The 3 Boomer Baby Names That Millennials Couldn’t Care Less About (& Why They’re Due for a Comeback)
Names like Clementine and Ramirez are all the rage with millennials, but for some parents-to-be, they’re a little too trendy. Then, of course, there’s the concern that if you pick one of the most popular baby names, your kid will be one of five Olivers in his class. If you’re looking for a unique baby name, may we suggest turning to previous generations for some inspiration? Specifically, these three sweet baby boomer names millennials have all but forgotten about—and why they’re due for a comeback.
1. Judy
Per The Chicago Tribune, Judy was one of the most popular baby boomer names, peaking in 1946 when it landed on the number 11 spot of most popular baby names. And it’s no surprise why—the name had some serious Hollywood star power. Right around that time, Judy Garland had become a household name after starring in the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz and Judy Holliday won an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1949’s Born Yesterday. But baby names site Datayze tells us that only 131 baby girls were named Judy in 2020, making it the 1,582nd most popular (or, um, unpopular?) girl’s name of the year.
Why we think it deserves a comeback: Less common than Julia and less of-the-moment than Juno, Judy is a girl's name of Hebrew origin meaning “praised.” It also happens to be the name of one of our favorite (and most underrated) actresses, Judy Greer.
2. Dale
According to the Social Security Administration, Dale was the 50th most popular name of the entire 1950s (a whole decade!) and even landed at number 67 for the 1960s. The surge in popularity can probably be attributed to rock and roll singer Dale Hawkins, who rose to fame in the 1950s and actor Dale Robertson, who appeared on the small screen around the same time. Alas, in 2020 the moniker had dropped all the way down to the 1,347th most popular boys name of the year, with just 130 babies named as such.
Why we think it deserves a comeback: Whether you’ve got a mouthful of a last name or just like to keep things simple, Dale is short, sweet and oh-so-adorable. Of British origin, the name Dale means “valley.”
3. Donna
Another top baby boomer girl's name, Donna peaked in popularity in 1959 and 1960 when it was the 5th most popular baby name, and it even stayed in the top ten for an entire decade (1955 to 1965). Singer Ritchie Valens helped give the name a popularity boost with his hit tune “Oh Donna,” as did Joan Baez with “Donna Donna.” And while The Chicago Tribune tells us that there were nearly 500,000 baby boomers dubbed Donna, in 2020 only 136 baby girls were given the moniker, making it the 1,544th most popular girl’s name.
Why we think it deserves a comeback: Donna is the Italian word for “lady” (so pretty perfect for your little miss) and not many people can claim to have not one, but two, songs starring their very own moniker. Pretty cool, no?
