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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Lifestyle
Matthew Cantor in Los Angeles

Goodbye Linda, hello Liam! How do names go extinct – and get reborn?

lopez smiles on red carpet
Jennifer Lopez was born in 1969, amid a wave of Jennifers. Photograph: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

How old is Dorothy? How about Susan, Tyler or Jayden?

These names were popular in the 1920s, 1950s, 1990s and 2010s, respectively, so it’s easy to guess the answer. The past few years have been overrun with tiny Olivias and Elijahs, and many parents are choosing names that wouldn’t have been out of place a few generations back – Hazel, Henry, Vivian.

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