Last week we took a look at the ladies in limbo, the girls’ names not old enough to fall under the Hundred Year Rule, but were most popular from the 1920s to the 1960s, to question whether any of them were eligible for resuscitation.

　　And now, as promised we perform the same operation on the boys’ list.

　　We find several differences between the genders.  For one thing, the popularity of the boys’ names tend to stretch over longer periods of time (122 years for Howard, for instance), and clearer syllabic and sound patterns tend to emerge.  In the 1920s and 1930s, for example, we see a preponderance of two-syllable names ending in the letters n and d. By the fifties and sixties, there are lots of four and five-letter single syllable favorites—the Todds and Troys, Deans and Dales—those surfer dudes we’ve labeled ‘Beach Boys’ in our books.

　　Not many of these names, except for a few in the pre-1920 list, have shown significant signs of revival—once again, because they’re the names of our grandpas and great-uncles and fathers-in law—the older men in our lives, the men still smoking pipes on Father’s Day cards.

　　Here too, we’re eliminating the classics—which are so dominant on boys’ lists—and nicknames, and are listing the names in reverse chronological order, showing the periods in which they ranked in the Top 100, and when they reached their highest ranking ever.  And if you’re wondering why so many of them burst into popularity in 1880—they didn’t: that’s simply the first year for which Social Security posts rankings.

　　1920s

　　Alvin – 1901-38,  #70 in 1925

　　Arnold—1912-31,  #91 in 1920-21

　　Bernard—1885 to 1945,   #45 in 1921

　　Calvin—1923-28,  #44 in 1924

　　Edwin – 1901-41,  #52 in 1922

　　Eugene—1880-1957, #20 in 1927-29

　　Harold—1884-1966,  #12 in 1920-21

　　Herbert—1880-1946,  #25 in 1928-29

　　Howard –1880-1958,  #24 in 1920

　　Leon—1885-1942,  #73 in 1926

　　Leonard –1880-1957,  #37 in 1923

　　Melvin –1901-55,  #47 in 1926

　　Raymond –1880-1991m  #15 in 1923-29

　　Roland—1924-25,  #98 in 1924-25

　　Russell – 1901-82,  #49 in 1922

　　Vernon – 1908-37,  #65 in 1920

　　Wallace –1920-27,  #69 in 1923

　　Warren – 1917-36, #24 in 1921

　　1930s

　　Donald—1895-1990,  #6 in 1934

　　Franklin – 1932-41,  $33 in 1933

　　Gerald – 1908-71, #19 in 1936

　　Gilbert – 1927-32,  #90 in 1930

　　Gordon – 1911-43,  $70 in 1935

　　Jerome – 1935-40,  #93 in 1938-39

　　Kenneth—1889-2001, #14 in 1931-32, 57-58

　　Marvin –1906-55, #44 in 1933-34

　　Norman – 1897-1953,  #36 in 1931

　　1940s

　　Dennis—1934-84,  #16 in 1949

　　Douglas—1929-89, #23 in 1942

　　Lawrence—1911-71,  # 30 in 1945

　　Roger—1921-75,  #22 in 1945

　　Ronald – 1926-90,  #9 in 1941-43

　　Wayne – 1915-71,  #29 in 1946

　　1950s

　　Alan –1938-71,  #40 in 1951

　　Bruce – 1932-70,  #25 in 1952

　　Craig—1947-97,  #39 in 1969

　　Dale—1921-69,  #46 in 1953, 58

　　Gary –1933-87,  #9 in 1954

　　Mark—1944-2002,  #64 in 1959

　　Paul—1880-99,  #15 in 1958

　　Randall—1949-69,  #53 in 1955

　　Scott—1949-95,  #10 in 1954

　　1960s

　　Barry—  1941-69, #61 in 1962

　　Curtis –1939-85 on and off,  #72 in 1963

　　Darrell—1954-69 on and off,  #86 in 1968

　　Darryl—1960-66,  #69 in 1965

　　Dean— 1956-69,  #78 in 1967-68

　　Glenn – 1912-69, #55 in 1962

　　Gregory –1945-96, #21 in 1962-3

　　Jay—1956-70,  #78 in 1960

　　Jeffrey—1945-98,  #9 in 1966

　　Keith—1946-91,  #32 in 1966

　　Kevin—1949-2010, #11 in 1963

　　Rodney –1946-77, #33 in 1965

　　Todd—1959-85, #28 in 1964, 68-70

　　Troy—  1962-79, #40 in 1967-68

　　Here are some others that peaked earlier, but continued to be used into our period:

　　Albert

　　Alfred

　　Arthur

　　Carl

　　Cecil

　　Chester

　　Clarence

　　Clifford

　　Clyde

　　Earl

　　Edgar

　　Elmer

　　Ernest

　　Floyd

　　Frank

　　Harvey

　　Herman

　　Leroy

　　Lester

　　Lloyd

　　Luther

　　Milton

　　Ralph

　　Roy

　　Rudolph

　　Stanley

　　Willard

　　Any of the names on these lists appeal to you?  Do you prefer one decade over another?