Found this on the Irish Times website, one of [name]Ireland[/name]'s most popular newspapers about the massive decline in the name [name]Mary[/name] being used in [name]Ireland[/name] recently, the reasons behind it and other opinions on naming trends.
A good read in my opinion.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2013/0102/1224328311308.html
Note: [name]Even[/name] a mention of [name]Pam[/name] and [name]Linda[/name]'s book: Beyond [name]Jennifer[/name] and [name]Jason[/name].
Thanks for mentioning this, Noahsark. I did see the piece though I didn’t read as far as you did – missed the Beyond [name]Jennifer[/name] & [name]Jason[/name] mention!
I went to high school with a [name]Mary[/name], (we are in our mid-late twenties now.) She is definitely the only young [name]Mary[/name] I know. I happen to be in love with the name [name]Rosemary[/name], but I do find [name]Mary[/name] by itself a bit common. I don’t know why, considering the lack of little [name]Mary[/name]'s around… There must just be a lot of middle aged [name]Mary[/name]'s that have made the name seem over saturated.
I liked the name [name]Mary[/name] when I was little because it seemed so unusual. I don’t like it now because it is too biblical for my taste. I still like variations of it though, such as [name]Rosemary[/name] or [name]Mary[/name]-[name]Anne[/name], [name]Mae[/name] and [name]Miriam[/name].
I know a [name]Mary[/name] who’s in her late teens, but I really know very few of any age, but I don’t live in a very Catholic area.
I think it’s several issues at once that blew [name]Mary[/name] off the top of the list.