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

Margaret

OP Anglo-Saxon/early Germanic names (Brunhilda, Aetheflaed) have already been mentioned, though I have heard of a Cuthbert , a Chad and an Athelstan in recent real life. Were you perhaps thinking of 17th cent names such as 'Prudence' or 'Praise-God' or 18th cent names such as 'Augusta' and 'Tertius' or 19th cent names such as 'Albertine', 'Ernestine' and 'Leopold'? There are also classical names such as 'Cynthia' and 'Drusilla' that seem to have fallen out of fashion. Biblical names come and go - 'Deborah' was very popular in 1960s/1970s, ditto Rebecca; 'Athaliah' and 'Jezebel' not so.

Just stumbled over your zombie thread as I'm warned but thanks for all the names on here I'm looking for a old fashioned unpopular name to go with my DS whose name is Percy, I love Rupert and Albert but Albert is too common these days and the OH dislikes Rupert... So I'm going to nose through your lists and hopefully find inspiration :)

Oh, there are some lovely names on your list, manic, including Pearl, Ursula, Agatha, Albert, Arthur, Quentin and Lawrence. I know quite a few young ones actually.

The ones I don't particularly like are Nigel, Colin, Barbara, Margery and Walter as they are only one generation ahead of us so we know too many middle aged ones .

I don't know about WON'T come back but these are names I really HOPE don't come back:

Agatha
Beryl
Bertha
Barbara
Brenda
Deirdre
Daphne
Ethel
Enid
Ermentrude
Eustacia
Fanny
Gaynor
Gertrude
Gladys
Hilda
Ivy
Joan
Jean
Kathleen
Mavis
Maud
Margery
Nora
Olive
Pearl
Prudence
Ursula

Albert
Archibald
Arthur
Boris
Colin
Eustace
Harold
Herbert
Horace
Leonard
Lawrence
Maurice
Nigel
Quentin
Seth
Walter
Janet
Joyce

Nothing wrong with Amanda, just one of those 80's names you cant imagine a baby having!

ETA: Pete's wife Trudie in Mad Men gives good PR for that name.

Agnes is already on the rise.

Everyone goes on about Gertrude being horrible, but the nn Trudie is easily accessible.

I like Ethel - she is the chic, stylish 20-something sister in Just William.

Audrey is lovely (Hepburn, Tatou) and definitely on the rise.

Old men names on the other hand - I just can't get on board with. Absolutely hate and loathe Archie, Alfie, Harvey, all those. Can you imagine a little baby Trevor? Or Barry? Or Colin...? I know they will come back in time, but it seems so hard to believe!

I think almost ANY name will become fashionable again because people are always looking for different, underused names. The next generation won't have any of the associations that we currently do (just as we don't have the same negative associations with names like Florence or Arthur that our parents generation have ).

What's wrong with Amanda - it is a lovely name imo.

Love Arthur and was surprised to see it getting popular! So much so I can't use it! Or am I imagining it's popularity rise? Also considering Percy unless this is on the up too?
Agree that Amanda won't comeback!

I too love Rupert, Barney and Quentin, as well as Margaret, Agatha and Florence.

I think Derek and Kevin will make a comeback once the current generation and the associations have died out. But I bet they will come back at some point.

Love the name Rupert, and I know a baby Barney!

I can't ever see Derek, Desmond, or Kevin making a comeback!

Some lovely names on this thread that will definately come back imo, and I agree with burntsienna that people will always look for underused classic names. I've recently met a few young Evelyns, Quentins and even a Stuart.

I'd also much prefer these old 'proper' names than made up modern names (Princess, Jayden etc).

Bertha
Beulah
Brunhilda
Hildegarde
Hattie
Agnes
Gertrude/Gertie
Blanche
Bernice

Englebert
Cleophis
Marvin
Melvin
Rupert
Hedley
Barney

I doubt that there are any names that will "never" come back. Some of those suggested in this thread are lovely names - I suspect that for some people they are inextricably associated with some aged relative. Some IMO are hideous names, but they will also come back, there is always someone who likes them.

I recall my mother being amazed when names like Emma came into fashion, she said that, to her, it was an old lady's name. For me it's names like Alfred and Albert .... when I was a nipper Alf and Bert were the archetypal old men's names ....

and here I am getting on the soapbox and ranting about people giving their kids shortened versions of these grand names. Bertie is OK for a little boy, but when he's a man he will probably appreciate the full royal title, as it were. Give the child the full name and let them have a choice. You can use the nickname you prefer, but little Bertie might later choose to be called Al or Albie or Bert - or indeed Albert! And Alfie should not be deprived of the full name of one of our greatest Kings - and he can opt to be Fred or Freddy. And so on.

What keeps names endlessly circulating, I think, is people's desire to find 'something a bit different'. Much prefer to see old and classical names sought out, than ghastly made-up chavvy names.

/hear/

Naturally I'm named after a fav auntie Ada so love it but the family also had a less popular auntie Hilda and wouldn't wish that name on any little ones. Did here someone in the park shouting 'Hilda' at their boxer and couldn't stop laughing seemed very apt.

Most older names return because of fav relatives and family traditions we have middle names running through the male lines but no one remembers where they come from. Then fashions take over. I had to keep a straight face in a shop once when a mum screamed at her toddler Kylie - I wonder if there are any Rodney's out there that pre date Only Fools and Horses because of Rod Stewart and I knew an Elvis at school.

We're just watching the gymnastics, there's a French chap called Cyril. Can't imagine that one coming back here!

i think perhaps in 10 years time brian maybe in for a resurgence as all the ryans of the the last 10 years grow up and ryan becomes very dated like tracy , sharon etc . brian would have the same sound which maybe in it's favour .

margaret possibly spent longer in the wilderness because it was entwined with mrs thatcher and her personality and politics etc

I disagree. I think that the fact that it ended in an 'ut' sound made it sound very harsh for a long time,but now that we have had names like Scarlet, Violet and Juliet become fashionable, Margaret is going to sound less 'crusty'. jmo. I think Margaret will be the new Violet in about five years.

It's because Margaret and Maggie are not terribly attractive names. Agatha? No.... But Agathe?

I meant to say 'old' for a baby, not odd. A lot of names seem old for a six week old baby but are fine once the child begins to grow up.

Agatha is probably due for a resurgence - names seem to come round again after about 100 years. I think it's the sort of name which would seem a bit odd for a baby but she would grow into it.

What puzzles me is why Margaret hasn't re-appeared in the form Maggie as a full name - in the way that Katie and Archie etc have appeared as full names.

Here's another suggestion-Bathsheba? (im reading far from the madding crowd, well trying)
What do people think of Agatha? Is it truly awful & should I cross it off my list?! I really love how its shortened to aggie, but don't want my dc to hate their name forever!

Emma - sorry has taken me so long to get back to you... Amy...well, it's just terribly pedestrian.

Add Emma to the list.