i asked, you said sure, i finally delivered 
[name_f]Every[/name_f] year at Yom Kippur, my synagogue releases a list of congregation members that have passed/we’re still in a period of mourning for. The list is about 6 and a half pages long and this year had 401 unique names! I went through and made a top 81/86 list for masculine and feminine names.
To do this, I went through each page and marked down every name. I added an “x#”, where # is the amount of people with that name in the list, next to all names that had more than 1 person named that. Then I went through and divided my list into “masculine”, “feminine”, and “maybe unisex?”. From there I took every name that had more than 1 person and created a the top lists.
For reference, I think most of these people were born in the 1930s-50s, but the list doesn’t include ages so I really have no idea. There were a few outliers that really made me question this (did someone in the 30s name their child [name_u]Rebel[/name_u] or does that sort of name just inspire people to pass young? Was there a before her time Stephanie?). Additionally, I didn’t count spelling variations as the same name because in Hebrew a difference in spelling means that they are pronounced differently.
The surviving family members of each person submitted the names for the list, so there were a lot of nicknames. I also counted these separately from their most common full names. This means that there were no women named [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] but a ton with [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] nicknames. I can’t really fix this. Sorry if it frustrates you.
Of the 401 unique names, there were:
31 unique names starting with A
27 unique names starting with B
15 unique names starting with C
10 unique names starting with D
33 unique names starting with E
14 unique names starting with F
16 unique names starting with G
20 unique names starting with H
10 unique names starting with I
28 unique names starting with J
4 unique names starting with K
30 unique names starting with L
50 unique names starting with M
8 unique names starting with N
3 unique names starting with O
11 unique names starting with P
29 unique names starting with R
34 unique names starting with S
6 unique names starting with T
2 unique names starting with V
4 unique names starting with W
and 1 unique name starting with Z
Masculine Top 81/60
[1] [name_m]Samuel[/name_m] x31
[2] [name_u]Joseph[/name_u] x23
[3] [name_u]Harry[/name_u] x17
[4] [name_m]Abraham[/name_m] x14
[5] [name_m]Jacob[/name_m] x13
[6] [name_u]David[/name_u] x12
[7] [name_u]Henry[/name_u] x11
[8] [name_u]Benjamin[/name_u] x10
[8] [name_m]Irving[/name_m] x10
[8] [name_m]Morris[/name_m] x10
[11] [name_m]Bernard[/name_m] x9
[11] [name_u]Charles[/name_u] x9
[11] [name_m]Louis[/name_m] x9
[11] [name_m]Nathan[/name_m] x9
[11] [name_u]William[/name_u] x9
[16] [name_m]Aaron[/name_m] x8
[16] [name_u]Jack[/name_u] x8
[16] [name_u]Robert[/name_u] x8
[19] [name_m]Harold[/name_m] x7
[19] [name_m]Herman[/name_m] x7
[19] [name_m]Julius[/name_m] x7
[19] [name_u]Max[/name_u] x7
[19] [name_m]Solomon[/name_m] x7
[24] [name_m]Alfred[/name_m] x6
[24] [name_m]Isaac[/name_m] x6
[24] [name_m]Milton[/name_m] x6
[27] [name_m]Albert[/name_m] x5
[27] [name_u]Edward[/name_u] x5
[27] [name_m]Leonard[/name_m] x5
[27] [name_u]Stanley[/name_u] x5
[31] [name_m]Adolph[/name_m] x4
[31] [name_m]Alan[/name_m] x4
[31] [name_m]Herbert[/name_m] x4
[31] [name_m]Irwin[/name_m] x4
[31] [name_m]Jerome[/name_m] x4
[31] [name_u]Leo[/name_u] x4
[31] [name_u]John[/name_u] x4
[31] [name_m]Lewis[/name_m] x4
[31] [name_m]Martin[/name_m] x4
[31] [name_m]Richard[/name_m] x4
[31] [name_u]Sidney[/name_u] x4
[31] [name_u]Sol[/name_u] x4
[44] [name_m]Arnold[/name_m] x3
[44] [name_m]Emil[/name_m] x3
[44] [name_m]Frank[/name_m] x3
[44] [name_m]Fred[/name_m] x3
[44] [name_u]George[/name_u] x3
[44] [name_m]Isidore[/name_m] x3
[44] [name_u]James[/name_u] x3
[44] [name_m]Leon[/name_m] x3
[44] [name_u]Maurice[/name_u] x3
[44] [name_m]Meyer[/name_m] x3
[44] [name_u]Michael[/name_u] x3
[44] [name_u]Moses[/name_u] x3
[44] [name_m]Paul[/name_m] x3
[44] [name_m]Philip[/name_m] x3
[44] [name_m]Phillip[/name_m] x3
[44] [name_m]Ralph[/name_m] x3
[60] [name_m]Abe[/name_m] x2
[60] [name_u]Arthur[/name_u] x2
[60] [name_m]Donald[/name_m] x2
[60] [name_m]Emanuel[/name_m] x2
[60] [name_m]Ernst[/name_m] x2
[60] [name_m]Eugene[/name_m] x2
[60] [name_m]Felix[/name_m] x2
[60] [name_u]Gary[/name_u] x2
[60] [name_u]Israel[/name_u] x2
[60] [name_u]Jay[/name_u] x2
