Remember when every second person you went to school with seemed to be called Karen, Mark or Jennifer?
Well, those once popular names are becoming a thing of the past when it comes to naming newborns, and the numbers are pretty interesting!
Historical baby name data reveals that several names once given to thousands of Aussie babies have dropped out of the annual top 100. And some haven’t made a comeback in decades.
Remember These Baby Names?
According to an analysis of Australian birth registration data spanning 1952 to 2025, these familiar names have fallen off the popularity charts.
Karen was once one of Australia’s most popular girls’ names, ranking number one in 1963. But it hasn’t appeared in the top 100 since 1986.
Mark was another massive favourite, with more than 43,000 registrations recorded in the historical data. It last appeared in the top 100 in 2001.
And it’s not just Karen and Mark! Jennifer last made the list in 2003, while Scott disappeared in 1999.
Other names that have fallen out of the rankings include Susan, Gregory, Stephen, Paul, Michelle and Robert.
That’s a lot of familiar names that could soon sound more like Mum and Dad’s generation than the next generation of Aussies!
Are Vintage Baby Names Making A Comeback?
While some names have fallen out of favour, others are finding a new audience.
Australia’s 2025 baby name data saw names including Mabel, Maggie, Rory and Fletcher appear in the state’s top 100 for the first time since records began in 1952.
It seems some parents are looking beyond the usual favourites and giving older names a fresh lease on life.
Of course, falling out of the top 100 doesn’t mean a name has disappeared completely. It simply means fewer parents are choosing it compared with other names.
Still, it makes you wonder which names today’s kids will think sound old-fashioned in 30 years!
