My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Baby names

Staying one generation ahead of "cool"

113 replies

NicknameMustbeBetween4and30Cha · 16/08/2018 11:50

So, we all know the current wave of trendy vintage "cool" names being revived (Ada, Vera, Beatrice, Wilfred, Stanley, Albert, etc), but the problem is that kids don't appreciate how cool their names are! It's just their name to them! And by the time they're in their 20s and 30s and old enough to appreciate it, these names will all be done to death and boring. The new Clares and Emilys and Johns and Davids.

So what we need is a baby name that is not even close to being cool yet, but will be in 25 years. The cool names of the next generation! So that when my child is in his/her 20s, everyone will just be starting to think what a cool and unique name it is!

Any ideas? Grin

OP posts:
Report
Jillyjollyjandy · 16/08/2018 11:51

Nigel
Alan
Gregory

Nicola
Michelle (Shelly)
Janice

Report
BikeRunSki · 16/08/2018 11:55

My theory is that children are often names after their great grandparents (say names of people in their 80 now), so look at names of people in the 60s now. Off the top of my head , recently retired colleagues are called Karen, Carol, John, Sue, Mark , Graham.

Report
catherinedevalois · 16/08/2018 12:03

Agree plus Sharon, Fiona, Kevin and David. My top names for ahead of the trend would be Caroline and Adrian. You heard it here first

Report
NicknameMustbeBetween4and30Cha · 16/08/2018 12:31

God, they sound so horrible don't they? It'd be quite a gamble!

OP posts:
Report
Nettymummy · 16/08/2018 17:16

Amanda, Fiona, Caroline. Damien, Jason, Shane, John, Tim, Jim.

Report
IVflytrap · 16/08/2018 17:26

Elaine
Lisa
Linda

Gareth
Colin
Norman

Report
FawnDrench · 16/08/2018 18:52

Derek
Dennis
Gerald
Graham
Brian
Norman
Wayne
Simon
Selwyn
Cecil
Clement
Bernard

Barbara
Gwendoline
Olwen
Trudy
Denise
Maureen
Kathleen
Brenda
Caroline
Bernadette
Deirdre
Margaret

Report
GreatDuckCookery6211 · 16/08/2018 18:56

Julie
Deborah
Alison

Carl
Paul
Lee

Report
DieAntword · 16/08/2018 18:57

Ethylflaed
Oswiu

Report
Ricekrispie22 · 16/08/2018 19:01

Over the past 3 years I've been involved in three different schools. There's been an Eric, Denis, Robert, Nicholas, Malcolm. I can't remember what Malcolm's brother was called, but it was something along those lines. I've just realised it's all boys! Where are the Brendas, Doreens and Jeans?

Report
deptfordgirl · 16/08/2018 19:10

I actually think the Victorian/20s style names you listed aren't 'cool' anymore, they're lovely but too commonplace. The really cool people I know are using 50s names like Barbara, Wendy, Peggy, Frank.

Report
Joeybee · 16/08/2018 19:13

Basically it's all the names of our own parents and their parents generations.

So Susan, Carol, Karen, Barbara, Nigel, Colin, Kevin, Kenneth etc etc

Report
MazDazzle · 16/08/2018 19:13

Debbie
Lauri
Claire
Leanne
Caroline
Margaret
Julie
Donna
Patricia
Theresa
Tracey
Phylis
Gladys

Barry
Kevin
Dale
Lee
Bob
Greg
Daniel

Report
AnduinsGirl · 16/08/2018 19:14

I prefer these...

Staying one generation ahead of "cool"
Report
NicknameMustbeBetween4and30Cha · 16/08/2018 19:19

I actually think the Victorian/20s style names you listed aren't 'cool' anymore, they're lovely but too commonplace. The really cool people I know are using 50s names like Barbara, Wendy, Peggy, Frank.

Yeah, the ones I listed are definitely past their peak. I couldn't think of what the cool ones actually are!

But anyway, that just means it's already too late for the likes of Barbara, Wendy, Peggy and Frank. I need what comes after them.

OP posts:
Report
Trialsmum · 16/08/2018 19:25

I think it’ll be the nicknames of adults now... Dave, Steve, Mike, Andy, Paul (not a nickname obvs), Mandy, Wendy, Sarah, Vicky...

Ds has a 9 year old Dave in his class already and an Ian who was a few years above!

Report
georgie262 · 16/08/2018 19:30

Or names that have never been particularly common or cool in the first place - my first name is Georgina and I’ve never been cool...

Report
MazDazzle · 16/08/2018 19:40

Derek & Deirdre. For twins! Grin

Report
CanineEnigma · 16/08/2018 19:43

Wu-tang Dan Grin That's my next cat's name sorted.

Report
derekthe1adyhamster · 16/08/2018 19:47

I think Dave and Matt are going to be popular along with Christopher. Not sure about girls, maybe victoria, Sarah and nicola?

Report
KavvLar · 16/08/2018 19:47

It's going to be 70s/80s names then:

Becky
Claire
Susanne
Laura
Emma
Angela
Jane
Louise
Michelle
Lorraine
Kirsty

Mark
Paul
David
Gareth
Andrew
Craig
Toby
Anthony

James and Emily seem to have transcended that 'dated' feel but I'd have put them in there too

Report
KavvLar · 16/08/2018 19:49

And yy to Victoria Sarah and Nicola. Can't believe I missed those. And Melanie.

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

NameChangedNow · 16/08/2018 19:54

Deborah
Sandra
Tanya
Carol
Patricia
Tracy
Ruth
Marion
Angela
Christine
Valerie
Nicola
Lynn
Theresa
Anita

Report
AuntieStella · 16/08/2018 19:55

Kenneth and Deborah

Paul and Donna

Colin and Lorraine

Report
NoLeslie · 16/08/2018 19:56

My name was very unusual for my age, I only met one other person with it at school. 20 years later it's every other millennial's name. People expect me to be a lot younger than I am Grin

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.