. However, the name doesn’t appear to rank in the top 1,000 anymore.
Douglas and Jerry are two boy names that ranked in the top 50 in the 1950s, but aren’t in the top 1,000 now, according to BabyCenter. (iStock)
2. Jerry
The name Jerry started out as a nickname for names like Jeremy, Jeremiah and Gerald, among others, but it has been used as standalone name since the early 20th century, according to Wahlberg.
Jerry peaked as the 14th most popular baby name in the U.S. in 1941, and slipped to the top 50 in the 1950s, according to BabyCenter’s findings. The name currently doesn’t rank in the top 1,000.
3. Kenneth
The name Kenneth – which means “handsome” and “fire lord” – is an anglicized hybrid name with Celtic roots, according to Wahlberg.
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BabyCenter found that the name Kenneth has appeared in the nation’s top 100 baby names lists for a century. It reportedly ranked in the top 20 in the 1950s, but it doesn’t appear to have ever broken into the top 10.
“Thanks to the ‘Barbie’ movie’s popularity this year, we think the Kenergy is right for this name to make a comeback,” said Wahlberg.
4. Lawrence
The name Lawrence started as a Latin name, which is connected to the ancient Roman city Laurentum and the surname Laurentius, according to Wahlberg. The name reportedly means “laurel,” a shrub that symbolized victory in Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece.
Lawrence peaked as the 30th most popular name in the U.S. in 1945, and fell to the top 50 by the 1950s, BabyCenter found. The name hasn’t ranked in the top 500 in recent years.
5. Roger
The name Roger is a Germanic name that means “fame” and “spear,” according to Wahlberg.
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The name Roger was once the 22nd most popular baby name in the country in the 1940s. (iStock)
In 1945, the name peaked at no. 22 in the U.S., but it slipped to the top 50 by the 1950s, BabyCenter found. Currently, Roger ranks in the 800s.
Popular girl names of the 1950s
In the top 50, but under the top 10
1. Bonnie
Bonnie is a name that’s been derived from Scottish and French word. In Scotland, the word bonnie means “pretty,” and in France, the word means “good,” according to Wahlberg.
In 1950s, Bonnie ranked as the nation’s 33rd most popular baby name, but it declined in the last seven decades, BabyCenter found.
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By the early 2000s, Bonnie fell out of the top 1,000, but not all is lost, according to name trend experts.
Bonnie and Carolyn are two girl names that ranked in the top 50 in the 1950s, but aren’t in the top 1,000 now, according to BabyCenter. (iStock)
“Bonnie has been seeing a resurgence in the past few years and currently sits in the 500s,” said Wahlberg.
2. Carolyn
The name Carolyn is the feminine version of Charles, a French name that means “free man,” according to Wahlberg.
BabyCenter found that the name peaked as the 10th most popular name in the U.S. back in 1942, however it dropped to the top 50 by the 1950s.
Bonnie hasn’t appeared in the top 1,000 on baby name lists “in several years,” according to Wahlberg.
3. Gail
Gail is a name that appears to have two origins, according to Wahlberg. In one aspect, the name has Middle English roots and means “jovial.” The name is also the shortened form of Abigail, a Hebrew name that means “my father’s joy.”
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In 1951, Gail peaked as the nation’s 36th most popular name, BabyCenter found. The name fell out of the top 100 a decade later and hasn’t ranked in the top 1,000 since 1985.
The name Gail was once the 36th most popular baby name in the country in 1951. (iStock)
4. Marilyn
The name Marilyn is a hybrid name that’s derived from Mary, a Hebrew name that means “bitter,” “wished-for child” or “beloved,” and Lynn, a Welsh name that means “lake,” according to Wahlberg.
“Marilyn’s heyday was a little earlier than the rest of the names on this list – it was most popular in 1937, when it ranked [at] no. 13, but was still comfortably in the top 50 for most of the 1950s,” said Wahlberg.
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The name is currently at risk of falling out of the top 1,000 ranking, according to BabyCenter’s findings.
5. Robin
The name Robin started as a nickname for Robert, a Germanic name that means “fame-bright” or “shining with glory,” according to Wahlberg.
BabyCenter found that Robin jumped from the 149th most popular name in the U.S. in 1950 to the 32nd most popular name in 1959. It later peaked as the nation’s 25th most popular name in 1963.
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“While it’s historically been more popular as a girls’ name, it’s been gaining traction as a boys’ name in the past few years,” Wahlberg shared.
