Which Baby Names Are Dying Out in 2024?

These once-popular baby names might just become a thing of the past soon. According to recent naming statistics, traditional favorites like Emma, James, and Charlotte remain strong, but certain classics are rapidly declining in popularity. Names such as Gary, Deborah, Keith, and Susan have seen dramatic drops in usage over the past decade, putting them at risk of virtual extinction in 2024. Cultural shifts, celebrity influences, and changing parental preferences all contribute to these naming trends, with many parents now seeking more unique or meaningful alternatives. If you're expecting in 2024 and want a truly distinctive choice, these endangered names might actually present a rare opportunity to stand out.

Every year, Momcozy collects data from hundreds of thousands of parents who register their newborns' names. While we regularly publish our most popular baby names list, there's also fascinating information to be found in the names that are falling out of favor. Our analysis reveals several once-beloved names that dramatically declined in popularity during 2023, potentially heading toward extinction in 2024.

Millennial-era girls' names have experienced a particularly steep decline over the past decade. Names like Amanda, Angela, Brooke, Diana, and Michelle dominated the top 100 charts throughout the 1980s and 1990s but have plummeted in rankings during 2023. This generational shift suggests parents are actively avoiding names that peaked during their own childhood years, instead seeking more distinctive options for their daughters.

For boys, the once-ubiquitous '-aden' name trend appears to be fading rapidly. Names following this pattern showed significant drops in popularity: Aidan fell dramatically from position 253 in 2022 to 346 in 2023; Raiden dropped from 286 to 433; and Jaiden declined from 325 to 426. This suggests the twenty-year reign of the '-aden' sound may finally be coming to an end as parents seek fresh alternatives.

Another clear trend is the declining popularity of surnames-as-first-names. For boys, names like Baylor, Bradley, Brady, Clayton, Hendrix, Preston, and Reid all registered significant drops. Girls' surnames-turned-first-names seeing similar declines include Oaklee (traditionally spelled Oakley as a surname), Mckenzie (typically MacKenzie in its surname form), Raegan, and Sawyer. This shift suggests parents may be returning to more traditional first name choices.

Particularly noteworthy is the case of Bradley, which has appeared on our endangered names list for two consecutive years. After falling 77 positions between 2021 and 2022, the name plummeted an additional 104 spots in 2023 - an extraordinary decline that suggests it could be among the first traditional names to truly approach extinction. Parents seeking unique names might want to reconsider these declining options, which may soon become distinctive precisely because of their rarity.

Baby girl names at risk of going extinct

Formerly popular female names facing decline in 2024

The landscape of baby names is constantly evolving, with once-beloved choices sometimes falling dramatically out of favor. According to the latest data comparing 2022 to 2023, several traditionally popular girls' names are experiencing steep declines in popularity, potentially putting them at risk of becoming rare in 2024. These names, many of which were staples for previous generations or trendy choices just a few years ago, have seen significant drops in rankings, suggesting a shift in parental preferences toward newer alternatives.

1. Brooke (down 198 spots) - Brooke is a name of Old English origin, meaning "small stream" or "water." It was traditionally a surname given to those who lived near a brook.
2. Blake (down 185 spots) - Blake has Old English origins and can mean either "dark" or "pale," derived from different root words. It was originally a surname.
3. Mckenzie (down 184 spots) - Mckenzie is of Scottish Gaelic origin, meaning "son of Coinneach." Coinneach itself means "handsome" or "comely."
4. Brooklynn (down 182 spots) - Brooklynn is a modern American name, largely associated with the borough in New York City. Its roots can be traced to the Dutch town of Breukelen, meaning "broken land," but it's often linked to "small stream" or "land by the brook."
5. Charli (down 179 spots) - Charli is a diminutive form of names like Charlotte or Charlene, with German origins meaning "free man" or "army/commander."
6. Raegan (down 161 spots) - Raegan is of Irish origin, derived from the surname Reagan, meaning "little king" or "impulsive."
7. Mckenna (down 150 spots) - Mckenna is an Irish surname meaning "son of Cionnaith," which is related to the name Kenneth, meaning "born of fire" or "handsome."
8. Finley (down 144 spots) - Finley is a name of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic name Fionnlagh, meaning "fair warrior" or "white hero."
9. Amanda (down 131 spots) - Amanda is a Latin name meaning "she who must be loved" or "worthy of love." It gained popularity in English-speaking countries through literature.
10. Michelle (down 129 spots) - Michelle is the French feminine form of Michael, a Hebrew name meaning "who is like God?"
11. Adelynn (down 124 spots) - Adelynn is a variant of Adeline, with French and German origins, meaning "noble."
12. Ariah (down 122 spots) - Ariah has Italian and Hebrew roots, with meanings including "lioness," "song," and "noble."
13. Gracelyn (down 119 spots) - Gracelyn is a modern American name, a blend of "Grace" (from Latin, meaning "grace" or "favor") and "Lynn" (from Welsh, meaning "lake").
14. Cali (down 114 spots) - Cali is often used as a short form of Calista, with Latin origins meaning "fairest" or "most beautiful." It can also evoke the state of California.
15. Diana (down 108 spots) - Diana is a Latin name referring to the Roman goddess of the hunt and the moon, meaning "heavenly" or "divine."
16. Sawyer (down 95 spots) - Sawyer is an English occupational surname, meaning "woodcutter" or "one who saws wood." It has become a popular given name for both boys and girls.
17. Alaya (down 94 spots) - Alaya has Sanskrit origins, meaning "abode" or "dwelling," and is connected to a Buddhist concept of consciousness.
18. Angela (down 94 spots) - Angela is a feminine name of Greek origin, meaning "messenger" or "angel."
19. Oaklee (down 93 spots) - Oaklee is a modern English name derived from "oak" and "-lee," meaning "oak clearing" or "meadow of oak trees," evoking strength and nature.
20. Norah (down 91 spots) - Norah is a variant of Nora, which can be a diminutive of Honora (Latin for "honor") or Eleanor (Greek for "light").

