10 baby names that are 'dying out' in America: From Mildred to Pauline

March 03, 2023 at 11:33 AM EST

Spokeo, a people search company, has released a new study that narrowed down which baby names are reportedly "dying out" in America, according to Social Security Administration data.

Some names that were common about a century ago are becoming rarer as couples choose monikers for their babies.

A new study from Spokeo, a California-based people search website, has determined which baby names are "dying out" in the United States.

Researchers at Spokeo reportedly analyzed over 378 million baby name records from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and narrowed down which names have dropped the most in terms of popularity from 1919, when the SSA started keeping name records, to 2021, when the SSA last updated its popular name record.

THESE BABY NAMES ARE 'AT RISK' OF GOING 'EXTINCT' IN 2023: REPORT

To determine which names are dying out in America, Spokeo looked at which names fell off the SSA’s top 100 list, the number of name registries from 1919 compared to 2021 and the overall percentage change.

Aside from Spokeo’s findings, Fox News Digital consulted BabyNames.com, an online source for baby name meanings, for the meaning of each name that’s reportedly dying out.

Nine of the 10 names Spokeo identified as "most at risk of extinction" are female names, such as Mildred, Gladys and Ethel.

Each name that appears on Spokeo’s list wasn't given to a single baby in 2021, according to SSA records.

Half of the names on the list fell off the SSA’s top 100 list in the 1940s while one name fell off in 1955 and two names respectively fell off in the 1930s and 1960s.

10 BABY NAME TRENDS FOR 2023: REPORT

Here’s a look at the 10 names that are dying out in America along with data points aggregated by Spokeo researchers.

-A name of English origin that means "mild strength."

Gender: Female

Number registered in 1919: 17,300

Number registered in 2021: 0

Percentage decrease 1919 to 2021: -100%

Year not featured in top 100: 1946

-A name of English origin that means "God is my oath."

Gender: Female

Number registered in 1919: 10,106

Number registered in 2021: 0

Percentage decrease 1919 to 2021: -100%

Year not featured in top 100: 1963

-A name of Greek origin that means "sea."

Gender: Female

Number registered in 1919: 9,434

Number registered in 2021: 0

Percentage decrease 1919 to 2021: -100%

Year not featured in top 100: 1955

THESE WERE THE TOP BABY NAMES IN AMERICA 50 YEARS AGO: SEE IF YOURS MADE THE LIST

-A name of Welsh origin that means "country."

Gender: Female

Number registered in 1919: 8,717

Number registered in 2021: 0

Percentage decrease 1919 to 2021: -100%

Year not featured in top 100: 1938

-A name of Hebrew origin that means "delicacy" or "tenderness."

Gender: Female

Number registered in 1919: 8,404

Number registered in 2021: 0

Percentage decrease 1919 to 2021: -100%

Year not featured in top 100: 1943

BABY NAMES THAT ARE REPORTEDLY BANNED IN AMERICA: WHAT TO KNOW

-A name of English origin that means "noble."

Gender: Female

Number registered in 1919: 7,809

Number registered in 2021: 0

Percentage decrease 1919 to 2021: -100%

Year not featured in top 100: 1940

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

-A name of English origin that means "wolf counsel."

Gender: Male

Number registered in 1919: 7,709

Number registered in 2021: 0

Percentage decrease 1919 to 2021: -100%

Year not featured in top 100: 1964

-A name of Greek origin that means "Will."

Gender: Female

Number registered in 1919: 7,558

Number registered in 2021: 0

Percentage decrease 1919 to 2021: -100%

Year not featured in top 100: 1940

-A name of English origin that means "pearl."

Gender: Female

Number registered in 1919: 7,335

Number registered in 2021: 0

Percentage decrease 1919 to 2021: -100%

Year not featured in top 100: 1946

-A name of French origin that means "small."

Gender: Female

Number registered in 1919: 6,973

Number registered in 2021: 0

Percentage decrease 1919 to 2021: -100%

Year not featured in top 100: 1939

Spokeo reports the top 10 "most popular baby names" in the U.S. are James, John, Robert, Michael, William, David, Mary, Richard, Joseph and Thomas. This is according to the SSA's report on the "Top Names Over the Last 100 Years" from 1922 to 2021.

Each name has reportedly been registered more than two million times from 1919 to 2021. The top name, James, was given to more than 4.8 million boys during that 102-year period, according to the registry data Spokeo consulted.