[60] [name_m]Joel[/name_m] x2
[60] [name_m]Jonas[/name_m] x2
[60] [name_u]Laurence[/name_u] x2
[60] [name_u]Lawrence[/name_u] x2
[60] [name_m]Leopold[/name_m] x2
[60] [name_u]Melvin[/name_u] x2
[60] [name_u]Murray[/name_u] x2
[60] [name_m]Peter[/name_m] x2
[60] [name_u]Ray[/name_u] x2
[60] [name_m]Roger[/name_m] x2
[60] [name_u]Sam[/name_u] x2
[60] [name_m]Saul[/name_m] x2
[60] [name_m]Seymour[/name_m] x2
[60] [name_m]Sigmund[/name_m] x2
[60] [name_m]Stephen[/name_m] x2
[60] [name_m]Werner[/name_m] x2
Feminine Top 86/48
[1] [name_f]Sarah[/name_f] x12
[2] [name_f]Bertha[/name_f] x11
[2] [name_f]Fannie[/name_f] x11
[4] [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] x9
[4] [name_f]Hannah[/name_f] x9
[4] [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] x9
[7] [name_f]Helen[/name_f] x8
[7] [name_f]Rose[/name_f] x8
[9] [name_f]Anna[/name_f] x7
[9] [name_f]Carrie[/name_f] x7
[9] [name_f]Jennie[/name_f] x7
[12] [name_f]Esther[/name_f] x6
[12] [name_u]Florence[/name_u] x6
[12] [name_f]Pauline[/name_f] x6
[12] [name_f]Selma[/name_f] x6
[16] [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f] x5
[16] [name_f]Betty[/name_f] x5
[16] [name_f]Celia[/name_f] x5
[16] [name_f]Doris[/name_f] x5
[16] [name_f]Janet[/name_f] x5
[16] [name_f]Lillian[/name_f] x5
[16] [name_f]Lillie[/name_f] x5
[16] [name_f]Sadie[/name_f] x5
[24] [name_f]Adele[/name_f] x4
[24] [name_u]Anne[/name_u] x4
[24] [name_f]Bessie[/name_f] x4
[24] [name_f]Caroline[/name_f] x4
[24] [name_f]Ethel[/name_f] x4
[24] [name_f]Frances[/name_f] x4
[24] [name_f]Gertrude[/name_f] x4
[24] [name_f]Hilda[/name_f] x4
[24] [name_f]Ida[/name_f] x4
[24] [name_f]Shirley[/name_f] x4
[24] [name_f]Sylvia[/name_f] x4
[35] [name_f]Ann[/name_f] x3
[35] [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] x3
[35] [name_f]Blanche[/name_f] x3
[35] [name_f]Edna[/name_f] x3
[35] [name_f]Clara[/name_f] x3
[35] [name_f]Fanny[/name_f] x3
[35] [name_f]Henrietta[/name_f] x3
[35] [name_u]Jean[/name_u] x3
[35] [name_u]Joan[/name_u] x3
[35] [name_f]Theresa[/name_f] x3
[35] [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f] x3
[35] [name_f]Sally[/name_f] x3
[35] [name_f]Susan[/name_f] x3
[48] [name_f]Alice[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Barbara[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Belle[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Bess[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Beth[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Dora[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Eileen[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Emilie[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Estelle[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Eva[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] x2
[48] [name_f]Flora[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Grace[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_u]Gussie[/name_u] x2
[48] [name_f]Hattie[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Irene[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Jeanette[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Lottie[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Marjorie[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Mary[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Mildred[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Mimi[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Minnie[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Miriam[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Mollie[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Muriel[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Natalie[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Nettie[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Pearl[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Peggy[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_u]Rae[/name_u] x2
[48] [name_f]Reba[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Rebecca[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_u]Rene[/name_u] x2
[48] [name_f]Tillie[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f] x2
[48] [name_f]Sophie[/name_f] x2
Analysis
More girls were given unique names than boys, which lines up for the regular US top 1000 data too. I don’t think there were more boys names than girls, just that girls were given more spelling variations too. The boys top 10 didn’t surprise me, but I was really shocked by the girls? I expected [name_f]Sarah[/name_f], but not [name_f]Bertha[/name_f] or [name_f]Fannie[/name_f].
