by Angela Mastrodonato of Upswing Baby Names

　　Legions of expectant parents search for that “underused classic” name each year.

　　But what exactly is an “underused classic” name? Do underused classic names even exist? Are they some impossible standard like names that are universally appealing and forever-guaranteed-to-stay-unique?

　　“Classic” can be interpreted differently by different people. Instead of describing a name as “classic” I usually use “traditional” or “timeless” instead.

　　Semantics aside, a working definition of how I decide what makes a name “classic” might be useful. And in my world there is more than one type of classic name:

　　Authentic Classics – Evergreen names like Elizabeth and James. Ideally these names have never left the top 50 since 1880, the earliest year name rankings are available from the Social Security Administration.

　　Modern Classics – Names that were uncommon before WWII, but have become more common in recent generations and have morphed into traditional names. Examples: Allison and Kyle.

　　Underused Classics – The focus. There are two types: Steady Underused Classics and Retired Authentic Classics.

　　Steady Underused Classics – Familiar names that have been consistently used but have never been extremely popular. These names have never reached the top 50, but have rarely left the top 500. (Ideally they have never left the top 400.)

　　Girls:

　　Carmen (Can be a unisex name, but counts as an underused classic on girls) – Peaked at #141 in 1968; has been in the top 400 since 1900.

　　Cecilia – Peaked at #190 in 1904; has never ranked lower than #407 in 1968.

　　Miriam – Peaked at #134 in 1917; has never ranked lower than #376 in 1972.

　　Naomi – Peaked at #81 in 2012; has never ranked lower than #421 in 1969.

　　Nina – Peaked at #115 in 1887; has never ranked lower than #375 in 1978.

　　Veronica – Peaked at #68 in 1983; has never ranked lower than #465 in 1880.

　　Boys:

　　Felix – Peaked at #137 in 1884; has never ranked lower than #394 in 2002.

　　Ivan – Peaked at #113 in 2012; has never ranked lower than #404 in 1881.

　　Jay – Peaked at #94 in 1969; has never ranked lower than #414 in 2010.

　　Julian – Peaked at #50 in 2011; has never ranked lower than #367 in 1962. In my opinion, since this name barely made the top 50 very recently, it is not established enough to be an authentic classic.

　　Lorenzo – Peaked at #267 in 1985; has never ranked lower than #360 in 1977.

　　Marcus – Peaked at #57 in 1984; has never ranked lower than #149 in 2012.

　　Wesley – Peaked at #66 in 1966; has never ranked lower than #195 in 2007. By the numbers it almost qualifies as a “retired authentic classic”.

　　Retired Authentic Classics – are experiencing their first real decline after decades (or possibly centuries) of high use. Many of these, especially Alice, are turning around and could morph into revival names, while others are at an all-time popularity low.

　　Girls:

　　Alice – Peaked at #8 in 1880, 1882, and 1906; has never ranked lower than #444 in 2002.

　　Helen – Peaked at #2 from 1900-1919; has never ranked lower than #436 in 2010.

　　Jane – Peaked at #35 in 1946; has never ranked lower than #477 in 2006.

　　Laura – Peaked at #10 in 1969; has never ranked lower than #280 in 2012.

　　Margaret – Peaked at #3 in 1891, 1894, 1905-1911; has never ranked lower than #188 in 2009.

　　Mary – Peaked at #1 from 1880-1946, and 1953-1961; has never ranked lower than #123 in 2012.

　　Rose – Peaked at #14 in 1911 and 1913; has never ranked lower than #391 in 1997.

　　Ruth – Peaked at #3 in 1893; has never ranked lower than #365 in 2006

　　Boys:

　　Calvin – Peaked at #44 in 1924; has never ranked lower than #231 in 2009.

　　George – Peaked at #4 for most years between 1880-1911; has never ranked lower than #166 in 2012.

　　Jesse (Can be a unisex name, but its use on boys makes it an underused classic) – Peaked at #26 in 1882 and 1887; has never ranked lower than #151 in 2012.

　　Lawrence – Peaked at #30 in 1942 and 1945; has never ranked lower than #459 in 2010.

　　Louis – Peaked at #18 in 1882; has never ranked lower than #353 in 2009.

　　Martin – Peaked at #45 in 1880; has never ranked lower than #265 in 2012.

　　Oscar – Peaked at #26 in 1886; has never ranked lower than #245 in 1962.

　　Patrick – Peaked at #30 in 1964, 1966-1967; has never ranked lower than #166 in 1919.

　　Paul – Peaked at #12 in 1916, 1930-1931; has never ranked lower than #193 in 2012.

　　Peter – Peaked at #31 in 1880; has never ranked lower than #205 in 2012.

　　Many people seek that “underused classic” name for their child with good reason. These names seem more surprising than authentic classics yet are less likely to feel dated in a few years like most modern names.

　　Not surprisingly for each underused classic that is at a historic low or trending downwards, there is one that is steadily climbing the Social Security list. Ivan and Naomi are both at an all-time popularity high.

　　Something to keep in mind with underused classics–since they are in demand they don’t stay underused for long. Here are some former underused classics that have graduated to the top 10: Elijah, Emma, Jacob, Noah, Olivia, and Sophia.

　　(This was revised for Nameberry from two articles that ran on Upswing Baby Names: Highly Sought Names: Underused Classics from November 14, 2012 and Timeless Yet Trendy Baby Names from May 22, 2013)

　　Angela created Upswing Baby Names to help parents find that different but not too different name. She muses about names on their way in and on their way out in her book, The Top 22 in 2022. She is also an avid runner, wannabe foodie, and devoted mom of two.