These English Names Sound Cool to Taiwanese People, But in the U.S., They’re ‘Totally Outdated’! 10 Names That Instantly Reveal Your Age

Taiwanese people start learning English from a young age, and many adopt an English name early on. Names like Linda, Cindy, Jennifer, Kevin, and Jason sound natural and familiar, with some using them from kindergarten all the way into adulthood. However, the same names can carry entirely different connotations in native English-speaking environments.

Just as certain Chinese names like 'Shufen,' 'Yating,' 'Guanyu,' or 'Pinyu' were popular among different generations in Taiwan, English names also follow distinct generational trends. Some English names commonly used in Taiwan immediately evoke images of parents or even grandparents to American ears.

This isn’t to say these names are 'bad' or shouldn't be used—they simply carry strong generational impressions in English-speaking societies. This article draws primarily on birth name statistics compiled since 1880 by the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) to identify when each name was most popular. It also references research by Lindsey N. H. Chen of National Taiwan Normal University on how and why Taiwanese students select and retain certain English names. The SSA data comes from Social Security card applications and represents one of the most comprehensive official records of naming trends in the United States.

Why do Taiwanese English names tend to remain 'stuck in the past'?

The reason may lie in how English names are chosen. Chen’s study of 248 Taiwanese university students found that 43% received their English name from a teacher, 27% chose it themselves, and 19% had it decided by their parents. Many acquired their English name during preschool or elementary school, and 204 out of 248 respondents—about 82%—said they never considered changing it. In other words, a name given at age five might be used until age thirty or beyond.

As a result, if textbooks, teachers, or parents were familiar with names popular in previous generations, those names continue to circulate in Taiwan—even as baby naming trends in English-speaking countries have shifted dramatically. In 2025, the most popular girls’ names in the U.S. are Olivia, Charlotte, Emma, Amelia, and Sophia, while boys’ names include Liam, Noah, Oliver, Theodore, and Henry—clearly diverging from the set of English names familiar to most Taiwanese.

Outdated English Name 1: Linda

Linda is perhaps one of the most classic examples.

The name is completely familiar in Taiwan and actually appears in Chen’s study of Taiwanese students. However, looking back at U.S. history, Linda’s golden era was much earlier: it ranked as the #2 most popular girl’s name in the U.S. during the 1940s and remained #2 in the 1950s, dropping only to #7 in the 1960s.

However, from 2020 to 2025, Linda does not appear in the SSA’s top 200 baby girl names. This means that meeting someone named Linda today, Americans are more likely to associate her with women born between the 1940s and 1960s—not today’s young girls.

Outdated English Name 2: Susan

Susan is another textbook case of a name that was once extremely popular but now carries strong vintage connotations.

In the 1940s, Susan ranked #10 among U.S. girls’ names, rose to #4 in the 1950s, and reached #3 in the 1960s. In other words, calling out 'Susan' in an American classroom during the 1950s or 1960s might have caused several students to turn around.

By the 1970s, Susan had dropped to #27 and gradually faded from popularity. From 2020 to 2025, Susan does not appear in the top 200. As a result, it now more readily evokes associations with mothers or aunts’ generations among Americans.

Outdated English Name 3: Cindy

Short, easy to pronounce, and memorable, Cindy sounds perfectly natural in Taiwan’s English-naming culture. Chen’s research even recorded a student saying her name came from a cartoon character.

But Cindy’s peak popularity in the U.S. was concentrated in the mid-20th century: #48 in the 1950s and #46 in the 1960s. From 2020 to 2025, Cindy has disappeared from the top 200 U.S. baby girl names. Thus, while Cindy may still sound cute and friendly in Taiwan, it carries a distinctly retro vibe in the U.S.

Outdated English Name 4: Jennifer

To many Taiwanese, Jennifer remains a standard and classic English girl’s name—but in the U.S., it’s emblematic of the 1970s.

Jennifer was already #20 in the 1960s, then soared to #1 nationwide in the 1970s, with over 580,000 baby girls named Jennifer during that decade alone. Even in the 1980s, it remained #2.

Jennifer also appears in Chen’s Taiwan-based study, with one student noting her English name came from a news anchor. By 2020–2025, however, Jennifer had fallen out of the U.S. top 200. To Americans today, it strongly suggests women born in the 1970s and 1980s.

Outdated English Name 5: Michelle

Michelle sounds elegant and is often perceived in Chinese communities as a sophisticated English name—but it too carries a clear generational marker.

Michelle ranked #9 among U.S. baby girls in the 1960s, rose to #4 in the 1970s, and remained #12 in the 1980s. Its strongest presence was clearly between the 1960s and 1980s.

Today, Michelle does not appear in the SSA’s 2020–2025 top 200 girls’ names, making its generational association increasingly obvious.

Outdated English Name 6: Gary

If Linda represents the female side, Gary may carry even stronger generational weight among male names.

Gary ranked #14 among U.S. baby boys in the 1940s, rose to #12 in the 1950s—with nearly 330,000 Garys born in that decade alone—and remained #26 in the 1960s.

By 2020–2025, Gary no longer appears in the top 200 U.S. baby boy names. A 20-year-old Gary today would stand out more in the U.S. than in Taiwan, as the name is now more closely linked to older generations.

Outdated English Name 7: Kevin

In Taiwan, Kevin is almost seen as a 'timeless' English name, but viewed through U.S. naming history, its era is unmistakable.

Kevin ranked #27 in the 1950s, rose to #14 in the 1960s, stayed at #13 in the 1970s, and remained #23 in the 1980s. As a result, a large number of Americans named Kevin were born between the 1960s and 1980s.

Kevin hasn’t vanished entirely, but its popularity has waned. In SSA data from 2020 to 2025, Kevin ranks only #186 among all newborn boys. The name is still normal and recognizable, but to Americans, it now clearly carries the tone of a previous generation.

Outdated English Name 8: Jason

If Kevin represents classic male names before the 1980s, Jason can be directly labeled as the '1970s' name.

Jason was only #88 in the 1960s but surged to #3 nationwide in the 1970s, with over 460,000 baby boys named Jason in that decade. It remained high at #11 in the 1980s.

Jason is still in use today, so native speakers don’t find it strange, but by 2020–2025, it had dropped to #141. Hearing 'Jason,' Americans easily associate it with people now aged 40 to 50+.

Outdated English Name 9: Eric

Eric is also very familiar to Taiwanese people and still sounds crisp and modern. But its peak popularity in the U.S. was similarly concentrated in the previous generation.

Eric ranked only #74 in the 1950s, rose quickly to #28 in the 1960s, reached #14 in the 1970s, and remained #21 in the 1980s. Its most active period was clearly between the 1960s and 1980s.

By 2020–2025, Eric had exited the top 200 U.S. baby boy names. It doesn’t sound jarringly old, but compared to current favorites like Liam, Noah, and Oliver, the generational gap is evident.

Outdated English Name 10: Tony

Tony is also a very natural-sounding English name in Taiwan. Interestingly, Chen’s research on Taiwanese male students found that names like Ken, Kenny, Jeff, Nick, Tony, Eddie, Joe, and Mike—short, informal ones—were particularly preferred.