When we talk about vintage names, we’re usually harking back to the Gay ’90s or the Roaring  ’20s at the latest. But what about more recent vintage vintages? Are there any names that were popular just a couple of decades ago that are already ready for revival?–or are they all still too me, mom, or grandpa-ish?

　　The leading  five girls’ names across the decade 0f the 70s were Jennifer, Amy, Melissa, Michelle and Kimberly, and among the boys’ Top 20–mostly dominated by classics–were Jason, Brian, Kevin, Jeffrey and Scott.  I’m not suggesting that we’re quite ready for another generation of little Lisas (#6), any more than I’d suggest hanging a disco ball in your living room, but there are some buried possibilities further down in the mix that just might be getting ripe enough to pick again.

　　The names below were all in the top half of the popularity list throughout the Swinging 70s, and have either slid off the current list entirely or are very near the the bottom of the Top 1000. Most of them don’t particularly scream 70’s–some are semi-classics that were fading away at that time, a few are the kind of nickname names that are coming back into style.

　　GIRLS

　　ALMA

　　BERNADETTE

　　BILLIE

　　CONSTANCE

　　DEBORAH

　　DORA

　　DOROTHY

　　EDITH

　　ELLEN

　　FELICIA

　　GINGER

　　JILL

　　JO

　　LIZA

　　LORETTA

　　LORRAINE

　　MARIBEL

　　MARJORIE

　　MARCIA/MARSHA

　　MELINDA

　　PAMELA

　　PATRICE

　　PAULINE

　　PENNY

　　RAMONA

　　ROCHELLE

　　ROXANNE

　　SALLY

　　SHEILA

　　SONJA

　　TAMARA

　　TINA

　　BOYS

　　CHESTER

　　CLAUDE

　　CLAY

　　CLINT

　　CLYDE

　　CORNELIUS

　　DION

　　FLOYD

　　FRED/FREDDIE

　　GENE

　　GLENN

　　GORDON

　　KENT

　　KIRK

　　MICKEY

　　MORRIS

　　NEIL/NEAL

　　OTIS

　　PERRY

　　PETE

　　RALPH

　　REX

　　STEWART

　　TED

　　THADDEUS

　　TIM

　　TY

　　VIRGIL