Mumsnet Talk

Lots of older names being used but is it a generation thing or what?? There are certain names that dont seem to be coming back into fashion. Do you think classrooms will ever be full of children named......

Doreen
Maud
Mildred
Audrey
Joan
Marjorie
Mary
Brenda
Bertha
Jean
Doris
Maureen
Kathleen
Barbara - DH really wanted this for our DD.

Malcolm
Bernard
Larry
Barry
Roy
Ron
Walter
Dennis
Roger
Amos
Clifford
Raymond
Kenneth

What other similar names can you think of that were once quite popular but now quite rare??

None to add except to say I know
Under 5
Maud
Mary and
Kathleen
Under 10
Malcolm
Amos
Under 20
Audrey
Walter

So they may not be as generational as you think...though we are in a different country to most posters.

I teach and I haven't taught any of these for years:-

Peter
Stephen
Kevin
Colin
Nigel
Sharon
Tracey
Joanne
Julie
Jennifer
Andrea
Karen
Denise

All names which were really common when I was at school.

Janet
Susan
Valerie
Jean
Christine
Margaret

I always think these are 'mum' names. I guess they'll come full circle though.

I know a baby Albert. Can't imagine babies called Colin, Gordon or Eric but I'm sure I'll be proved wrong!

Ah sowornout - those are all the names from my childhood too. Perhaps our grandchildrenwill name their offspring Kevin and Claire.

Really? I find it hard to believe Doris, Doreen or Denise ever had a hay-day.

I know a baby Eric. His mum is a true blood fan

Peter is still about, and Mary too. Though older kids, not babies.

I can see some of the 'mum' and 'dad' names coming back in time. People will names their DCs after their grandparents / great-grandparents.

Once my generation start dying babies will be called Tracy and Sharon, Darren and Craig again!

I think Peter is due a come back.

Got to say, there's some I haven't heard in ages:

Rita
Janice
Suzanne
Alison
Marjorie
Karen
Patricia
Kay

Keith
Kevin
Gary
Colin
Graham
Gordon

I think some of those will reappear and some not!

This is fun, actually. I'd forgotten about Alison, although there were lots when I was at school.

How about:-

Trevor
Nicholas
Brian
Geoffrey
Timothy
Anthony
Jeremy
Donald
Nathan
Dennis
Terry
Carl
Phillip

Never hear them nowadays. For girls there was:-

Lisa
Angela
Elizabeth
Christine
Amanda
Dawn
Rachel
Wendy
Sandra
Debbie
Donna
Theresa
Jaqueline
Caroline
Diane
Lynn
Anita
Ruth
Jeanette

Loads of girls called the above at my school - I've not heard of most of them for years.

I love Maud. I know a Peter, Elizabeth (think that's really popular) and Mary.

What about

Janice
Phyllis
Agnes (I love this too)
Jean
Steven
Michael
Nicholas
Mark
Matthew
Sandra
Hilary
Fiona
Nicola
Harriet
Carol

I know babies/children called Walter, Mary(s), Audrey, Amos, Peter, Alison, Simon and Timothy.

How about Helen, Elaine, Bridget, Heather, David, Graham, Steven, John (I like John)?

I know a baby Ian, and it just sounds wrong even though it's a perfectly all right name.

Ditto a Karen. Nice name, but v 70s/80s.

I know a couple of baby/toddler Peters (love that name), a Mary who is about 3 now I think, and also two Rachels, a Brian and a Nathan - and I have a Ruth.

I love the name Michael (currently shortlisting names as 38+5 with DC2) but can't use it as that would be DH's cousin's exact name.... Gah! Will be keeping an eye on this thread for other ideas though! Quite liking Walter...

First I'm a Kelly and there's 2 other Kellys in my street. It was popular when I was born and I had few in the same year. I was born in '90

I know a baby Lisa. Other than that all Lisa's I know are 30+!

I've got a Graham, Peter and Patricia in my class, these are the new 'grandparent' names. The ones you don't hear yet are the names from our Generation.

I think I actually quite like Peter now actually - always thought it was a bit meh but it sounds quite nice to me now.

I just cannot envisage a baby Malcolm and mums calling for "Malc" across the park.

I nearly died when DH suggested Barbara for DD2 12 years ago but now I can actually see some charm in it - still not convinced I would choose it though. Its another one of those names I struggle to picture a toddler or teenager owning. Although wonder if she would become Babs or god forbid Barbie.

I quite like Betty as well - are there many of those around???

Dont know why I am on about names - my baby making days are long gone.

Susan, Hilary, Moira, Valerie, Vera Veronica Marjorie, Christine, Phyllis.

2dogslong DD would be an Eric if she's a boy. I'm a true blood fan

Todd and Derek were popular boys' names in my day. Haven't heard those in a while.

I know a young Malcolm ( although in Scotland it's more of a classic name as we had King Malcolm), a young Alison ( again a more traditional name up here, was in the top 100 in 1900), a young Ian, Samantha, Claire, Suzanne, Ruth, Graeme, Daryl, Brian, Joanna, Jennifer, and a 20 year old Marjorie. That is just in one ( very non trendy) village.

I know a few parents who have given their children family names, mainly gp names. We have Frank and Margaret - you don't hear those much! And their siblings were Malcolm, Doris, Rhoda, Peter and Herbert. Peter is the only one I have encountered recently.

But 10 years ago I wouldn't have believed I would know 3 Alfies, 3 Lilys, scads of Noahs...

OhIWishThereWasABook - wow, Peter doesn't surprise me but Graham and Patricia do!