Things typically change fast in the world of baby names. One year, a name could be the most popular in the country. A few years later, it’s an afterthought for new parents.
FindTheBest recently looked at the 10 “fastest dropping” baby names. The names were in the top 100 in 2003, but have fallen since.
FindTheBest used the slope of the line between 2003 and 2013 to determine the names trending down in popularity as we head into 2015:
#10 | Jenna
Rank in 2003: 54th
Rank in 2013: 227th
“The slightly less popular version of her big sister, Jennifer, Jenna enjoyed a similar multi-decade streak of popularity, hovering around 50th in the nation through 2000. Since then, however, she’s fallen even faster than Jennifer, dropping all the way to 204th.” – FindTheBest
#9 | Danielle
Rank in 2003: 82nd
Rank in 2013: 261st
“Danielle’s dominance as a popular American name lasted nearly a half century, among the top 100 names from 1971 to 2004. That said, the data suggests the reign is over. Danielle has dipped all the way to 261st in the nation and will likely keep dropping for years.” – FindTheBest
#8 | Leslie
Rank in 2003: 91st
Rank in 2013: 284th
“Similar to Danielle, Leslie has enjoyed decades of popularity among America’s top 100 girls’ names. The most notable difference? Leslie has fought off its decline just a bit more valiantly, partially resurging in the late 90s before finally trending down over the last eight years.” – FindTheBest
#7 | Erin
Rank in 2003: 80th
Rank in 2013: 273rd
“By just about any measure, Erin peaked in 1983, cracking America’s top 20 girls’ names and gracing nearly 15,000 newborn birth certificates. Since that time, however, the name has faced an uninterrupted decline, dropping to 273rd by 2013.” – FindTheBest
#6 | Haley
Rank in 2003: 34th
Rank in 2013: 229th
“The hot name of the 90s, Haley (and to a slightly lesser extent, alternate spelling “Hayley”) were decade-long darlings, with Haley holding steady at 30th and Hayley just outside the top 100. Both names have dropped off significantly since 2001.” – FindTheBest
#5 | Jordan
Rank in 2003: 48th
Rank in 2013: 260th
“During its peak (1997), one in three baby Jordans were female. It’s a particularly impressive feat given the wild popularity of the male version (a top 30 boys’ name throughout the 90s). The two names rose together quickly, enjoyed their 90s reign, then each tailed off around 2001. Today, neither the male nor female version is all that popular.” – FindTheBest
#4 | Amber
Rank in 2003: 74th
Rank in 2013: 288th
“Unlike fellow color-related name Violet—which snagged our 12th spot among the fastest rising baby names—Amber has faded as of late. The name enjoyed its strongest popularity in the 80s, peaking at 13th in 1986. It has fallen in popularity ever since.” – FindTheBest
#3 | Megan
Rank in 2003: 30th
Rank in 2013: 256th
“Megan cracked the top 10 girls’ names in 1985, then nearly repeated the same feat in 1990 (in fact, there were slightly moreMegans born in 1990, but due to the increasing population, Megan ranked 11th that year). Even as its popularity started to fade, Megan remained in the top 100 through 2007. Since then, however, the name’s popularity has started to fall more quickly, dropping outside the top 250 in 2013.” – FindTheBest
#2 | Amanda
Rank in 2003: 55th
Rank in 2013: 298th
“Amanda was a top 100 female name in the 1880s, but the name dipped for decades after, reaching its lowest point just before World War II. Then, after a big surge in the 70s, Amanda became America’s second favorite name in 1980 (behind Jennifer), with over 35,000 new babies just that year. Since then, however, the name has fallen faster than even Megan. By 2013, it was barely inside the top 300 names.” – FindTheBest
#1 | Marissa
Rank in 2003: 95th
Rank in 2013: 378th
“Though it peaked in 1994, Marissa remained a top 100 girls’ name for the first five years of the millennium. In particular, 2004 seemed to signal a resurgence, but it turned out to be more ofa last gasp. The name has cannonballed its way down the rankings since then, falling all the way to 378th in 2013, the biggest 10-year drop on this list.” – FindTheBest
