26 of the most ridiculous baby names from the past 100 years
From Adalbert to Phelony, parents have been getting a little too creative for decades
1920s: Dorcas
It's a biblical name, just like Sarah and Elizabeth. But unlike Sarah and Elizabeth, , which reached peak popularity in 1923 (it was the 617th most popular moniker that year) feels like a playground taunt waiting to happen.
Darth
Census data shows that at least 10 babies — all girls — were named in 1920. If Darth isn't quite doing it for you, Darthula and Dartha are options, too. Just be ready for a lot of "I am your father" jokes.
Maim
Let's give the parents of little Maim the benefit of the doubt and assume this was just an alternate spelling of "."
1930s: Fannie
It's hard to hate any name Jane Austen deemed good enough for one of her main characters, but the name Fannie has come a long way since its "Mansfield Park" popularity. After peaking in the 1930s, has definitely become more associated with behinds than it is with babies. Just try and say it with a straight face.
Author
Naming babies after occupations has been a trend since, well, there were babies and occupations. But the 30s took the trend way beyond Smith or Baker. There were , (s), and .
Ima
Parents of the 30s, when peaked in popularity, clearly didn't learn any lessons from poor . Ima was the eldest daughter of former Texas governor James Stephen Hogg, and is still cited today as an example of a particularly mean name choice.
1940s: Crystal Shanda Lear
Lear jet founder Bill Lear named his daughter, born in the 40s, . Fancy!
1950s: Window
Not one, but two ." One of them had an unfortunate middle name, too: coverings.
1960s: Moon Unit
, the daughter of musician Frank Zappa, was born just two years before man walked on the moon. As an adult, she's embraced her celestial title — the singer and actress released a song called "," with sister Dweezil Zappa.
Tarantula
We don't know what, exactly, the parents of poor and were thinking when they filled out their kid's birth certificate.
1970s: Marijuana
We get it, 1970s, you liked your drugs. But at least as a moniker, just in case her parents forgot what exactly they were doing when she was conceived. Just for the record, the Wisconsin teacher says she's never touched the drug.
Temperance
And on the other end of the vice spectrum, we have little . Other than a brief blip during Prohibition (how fitting!), the name disappeared off the name charts until it suddenly reappeared in the 1970s. Maybe it was being used ironically?
Candida
In Latin, means "white, pure." Today, unfortunately, it's almost exclusively associated with the type of yeast that causes most vaginal and oral infections. Ouch.
1980s: Vanity
In the 1600s, the (how that worked out as a parenting strategy is unclear). For some reason, it enjoyed in the 1980s.
Nil
"So, how many kids you got?"
"."
"None?"
"No, just Nil."
Fifi Trixibelle
Singer Bob Geldof and TV star Paula Yates had normal enough names, but apparently wanted more for their soon-to-be famous offspring. Exhibit A: , their first child, born in 1983.
Christop
It's three letters away from being one of the most traditional boy names in history and yet, by STOPping where they did, Christop's parents were making a bold statement. Or perhaps they were just following the, which included Alexandr and Elzabet.
1990s: Abcde
What do you do when you can't think of a baby name? Recite the alphabet! What's interesting is that this isn't a one-off. By the turn of the century there were over 300 people (mostly girls) . (But never Abcdef, for some reason.)
Fellony
Is it any surprise that the grew up to be, well, a felon? Not everyone learned the lesson, however. In later decades, and have both several more times in birth records.
Semaj
Tricky "" started showing up right before the new millennium. Because you know what makes a good name truly great? Spelling it backwards. Semaj, for example, was so popular it cracked the top 1000 names for boys in 1999. Other reverse names parents gave their children include Derfla, Xela and, of course, the mellifluous Nevaeh.
2000s: Prince Michael II or Blanket
Michael Jackson named his first son Prince Michael which, then he decided to name his second son . He nicknamed Prince Michael II "Blanket," reportedly referring to how one "" loved ones with affection. Today, Jackson's youngest is 15 and "Bigi."
Pilot Inspektor
The son of actor Jason Lee, Pilot Inspektor took the No. 1 spot for strangest baby name ever in an . Considering he had some pretty stiff competition (e.g. Apple Martin), he deserves a trophy for the honor. Just make sure to double check the spelling before getting it engraved.
2010s: Hashtag
Humans are both weird and incredibly lazy, which is probably how we got . If you're a tech-minded parent-to-be, you could also opt for Google, Like and even @ (pronounced "at").
Number 16 Bus Shelter
After rejecting "Lucifer," "V8," and "Fish and Chips," the New Zealand government decided to approve the baby name . Hopefully that isn't a reference to where Number 16 Bus Shelter was conceived.
Buddy Bear
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and his wife Jools named their son, born in 2010, Buddy Bear. After being criticized for their choice, the Oliver family has doubled-down, . Buddy Bear's siblings — Poppy Honey, Daisy Boo and Petal Blossom Rainbow — are proof that they definitely practice what they preach.
Girl
Girl's parents wanted to name her "light breeze" but because it wasn't on the official registry of Icelandic names, they weren't allowed to. So instead of giving in, her parents called her by her banned name and " on all her official documents growing up.
