My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

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

Baby names

Girls names I would like to see in use again

73 replies

Awalkinthefreshair · 16/02/2021 18:09

All from my era, and all names I love.
Which of these (if any) do you think are due a revival?
Also do you know any under 10's with any of these names?

Catherine (my favourite spelling)
Caroline (love the nn Carrie or Callie)
Emma (always wanted to be called this as a child)
Victoria (although dislike Vicky and Tori)
Rebecca (I'm ok with Becky)
Claire/ Clare (unsure which spelling I prefer)

OP posts:
Report
Pieceofpurplesky · 16/02/2021 18:12

Other than Claire I teach at least one of all of those (high school 1200 pupils)

Report
KirstenBlest · 16/02/2021 18:29

Catherine - I think Cathy is due a comeback
Caroline (love the nn Carrie or Callie) - lovely, Carly is another possible nn. Not keen on Caro
Emma (always wanted to be called this as a child) - timeless
Victoria (although dislike Vicky and Tori) - Vicky is fine
Rebecca (I'm ok with Becky) - know so many
Claire/ Clare (unsure which spelling I prefer) - the only nice one I know is in her 20s, and it's just a noise.

Ann, Jane and Susan are also nice, although I've never met a nice Sue.

Report
PatchworkElmer · 16/02/2021 18:30

I was thinking earlier how nice Laura is, and also Helen. Very ‘of my era’ like the ones in your post, @Awalkinthefreshair. My name is on your list actually!

Report
ShipshapeShore · 16/02/2021 18:33

I like Laura and Helen too. I've always thought Jennifer is nice.

Report
KirstenBlest · 16/02/2021 18:44

I like Helen a lot, Laura is nice and I've never met one I didn't like. I don't know that many Jennifers but I like the name.

Sarah was the name in my age group, and the nickname names like Debbie, Nicky and Becky were also popular. Karen and Paula are nice too, but probably too soon for comeback. I known a few Jacquelines and Angelas but no young ones.

Report
EileenGC · 16/02/2021 18:50

I love your list! I know of two little girls called Carolina (Spanish pronunciation) and Caroline (French), both nicknamed Carol.

Emma is gorgeous, my best friend in primary school was called Victoria, always went by her full name. And Claire is lovely, it sounds very French and sophisticated where I live. Everyone called Clara was jealous of the French or British Claires Grin

I also really like the names Joan and Joanna. I know a 16yo Joanna and an 18yo Joan and it's really refreshing.

Report
Echobelly · 16/02/2021 18:51

I rather like Yvette - I guess it's rather a my-mum's-generation name, but it's very nice
Suzanne/Susan could make a comeback - again, very much of my parents' generation. I know one peer who has a girl called Susan.

Report
EileenGC · 16/02/2021 18:52

Actually, Paula and Emma are in the top 10 in Spain, Sara is not far behind! They're mostly post 2000s names.

Report
Cloudesley · 16/02/2021 18:53

I like Julie

Report
BatleyTownswomensGuild · 16/02/2021 19:13

Louise
Angela
Heidi
Valerie

Report
BallsToYouSue · 16/02/2021 19:23

Emma is lovely! I do know a couple under 10. Both are 6.

I love Catherine; know two under ten. One is 6, the other is 9.

Caroline, Victoria, Rebecca and Claire are lovely too. I don't think I know any of those under ten, although I got chatting to a nanny one day at a play farm and her charges were called Rebecca and Rachel I think! Remember thinking how lovely the names were.

The only one I wouldn't use would be Victoria because I don't like Vicky or Tori.

Emma, Catherine and Rebecca are my favourites on your list.

I would ad:

Rachel
Alexandra
Elizabeth
Esther
Laura (already suggested - lovely)!
Samantha (inspired by another thread)
Sarah (already suggested - lovely again)!

Report
BallsToYouSue · 16/02/2021 19:24

Add*

Report
Toomuchtooyoung01 · 16/02/2021 19:26

Joanna is a pretty name

Report
BabbleBee · 16/02/2021 19:27

My name is on your list!

I know of one Annie, which I always think is lovely. Ruth and Helen/a are surely due a comeback?

Report
Toomuchtooyoung01 · 16/02/2021 19:27

Also Jennifer, Juliet and Hannah

Report
nimbuscloud · 16/02/2021 19:34

I know a Felicity aged 3, a baby Margaret, a Lesley and a Denise - both 4.

Report
VenusClapTrap · 16/02/2021 20:36

I am thrilled that there’s a 4 year old Denise out there, nimbuscloud - I love that name.

I know toddlers/small children called Emma, Laura, Jenny, Sara, Carolina.

Other names from that era that I’d welcome back are Jacqueline, Lisa, Elaine, Jane, Anne, Helen and Ruth.

Report
FirsAndFairylights · 16/02/2021 20:38

I love Stephanie but never hear it anymore

Report
partyatthepalace · 16/02/2021 20:42

Still quite a lot of little Emmas around, it’s funny how it’s become a classic rather than died away. Catherine is around too, definitely a classic, and in different forms eg Caitlin. Caroline I reckon will be back quite soon as an alternative to the ubiquitous Charlotte.

The others I think will take a bit longer, I think the Victorian/early 20th c revival has a while to run, and then we’ll have a mid century revival (Peter, Jane, Susan etc) before we get to these names.

Report
JaneNorman · 16/02/2021 20:48

Names we considered but didn’t use for various reasons were Catherine, Helen, Anna, Abigail, Claire, Lesley and Ruth. Love them all.

These threads do make me chuckle. It wasn’t that long ago we had a thread where Laura was universally hated because no one had ever met a nice Laura. Very happy to see some love for Laura on here. One of my nieces is a Laura and she’s a very sweet 4 year old.

Report
Santatizer · 16/02/2021 20:48

I like Jean (wouldn't use it myself weirdly but think it's pretty).

Report
JaneNorman · 16/02/2021 20:50

Undecided on Susan, I think it could be a grower, but I love Susana and Susie. And I know a lovely Sue.

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!

Rach247 · 16/02/2021 20:50

I love Mary, think it could come back soon.

I know a few young Rebeccas and Juliets and Emmas so they are definitely still around.

Gloria seems to be another one coming back in fashion.

Report
Rach247 · 16/02/2021 20:50

Oh and LOADS of Annas!

Report
JaneNorman · 16/02/2021 20:51

I forgot about Juliet, love that too.

Report
Please create an account

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