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Baby names

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

Original poster

'Old-fashioned' names that might NOT make a come-back?

338 replies

PrincessFiorimonde · 04/04/2011 07:08

I was thinking about names that might have been popular about 100 years ago or more, and were then considered old-fashioned 30, 40 or even 50 years ago - but are now becoming more popular again. For example, Dorothy and Archie are names that are probably used more now than they were for babies born in the 60s or 70s.

So I wondered if there are names that have not made a come-back, and are not likely to?

For example, does anyone think these names are used much for babies born recently:
Eustace
Eunice
Jean (for a girl; not the French boys' name)
Joan (for a girl; not the Catalan boys' name)

I'm not trying to start a 'these are horrible names' thread. I'm just wondering which 'old-fashioned'-type names haven't really been revived. (Or perhaps I should say: haven't really been revived yet!)

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Megglevache · 04/04/2011 13:31

Olive, Peggy and Maud with be the next biggies and whatever William and Kate have...hopefully they will call their children Garry Trev and Sandra-Lynette and you will all be saying you love it in 5 years time Grin

freesias · 04/04/2011 13:29

evelyn and leslie for boys

lesley for girls
ermintrude you'd really have to hate your daughter too do that
frederica
gertrude

lottiejenkins · 04/04/2011 13:25

look whos had a baby Olive!!
Also Sacha Baren Cohen and Isla Fisher have an Olive too!!

Megglevache · 04/04/2011 13:23

All of these will come back....ALLL of them

I actually love Jeanie, Joanie, Lucienne, Viviene etc.

I give it 20 years and we'll all be going Hmm just like my mother did when I mentioned a Ruby, Milly, Lilly, Alfie etc...

GetDownYouWillFall · 04/04/2011 13:23

No it's just Gay

Megglevache · 04/04/2011 13:21

is it not Gaynor, I love that name.

GetDownYouWillFall · 04/04/2011 13:20

I know a lady called Gay. She is actually a really lovely person but I always feel a bit sorry for her because of her name.

I don't think anyone would call their baby girl Gay these days.

lisianthus · 04/04/2011 12:59

Fanny is a nn for Frances anyway. I can see Frances coming back - lovely name!

marriednotdead · 04/04/2011 12:59

I have encountered a young Jeremy, which suits him and is sweet.

But also a Gertrude-nn Gertie. Why?

I'm old enough to remember relatives/ friends of my grandparents with many of these names.
I just hope that DD doesn't want to use any of the hideous 70's ones when the time comes.

Fluter · 04/04/2011 12:56

My mum (a Joan) always felt that it dated her to the 30's. I think Fanny has too many sniggery connotations these days - I think it was a version of Ann. Guinevere / Genevieve is alive and well in the updated / Anglicised Jennifer.

I think I might raise an eyebrow at Clytemenestra or Ophelia, given that one was a murderess and the other a grief-maddened suicide. The perils of choosing names from classical literature, I guess. :) I wouldn't mind seeing some of the names from Greek myths appear - Leda, Artemis, Athena, Iphigenia or Hera.

Names come and go - my holy grail is finding names that don't scream a particular decade, whether unusual or not. Mum managed it with me pretty well, and I quite like the Elfrida type - to me they're pre-Norman old English names rather than Germanic.

ShirleyKnot · 04/04/2011 12:54

oh I love Elsie.

Ormirian · 04/04/2011 12:52

SOrry I meant Elsie

monkeyjamtart · 04/04/2011 12:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Ormirian · 04/04/2011 12:41

Myrtle.
Timothy
Elise
Doris

ShirleyKnot · 04/04/2011 12:40

oh and Thelma.

LadyWellian · 04/04/2011 12:40

I almost started this thread last week after walking past a colleague called Denise.

Also Patricia. Like Derek, it's just not a name I can imagine on a baby.

ShirleyKnot · 04/04/2011 12:40

Doreen.

Flower1000 · 04/04/2011 12:35

Norman
Lesley (male or female)

as others have said, can't imagine looking into a cot and saying 'ahhhh isn't Norman beautiful' :)

bellamysbride · 04/04/2011 12:32

I love Blythe. Seriously considering if this baby is a girl. Mind you, the only people I know with the same name as DS are old men. I must be sooo last century Grin

Edmundo · 04/04/2011 12:20

Stanley is mega popular and there are lots of young Agneses too!

Original poster
PrincessFiorimonde · 04/04/2011 12:18

I quite like some of the names mentioned here! Bit surprised at young Agneses, Elsies and Myrtles though.

Think Valium made a good point about Germanic names such as Ethelred. I once knew someone called Hrothgar, but most people called him John.

Agree about Adolf falling into disuse!

OP posts:
BikeRunSki · 04/04/2011 12:09

I know several baby Stanleys, a Gilbert and a Stephen.

I also know sisters, Elsie, Mable and Maud. They are all under 5!

CornishTwinMoominMamma · 04/04/2011 12:02

We seriously considered 'Maud' for our daughter, but whenever we mentioned it to friends and family it was met with stony silence which suggested to me it didn't have 'old lady chic'.

My friend Graeme says that no baby should EVER be named Graeme. Baby Graeme. Just doesn't work.

Valiumsoltera- Guinevere isn't at all common here in Cornwall as far as I'm aware. Plenty of Kerensas, Lowennas, Tressas, Athwennas, Morwennas etc. For boys it tends to be Trevelyan, Perrin, Jago, Jowan... I did once know of an Uther. Cute little boy.

strandednomore · 04/04/2011 11:51

I have known a toddler boy called Percy.

I think most names will come back eventually, even the Brians, Sharons, Keith's etc.

The only that probably won't will be like the hurricane names which are retired after it causes a certain number of deaths. So yes we'll probably not see many more Adolph's, Osama's, Saddam's, Idi's etc.

longislandicetea · 04/04/2011 11:33

Edna. Both my mum and grandma are called Edna. My Mum has always hated it, my Grandma obviously doesn't mind it tho!