Six US presidents, countless kings, and your neighbor's golden retriever. James is the name equivalent of a beige Toyota Camry — reliable, everywhere, and completely forgettable.

The #1 most popular name in America for 44 consecutive years (1954–1998). If you threw a rock in any direction in 1985, you'd hit a Michael. You'd probably hit three.

In 1970, approximately 1 in every 15 baby girls was named Jennifer. That's not a name, that's a pandemic. Every Jennifer knows at least four other Jennifers.

Named after a guy who killed a giant with a rock. Your David works in accounting and is afraid of spiders. The name peaked and it's been downhill since the marble statue.

Once a perfectly normal name. Now a verb, a meme, and a warning label. Every Karen alive has had to explain that they're 'not THAT kind of Karen' at least 47 times.

Somehow simultaneously a frat bro stereotype, an internet meme archetype, and an entire country in Africa. Chad contains multitudes. None of them are deep.

Punches drywall. Drinks Monster Energy for breakfast. Has strong opinions about lifted trucks. Kyle didn't choose this life — the internet chose it for him.

Becky with the good hair. Becky who can't even. Becky who is basic. The name has become shorthand for a very specific type of person, and every Becky knows it.

Bye. That's it. That's the entire cultural legacy of this name now. One line from a 1995 movie and an entire generation of Felicias can never introduce themselves in peace.

Todd is the name of every middle manager who microwaves fish in the break room. Todd wears khakis on casual Friday. Todd has opinions about the thermostat.

Gary peaked in 1954 and has been in freefall ever since. In 2019, only 450 babies in the US were named Gary. It's an endangered species. Save the Garys.

Keith sounds like a cough. It sounds like someone trying to say 'teeth' with a cold. No child has ever dreamed of growing up to be a Keith.

Brenda is the name of someone who has a candy dish on their desk and calls everyone 'hon.' Brenda forwards chain emails. Brenda is concerned about your jacket.

Eugene is the name equivalent of a pocket protector. It's the name you give a character in a movie when you want the audience to know immediately that he's a nerd.

This name means 'strong spear' in Old German, which is metal as hell. But nobody hears 'Gertrude' and thinks 'warrior.' They think 'has hard candy in her purse.'

Herbert was already old-fashioned in 1950. It's the name of someone who was born 70 years old. Herbert has always had a cardigan. Herbert has always been disappointed.

Mildred literally contains the word 'mild.' The name is a self-fulfilling prophecy of beige-ness. It peaked in 1915 and has been gently declining ever since, mildly.

Clarence is the angel from It's a Wonderful Life and also the name of every cat owned by a person over 60. It's a name that comes pre-loaded with bifocals.

Your parents watched Top Gun and thought 'yes, this is what I want for my child — the personality of a fighter pilot and the name of a Ford truck.' Maverick is trying very hard.

Braxton sounds like a luxury condo development or a type of contraction. Either way, it's trying to sound expensive. Braxton has a lot to prove and a Bluetooth speaker to prove it with.

It's 'heaven' spelled backwards, and every Nevaeh's parent will tell you that within 0.3 seconds of meeting them. It went from nonexistent to the top 100 in a single decade. Impressive. Terrifying.

A name that is also a job description, but only if the job is 'guy who peaked in high school lacrosse.' Hunter has a Yeti cooler and opinions about craft beer.

Imagine being named 'Guy.' Just... guy. 'Hey, what's your name?' 'Guy.' 'No, I know you're a guy, but what's your NAME?' This conversation happens daily.

Once a perfectly respectable nickname for Richard. Then the English language happened. Every Dick alive has heard every joke. Every. Single. One. They are tired.

Short for Barbara, but also a type of wire designed to cause pain. Coincidence? Barb has a firm handshake and will tell you exactly what she thinks of your casserole.

Brock sounds like the noise a large rock makes when it falls. Brock has a protein shake in one hand and a firm belief in himself in the other. Brock doesn't read.

Pete is the name of a guy who definitely owns a grill he's way too proud of. Pete has a firm opinion about charcoal vs. propane and he WILL share it. Pete peaked at a company softball game in 2003 and still brings it up.

Matt is the human equivalent of a doormat — and yes, every Matt has heard that joke. There are so many Matts that they've formed their own ecosystem. If you yell 'Matt!' in any American office, at least two heads will turn and one will spill coffee.

Mitchell is what happens when your parents wanted to name you Michael but thought they'd be clever about it. It's the off-brand Michael. The Great Value Michael. Mitchell comes with a built-in sweater vest and a middle management trajectory.

Nathan is the name of every guy who corrects you by saying 'actually, it's Nathaniel' and then gets upset when you call him Nate. Nathan has a podcast. Nathan has opinions about craft beer. Nathan will not stop talking about his fantasy football league.

Wendy is forever trapped between a fast food chain and Peter Pan's friend who refused to grow up. Every Wendy has been asked 'Where's Peter?' approximately 10,000 times. Wendy is tired. Wendy would like a Frosty. Wendy would like you to stop.

Margie is the name of someone who has a refrigerator covered in magnets from places she's visited and a purse that contains everything needed to survive a natural disaster. Margie calls everyone 'sweetie' and has a casserole ready for any emergency.

Jayme — with a Y, because apparently the regular spelling wasn't enough of a commitment. This is what happens when parents want a Jamie but also want to be 'different.' Congratulations, now Jayme spends their entire life spelling their name out loud. Every. Single. Time.

Brian is the name equivalent of a sensible sedan. Not exciting enough to be a sports car, not boring enough to be a minivan — just... there. Brian brings store-bought cookies to the potluck and pretends he made them. We all know, Brian.

Alyssa peaked in the late '90s when every other baby girl was named some variation of Alyssa, Alissa, Alicia, or Elissa. It's the name equivalent of a butterfly tramp stamp — it seemed like a great idea at the time and now there are millions of them.

Courtney is the name of someone who peaked in high school cheerleading and has the yearbook photos to prove it. Courtney still uses 'like' as punctuation. Courtney has strong feelings about rosé. Courtney will absolutely judge your outfit.

Jeff is what happens when your parents couldn't even commit to the full 'Jeffrey.' It's the budget version of an already budget name. Jeff has a garage full of tools he never uses and a fantasy about building a deck someday. Someday, Jeff. Someday.

Steve is the name of every guy who says 'working hard or hardly working?' without a shred of irony. Steve has a collection of Hawaiian shirts he thinks are 'fun.' Steve will corner you at a barbecue to talk about his lawn care routine for 45 minutes.