1920s: Dorcas
It's a biblical name, just like Sarah and Elizabeth. But unlike Sarah and Elizabeth, , which reached peak popularity in 1923 (it was the 617th most popular moniker that year) feels like a playground taunt waiting to happen.
Darth
Census data shows that at least 10 babies — all girls — were named in 1920. If Darth isn't quite doing it for you, Darthula and Dartha are options, too. Just be ready for a lot of "I am your father" jokes.
Maim
Let's give the parents of little Maim the benefit of the doubt and assume this was just an alternate spelling of "."
1930s: Fannie
It's hard to hate any name Jane Austen deemed good enough for one of her main characters, but the name Fannie has come a long way since its "Mansfield Park" popularity. After peaking in the 1930s, has definitely become more associated with behinds than it is with babies. Just try and say it with a straight face.
Author
Naming babies after occupations has been a trend since, well, there were babies and occupations. But the 30s took the trend way beyond Smith or Baker. There were , (s), and .
Ima
Parents of the 30s, when peaked in popularity, clearly didn't learn any lessons from poor . Ima was the eldest daughter of former Texas governor James Stephen Hogg, and is still cited today as an example of a particularly mean name choice.
1940s: Crystal Shanda Lear
Lear jet founder Bill Lear named his daughter, born in the 40s, . Fancy!
1950s: Window
Not one, but two ." One of them had an unfortunate middle name, too: coverings.
1960s: Moon Unit
, the daughter of musician Frank Zappa, was born just two years before man walked on the moon. As an adult, she's embraced her celestial title — the singer and actress released a song called "," with sister Dweezil Zappa.
Tarantula
We don't know what, exactly, the parents of poor and were thinking when they filled out their kid's birth certificate.
1970s: Marijuana
We get it, 1970s, you liked your drugs. But at least as a moniker, just in case her parents forgot what exactly they were doing when she was conceived. Just for the record, the Wisconsin teacher says she's never touched the drug.
Temperance
And on the other end of the vice spectrum, we have little . Other than a brief blip during Prohibition (how fitting!), the name disappeared off the name charts until it suddenly reappeared in the 1970s. Maybe it was being used ironically?
Candida
In Latin, means "white, pure." Today, unfortunately, it's almost exclusively associated with the type of yeast that causes most vaginal and oral infections. Ouch.
1980s: Vanity
In the 1600s, the (how that worked out as a parenting strategy is unclear). For some reason, it enjoyed in the 1980s.
Nil
"So, how many kids you got?"
"."
"None?"
"No, just Nil."
Fifi Trixibelle
Singer Bob Geldof and TV star Paula Yates had normal enough names, but apparently wanted more for their soon-to-be famous offspring. Exhibit A: , their first child, born in 1983.
Christop
It's three letters away from being one of the most traditional boy names in history and yet, by STOPping where they did, Christop's parents were making a bold statement. Or perhaps they were just following the, which included Alexandr and Elzabet.
1990s: Abcde
What do you do when you can't think of a baby name? Recite the alphabet! What's interesting is that this isn't a one-off. By the turn of the century there were over 300 people (mostly girls) . (But never Abcdef, for some reason.)
Fellony
Is it any surprise that the grew up to be, well, a felon? Not everyone learned the lesson, however. In later decades, and have both several more times in birth records.
Semaj
Tricky "" started showing up right before the new millennium. Because you know what makes a good name truly great? Spelling it backwards. Semaj, for example, was so popular it cracked the top 1000 names for boys in 1999. Other reverse names parents gave their children include Derfla, Xela and, of course, the mellifluous Nevaeh.
2000s: Prince Michael II or Blanket
Michael Jackson named his first son Prince Michael which, then he decided to name his second son . He nicknamed Prince Michael II "Blanket," reportedly referring to how one "" loved ones with affection. Today, Jackson's youngest is 15 and "Bigi."
Pilot Inspektor
The son of actor Jason Lee, Pilot Inspektor took the No. 1 spot for strangest baby name ever in an . Considering he had some pretty stiff competition (e.g. Apple Martin), he deserves a trophy for the honor. Just make sure to double check the spelling before getting it engraved.
2010s: Hashtag
Humans are both weird and incredibly lazy, which is probably how we got . If you're a tech-minded parent-to-be, you could also opt for Google, Like and even @ (pronounced "at").
Number 16 Bus Shelter
After rejecting "Lucifer," "V8," and "Fish and Chips," the New Zealand government decided to approve the baby name . Hopefully that isn't a reference to where Number 16 Bus Shelter was conceived.
Buddy Bear
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and his wife Jools named their son, born in 2010, Buddy Bear. After being criticized for their choice, the Oliver family has doubled-down, . Buddy Bear's siblings — Poppy Honey, Daisy Boo and Petal Blossom Rainbow — are proof that they definitely practice what they preach.
Girl
Girl's parents wanted to name her "light breeze" but because it wasn't on the official registry of Icelandic names, they weren't allowed to. So instead of giving in, her parents called her by her banned name and " on all her official documents growing up.
