“What’s in a name?” as the famous Shakespeare quote goes. Looking back on old names isn’t just useful for parents-to-be looking for a name for their child. Naming trends can actually provide a fascinating window into different cultures and time periods, revealing which influences were most impactful on new parents’ name choices at the time. Our analysis of Social Security Administration records reveals the popular names from a century ago which have now fallen so far down the rankings that they can be considered “extinct.” Our researchers identified the top 100 names for baby boys and girls in 1923. The frequency of these specific names for newborns was then assessed decade-by-decade over the intervening century, revealing a resilience or decline in popularity.…