Extinct Names

Buford has lost any charm it once had. Try Beauford instead.

Because it's a generic (and often derogatory) term for an Irishman, Paddy fell out of use as a diminutive or given name, though actress Mare Winningham used it not long ago.

World War II stamped a permanent verboten on Adolph.

Terry hit the Top 30 in the fifties; it was seen then as a cool, sleek gender neutral name, but it's long since lost that edge. Today's Terry would probably be Tess or Tessa.

As seen on SNL, Pat is the ultimate androgynous name. Stick with long form Patrick, and make sure everyone calls him Patrick.

Flo is an antiquated nickname not often used these days, possibly because "Aunt Flo" is a euphemism for a period.

In an earlier time Shirley was used primarily for boys, but the tide turned with the publication of Charlotte Bronte's novel Shirley in 1849, the story of a character whose parents had selected the name for a boy child, then decided to use it anyway when he turned out to be a she.

Our kids laughed when they saw this name. Enough said.

You can call your baby "babe," but don't name her that.

Australian opera singer Nellie Melba—self-named for her hometown of Melbourne—inspired this now-dated name more associated today with a peach dessert and dietetic toast.

When Gail was popular, half a century ago, Gale was a plausible choice. Gale does put a slightly more masculine spin on the name, but it's dated in any version.

Trish was a cool -- in every sense of the word -- nickname back when Patricia was one of the most popular names in the US, primarily in the 1960s and 1970s. Trish is actually kind of a nickname of a nickname, Tricia, best known as Tricia Nixon, the daughter of President Richard who named after her mother, who was called Pat. Trish, along with almost every other name related to Patricia including Pat, Patti, Patsy, and Tricia, is seriously out of fashion today.

Better go to the original Aurelia or Aurelie, if only for its similarity to the ord 'orally.' In pop culture, Oralie is a Pokemon name.

Cinderella stepsister type Victorian-valentine name.

An English surname name which was originally used as a masculine first name in the 19th century, before becoming more popular for girls from the early 20th century onwards.

Most ella names are hot, but this is one that won't catch fire because of the disagreeable connotations of prunes.