Names that used to be 'posh/unusual' but are now quite 'normal'

[shoobidoo]

A few years ago names like Jemima, Ottilie, Clementine, Arabella, Rupert, Quentin, Sebastian and Hugo would have been described as 'posh' and unusable. Now these names seem more 'common' and I certainly know some very un-posh people with these names . I remember reading a chapter in Freakomonics about how names move 'down the ranks'.
What other names would you have discounted a few years ago that you'd now consider?

[quitcomplaining]

Olivia...

[shouldnotbehere]

Not so much posh, but names used by all classes, which would have been considered pretentious at the Miners Institute a decade ago:

Oscar
Isabella
Florence

[shouldnotbehere]

Another two that I missed:

Miles
Elodie

[3boysgirlontheway]

George (here in Ireland anyway)

[evamummy]

Victoria
Lucinda
Montgomery (Monty)
Theodore (Theo)
Tristan

[ReneeVivien]

Orlando
Phoebe

[NadiaWadia]

When I was young if anyone was called Alice or Lucy you just knew they were posh and probably went to private school. My classmates were called things like Sarah, Claire, Tracey. Now Alice and Lucy are just normal names.

Similarly Freya was thought of as very posh a few years ago. Isn't it the name of the daughter of that conservative minister who had to resign in the 80s because he had fathered child with his secretary? (whilst married to someone else). Secretary/mother of child was very sloany, with velvet hairband and everything. But on a thread on here a few months ago Freya was described as 'chavvy'.

[evamummy]

Seems that names that start of 'posh' will increasingly be used by everyone else, so they prob wont be posh for much longer!

Even Sharon was once considered 'posh' apparently!

[ElaineReese]

I think when I was at school, Charlottes and Sophies and Harries and Charleses would all have been really quite posh - now they're probably a bit chavvy for some!

[shouldnotbehere]

Tracey I believe was considered posh in the 1950s, and became mainstream with High Society.

Similarly, I know a Harvey in his 40s, who is very posh.

My mum said that she liked the name Sophie for me, 30 years ago, but considered it too posh for us.

[englishmummyinwales]

NadiaWadia - I think you are thinking of Cecil Parkinson and Sara Keys (sp?). Why I still remember this, I do not know, but I think that the baby was actually called Flora, not Freya. Although the general concensus on this thread would probably include both names!

I need to get out more...

[JestersHat]

The only names from the OP which I'd consider are Sebastian and Clementine. The others still sound too pretentious to me.

Tabitha, Hermione, Cordelia, Matilda, Ursula, Ophelia, Tarquin, Ptolemy, Crispin, Marcus, Monty, Augusta, Teddy, Kit, Kitty, Allegra, Ludo, Ralph are in the same category IMO.

[CecilyP]

Tracey wasn't really posh before High Society - it was just rare. In fact, the only Tracey I ever met who was born before the film was released, was a man! The name I thought was really posh when I was a child was Chloe.

[Marinn]

Jade and Amber where posh in the 70's - both have fallen through the classes now.

Saskia was posh not long ago and again fallen rapidly.

It's the ebb and flow of names, fashions change.

Archie and Alfie for a boy 15 years ago would have been posh - now not at all.

[YummyMummybee]

Arabella
Isabella
Sophia
Lauren
Daisy
Ruby
Scarlett
Pippa(esp after Pippa Middleton

Mylo
Harry
Charlie
Ben

Like op says names tend to move down the ranks-I guess noone has a copyright on them. Good post-i'll be interested to see the other names people suggest

[LetsKateWin]

I think of Fiona as being quite posh (based on the Fionas I've known) and Elizabeth.

I went to school with Monty Halls (I'm a few years younger), we also had a Crispin. I've met a Tristan who was incredibly posh. I still think Lucy is quite a posh name.

[marshmallowpies]

If I'd met a Flora or Florence when I was growing up I would've thought she was posh.

I didn't meet a Freya until I was 18 - she dated the boy I fancied so I was very towards her, but I thought of her family as more 'middle class hippyish' rather than upper class. I would definitely have classed the name Freya as fey and a bit poncy, though, if not posh.

Tobys and Tristans would definitely have been posh, but I was at school with a Tobias and he was far from posh - very rich, yes, but not posh.

Met a Cris when I was around 23 and he didn't seem at all posh - when we found out he was actually called Crispin there was a LOT of piss taking.

[BackToBligg]

Imogen. Not long ago very rare. All I need to do is name my child something and it goes all dead common.

[yellowflowers]

I always thought Nancy was posh. And Benedict.

[lisaro]

Jade and Amber where posh in the 70's - both have fallen through the classes now More like plummeted.

[JestersHat]

"Archie and Alfie for a boy 15 years ago would have been posh - now not at all."

And they'd have been nicknames for Archibald and Alfred, of course, not names "in their own right".

[CheerfulYank]

A lot of high profile families here in the States used to use the mother's maiden name as a first name...so you'd have an uber-wealthy posh little girl named Campbell Elizabeth Smithington-Jones, or whatever.

But now that Madison and Kennedy and Carter and Parker are being used by the masses, it's a totally downmarket thing to do.

[5babyangels]

My youngest is Gabriel....not sure if it's posh or just traditional but I love it!

[SlinkingOutsideInFrocks]

Daisy
Ruby
Scarlett

...have never been posh.

Daisy is a nickname. Ruby is a Victorian scullery maid and Scarlett...? I cannot think of one posh Scarlett from days of yore. Scarlett O'Hara most definitely was not.