Of these names, I think the ones that have the most chance of coming back are: [name_m]Abraham[/name_m], [name_m]Louis[/name_m], [name_m]Saul[/name_m], and [name_m]Julius[/name_m]. [name_u]Leo[/name_u], [name_u]Henry[/name_u], [name_m]Isaac[/name_m] and [name_m]Solomon[/name_m] have already really come back, and names like [name_m]Samuel[/name_m], [name_u]Joseph[/name_u], [name_u]David[/name_u], etc never stopped being fashionable for Jewish boys. Although I love it, I don’t think [name_m]Irving[/name_m] or [name_m]Morris[/name_m], [name_m]Herman[/name_m], [name_m]Ernst[/name_m], or [name_m]Jerome[/name_m] will come back into fashion soon. [name_m]Isaac[/name_m], [name_m]Manny[/name_m], [name_u]Henry[/name_u], and [name_u]Eli[/name_u] are much more fashionable for 2010/20s boys.
For girls, I think [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f], [name_f]Esther[/name_f], [name_f]Adele[/name_f], and the nickname-ending-in-ie names have the best chance of coming back in style. Especially the nicknames, those names are still semi-popular, it’s just that a lot of parents are going with y spellings now. I lowkey want [name_f]Selma[/name_f] and [name_f]Hilda[/name_f] to come back into style but I don’t think that’s likely. They’re too old sounding and not connected enough to Judaism for parents to seriously consider - Salem/Shalom and [name_f]Hadassah[/name_f] seem like successors. I think that [name_f]Bertha[/name_f], [name_f]Doris[/name_f], [name_f]Shirley[/name_f], and [name_f]Edna[/name_f] are going to be left in the dust. [name_f]Edna[/name_f] especially doesn’t seem like a name that many Jewish parents are going to be picking, since it derives from Apochrypha. [name_f]Eda[/name_f], [name_f]Edith[/name_f], or [name_f]Eidel[/name_f] seem like more likely ways for parents to honor Great Aunt [name_f]Edna[/name_f]. [name_f]Sarah[/name_f], [name_f]Hannah[/name_f], Anna/Anne, and [name_f]Rose[/name_f] never stopped being fashionable for Jewish girls.
Were there any that really surprised you? Would you be interested in the full list of 401 names? [name_u]Or[/name_u] do you have more ideas of ones that seem ready to come back?
), [name_u]Sidney[/name_u] for a boy, [name_u]Sol[/name_u], and [name_u]Laurence[/name_u] come back! And, though they still rank decently high, I’d like to see more little boys called [name_m]Alan[/name_m] and [name_m]Louis[/name_m]. For the girls, [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f], [name_f]Betty[/name_f], [name_f]Celia[/name_f], [name_f]Frances[/name_f], [name_f]Eileen[/name_f], [name_f]Hattie[/name_f], [name_f]Marjorie[/name_f], and [name_f]Nettie[/name_f] are ones I’d like to see come back!