20 once-popular baby names at risk of extinction — parents avoid them

Prashant, a naming expert from gifting website Personalisedbee, has shared her thoughts on the declining popularity of some names: “Names are a lot like trends in fashion or home décor. They can rise quickly when they feel fresh or modern, but just as fast, they can fall out of favour as parents hunt for something new and unique. That’s why names like Brody, Mason, and Toby are falling out of favour. They were popular a few years ago, and now parents are moving toward options that feel more current or timeless.”

The top three boy names likely to go extinct

Brody, Mason, and Toby are the three boys’ names most likely to go extinct. Brody has dropped 17 places in just one year, falling from 82nd to 99th.

With only 553 babies given the name in 2024, down from 630 in 2023, this steep fall makes it the biggest loser of the year and suggests Brody could disappear from the top 100 altogether soon.

While Mason was given to 1,118 babies in 2023, only 806 were given this name in 2024. And the once timeless name of Toby fell from 678 babies in 2023 to just 621 in 2024.

Top three girls’ names likely to go extinct

Jessica, Lola, and Scarlett top the list of girls’ names at risk of going out of use. The name Jessica was given to 573 babies in 2023, falling to 483 in 2024, suggesting that this once-classic favourite is steadily fading from popularity.

Meanwhile, 595 babies were given the name Lola in 2023, compared to 543 in 2024, and Scarlett went from 634 babies in 2023 to 610 in 2024.

These changes suggest that both traditional girls’ names and playful, modern names can both fall out of fashion suddenly.