Baby boy names at risk of going extinct

Traditional male names seeing significant drops in popularity

Several once-popular boy names have seen dramatic declines in usage over the past year, suggesting they may be heading toward extinction in 2024. The following names experienced the steepest drops in popularity rankings, with some falling by nearly 200 positions:

1. Julius (down 189 spots) - Julius is a classic Roman family name, believed to be derived from the Latin "Iulus," possibly meaning "downy" or "youthful." It is famously associated with Julius Caesar.
2. Jaiden (down 151 spots) - Jaiden is a modern American name, often considered a variant of Jadon, which has Hebrew origins meaning "thankful" or "he will judge."
3. Johnny (down 150 spots) - Johnny is a diminutive of John, a Hebrew name meaning "God is gracious." It's a long-standing popular informal version.
4. Raiden (down 147 spots) - Raiden is a Japanese name meaning "thunder and lightning god." It's also recognized from popular culture, particularly video games.
5. Reid (down 143 spots) - Reid is a Scottish surname, derived from a Middle English word meaning "red," often referring to someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion.
6. Brady (down 114 spots) - Brady is an Irish surname meaning "spirited" or "broad-chested." It's been a popular given name in recent decades.
7. Nasir (down 114 spots) - Nasir is an Arabic name meaning "helper," "supporter," or "victorious."
8. Ronan (down 104 spots) - Ronan is an Irish name meaning "little seal," often associated with Irish mythology and saints.
9. Bradley (down 104 spots) - Bradley is an English surname and given name, meaning "broad meadow" or "broad wood."
10. Clayton (down 102 spots) - Clayton is an English surname derived from a place name meaning "settlement on clay soil."
11. Hendrix (down 99 spots) - Hendrix is a modern given name derived from the Dutch surname Hendrik, a form of Henry, meaning "home ruler." It's also strongly associated with the legendary musician Jimi Hendrix.
12. Princeton (down 98 spots) - Princeton is an English place name and surname, meaning "prince's town." It's known as the name of a prestigious American university.
13. Bo (down 97 spots) - Bo is a short and versatile name with multiple origins: it can be a Scandinavian name meaning "to live," or a Chinese name with various meanings depending on the characters. In English, it's often a diminutive of longer names.
14. Eden (down 95 spots) - Eden is a Hebrew name meaning "place of pleasure, delight." It refers to the biblical Garden of Eden.
15. Aidan (down 93 spots) - Aidan is an Irish name derived from Aodh, meaning "little fire" or "fiery." It's a classic Irish choice.
16. Orion (down 92 spots) - Orion is a name of Greek origin, referring to a giant huntsman in Greek mythology and a prominent constellation.
17. Preston (down 90 spots) - Preston is an English surname meaning "priest's town." It has been used as a given name for centuries.
18. Maximus (down 88 spots) - Maximus is a Latin name meaning "greatest." It's an ancient Roman cognomen.
19. Baylor (down 87 spots) - Baylor is an English surname of uncertain origin, possibly related to a profession or a place. It's also known as the name of a university.
20. Raphael (down 86 spots) - Raphael is a Hebrew name meaning "God has healed." It is the name of one of the archangels in Abrahamic religions.

This trend highlights shifting preferences in baby naming, as parents increasingly seek fresh, unique options for their children. Some classics like Johnny and Bradley are fading, while even relatively modern choices like Jaiden and Hendrix are losing ground. If you're looking for a name that stands out from current trends, these declining options might actually offer a distinctive choice. Alternatively, explore the latest baby naming data to discover which names are on the rise for 2024.