1920s: Dorcas
It's a biblical name, just like Sarah and Elizabeth. But unlike Sarah and Elizabeth, , which reached peak popularity in 1923 (it was the 617th most popular moniker that year) feels like a playground taunt waiting to happen.
Darth
Census data shows that at least 10 babies — all girls — were named in 1920. If Darth isn't quite doing it for you, Darthula and Dartha are options, too. Just be ready for a lot of "I am your father" jokes.
Maim
Let's give the parents of little Maim the benefit of the doubt and assume this was just an alternate spelling of "."
1930s: Fannie
It's hard to hate any name Jane Austen deemed good enough for one of her main characters, but the name Fannie has come a long way since its "Mansfield Park" popularity. After peaking in the 1930s, has definitely become more associated with behinds than it is with babies. Just try and say it with a straight face.
Author
Naming babies after occupations has been a trend since, well, there were babies and occupations. But the 30s took the trend way beyond Smith or Baker. There were , (s), and .
Ima
Parents of the 30s, when peaked in popularity, clearly didn't learn any lessons from poor . Ima was the eldest daughter of former Texas governor James Stephen Hogg, and is still cited today as an example of a particularly mean name choice.
1940s: Crystal Shanda Lear
Lear jet founder Bill Lear named his daughter, born in the 40s, . Fancy!
1950s: Window
Not one, but two ." One of them had an unfortunate middle name, too: coverings.
1960s: Moon Unit
, the daughter of musician Frank Zappa, was born just two years before man walked on the moon. As an adult, she's embraced her celestial title — the singer and actress released a song called "," with sister Dweezil Zappa.
Tarantula
We don't know what, exactly, the parents of poor and were thinking when they filled out their kid's birth certificate.
1970s: Marijuana
We get it, 1970s, you liked your drugs. But at least as a moniker, just in case her parents forgot what exactly they were doing when she was conceived. Just for the record, the Wisconsin teacher says she's never touched the drug.
Temperance
And on the other end of the vice spectrum, we have little . Other than a brief blip during Prohibition (how fitting!), the name disappeared off the name charts until it suddenly reappeared in the 1970s. Maybe it was being used ironically?
Candida
In Latin, means "white, pure." Today, unfortunately, it's almost exclusively associated with the type of yeast that causes most vaginal and oral infections. Ouch.
1980s: Vanity
In the 1600s, the (how that worked out as a parenting strategy is unclear). For some reason, it enjoyed in the 1980s.
Nil
"So, how many kids you got?"
"."
"None?"
"No, just Nil."
Fifi Trixibelle
Singer Bob Geldof and TV star Paula Yates had normal enough names, but apparently wanted more for their soon-to-be famous offspring. Exhibit A: , their first child, born in 1983.
Christop
It's three letters away from being one of the most traditional boy names in history and yet, by STOPping where they did, Christop's parents were making a bold statement. Or perhaps they were just following the, which included Alexandr and Elzabet.
1990s: Abcde
What do you do when you can't think of a baby name? Recite the alphabet! What's interesting is that this isn't a one-off. By the turn of the century there were over 300 people (mostly girls) . (But never Abcdef, for some reason.)
Fellony
Is it any surprise that the grew up to be, well, a felon? Not everyone learned the lesson, however. In later decades, and have both several more times in birth records.
Semaj
Tricky "" started showing up right before the new millennium. Because you know what makes a good name truly great? Spelling it backwards. Semaj, for example, was so popular it cracked the top 1000 names for boys in 1999. Other reverse names parents gave their children include Derfla, Xela and, of course, the mellifluous Nevaeh.
2000s: Prince Michael II or Blanket
Michael Jackson named his first son Prince Michael which, then he decided to name his second son . He nicknamed Prince Michael II "Blanket," reportedly referring to how one "" loved ones with affection. Today, Jackson's youngest is 15 and "Bigi."
Pilot Inspektor
The son of actor Jason Lee, Pilot Inspektor took the No. 1 spot for strangest baby name ever in an . Considering he had some pretty stiff competition (e.g. Apple Martin), he deserves a trophy for the honor. Just make sure to double check the spelling before getting it engraved.
2010s: Hashtag
Humans are both weird and incredibly lazy, which is probably how we got . If you're a tech-minded parent-to-be, you could also opt for Google, Like and even @ (pronounced "at").
Number 16 Bus Shelter
After rejecting "Lucifer," "V8," and "Fish and Chips," the New Zealand government decided to approve the baby name . Hopefully that isn't a reference to where Number 16 Bus Shelter was conceived.
Buddy Bear
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and his wife Jools named their son, born in 2010, Buddy Bear. After being criticized for their choice, the Oliver family has doubled-down, . Buddy Bear's siblings — Poppy Honey, Daisy Boo and Petal Blossom Rainbow — are proof that they definitely practice what they preach.
Girl
Girl's parents wanted to name her "light breeze" but because it wasn't on the official registry of Icelandic names, they weren't allowed to. So instead of giving in, her parents called her by her banned name and " on all her official documents growing up.
From Adalbert to Phelony, parents have been getting a little too creative for decades
From Adalbert to Phelony, parents have been getting a little too creative for decades