'Karen': 34 Classic Gen X Names on the Brink of Extinction

Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor

Sep 10, 2024 10:00 AM EDT

What's in a name?

A lot actually... In fact–ancient cultures believed that your name was a predecessor for who you'd become, what you'd stand for, and the legends you'd create. Nowadays, young parents seem to be trying to out-stupid the other parents in the kindergarten PTA by naming their kids something 'original' just for the sake of standing out: Leighsea, Jeydun, or Breighleigh.

So what ever happened to good ol' names like Paul, John, or Donna? Have parents completely lost their marbles in the delivery room when they're given the birth certificate to fill out? Newsflash! There are 8 billion of us out here, no matter what name you pick for your kids, someone's bound to have the same name somewhere. So you might as well pick some nomenclature that you're not ashamed to shout across the playground. And if you miss the simpler days, keep scrolling to read a nostalgic collection of classic Gen X names that filled your classrooms back in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, but you never heard uttered at the school plays ever again.