Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

Stanley or Frank - Which is Rarer?

35 replies

doggus · 07/07/2011 01:12

Hi - we want to call ds to be Stanley or Frank - but I am worried that Stanley in particular is getting widespread and I do like to be a bit different!

Are there lots of Stans and Franks about?

Plus any other good World War 1 era names - bring em on. We are due in a week!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Original poster
doggus · 09/07/2011 23:36

Slogan - we are actually considering Eric as I write!!

Bumper - yes ds off to school in September, I shall miss him but will be busy with ds2. Your two sound adorable but am sorry you suffered again. I have had awful health problems which resulted in having to use a surro but it has worked out. Still pretty much housebound lots of days. It took us two years to gte our surro preggers!! Long old process....

OP posts:
SloganLogan · 09/07/2011 08:49

I like Eric best from your ideas so far! :)

BumperlicicusTotalus · 09/07/2011 08:26

Oh wow, that's great! How's it working out?

I've got dd2 now, who is nearly 10 months. Another miserable pregnancy, and a difficult non-sleeping baby. But despite that I've actually enjoyed it much more this time round. Dd2 is a monkey, cruising round furniture already. Dd1 loves her and went not pinning her to the ground with hugs is a great babysitter while I mumsnet do housework, "Mum, DD2 is eating a stone again" Grin.

How's DS1? Off to school in Sept?

Original poster
doggus · 09/07/2011 00:16

BUMPER!! Hell! I am not preggers - we have a lovely surrogate - how are you? How many have you got now??

OP posts:
pranma · 08/07/2011 20:12

My dgs[7] is Frank[short for Francis] and I have never met another child with that name.I also know one 4 year old Stanley.No Sidneys or Wilfreds though :)

Bumperlicioso · 08/07/2011 20:05

Hello doggus! Didn't realise you were pg again!

Original poster
doggus · 08/07/2011 00:46

Oooh I like Elvis Costello. Thank you all so much. i think we are leaning to Frank. I have a bit of a terror that Stanley is going to be the next Alfie or Archie!

OP posts:
Knackeredmother · 07/07/2011 23:22

I have a Frank, people love it and he really suits it. I know loads of Stanleys but no other Franks in RL.
Btw Elvis Costelloe and Pearl Lowe have a frank so a cool name!

milliemoan · 07/07/2011 23:09

I agree with Clary. I was born in 1974 and I knew of no Georges growing up. It may have been 'just in' the top 100, but a very very high percentage of names were used in the top 20 so George was still very rare at that time.

BBNElea · 07/07/2011 22:10

Statistically, William and George have never dropped out of the Top 100 in England and Wales from 1904 to 2009. Both Frank and Stanley were in the top 100 from 1904-1954 and then dropped out.

Clary · 07/07/2011 21:38

jollster you say that William and George have always been popular but when a mate of mine was 11 and at school (I am mid 40s) he was nicknamed "George" which was a bizarre old-fashioned sounding name at the time; and my SiL was widely mocked for picking the odd and dated name William for her second son - he is now about 25.

I do agree tho that they have both come back in with more of a flourish than Stan. Love Will especially but obv cousin made it a no-no for us.

Loving Eric. I know one 14yo Eric and bizarrely there are also 2 at the school where I work (I say bizarrely because WW1 trendy-chic is not what the parents there have generally gone for Grin - no Alfies or Arthurs or Freddies there).

BBNElea · 07/07/2011 18:24

In 2009 Stanley ranked #98 (with 627 births) in England and Wales and Frank ranked #259 (with 172 births).

LetThereBeRock · 07/07/2011 18:07

I don't know any children with either name,but then that might be because they're both utterly hideous names. Stanley is marginally better I suppose.

pinkhebe · 07/07/2011 18:07

I know 2 Stans but no Franks. What about Howard?

freerangeeggs · 07/07/2011 18:03

Stanley and Frank are both lovely. I know one Frank and two Stanleys under the age of 14.

Ernest is a beautiful name (I also love Ernestine for a girl but most hate it).

Wilfred nn Wilf? Rupert? John nn Johnny or Jonno (John really IS unusual). Alfred, William, Bernard, Walter, Hector, Frederick, Gilbert, Lawrence, Edwin, Maxwell...

This makes for interesting reading - it's the top 100 names in Scotland from 1900. I'm not sure if there is an equivalent in England/Wales.

thereisalightanditnevergoesout · 07/07/2011 16:20

Clive
Geoffrey

I like Albert myself.

SpringFollows · 07/07/2011 15:42

I have come across one Stanley and one Frank, although I have the idea (based on nothing) that Frank might be a little more rare. I am not sure which one i like more... they both have charm, although Stanley could be seen as taking the piss somehow. Frank makes me think of Franklin Blake from my most favourite book ever, The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. (Not that he was called Frank, just it reminds me).

Original poster
doggus · 07/07/2011 15:38

Oooh I LOVE Eric!

What about Ernest?

OP posts:
Hedwig3 · 07/07/2011 14:52

Herbert - now you're talking!

LadyWellian · 07/07/2011 14:02

Eric

I think Stanley is more common on small people. DD has a Frank and a Frankie in her year (Y6)

Original poster
doggus · 07/07/2011 13:54

I am torn and so is DH. I am leaning towards Frank though - I want Francis but dh not having it.

I also want Herbert but have been soundly told no way!

OP posts:
squeak2392 · 07/07/2011 13:17

I don't know any of either, but I think Frank is a horrible name - Frank Butcher suited it perfectly, imo.
I should imagine Stanley is more popular, and that Frankie is more common on girls.

Hedwig3 · 07/07/2011 12:08

I don't know any Stanleys, I know 2 girls and a boy called Frankie

Horace
George
Ernest

JiltedJohnsJulie · 07/07/2011 11:16

Know 2 Stanleys, one is 10 and the other is 3 Don't know any Franks but do know a few Francesca's who are called Frankie though.

As both names are quite unusual I would go for the one you love the most. Afterall, the name you choose may be rare now but in 10 years time there may be a soap star with the same name that triggers off a rash of little Franks or Stanleys.

tummytickler · 07/07/2011 11:05

I love Norman! I want to use it so much but it does not go with ds's Hebrew names!

I know one Frank age 1, and a LOT of Stanleys. It seems to be very popular here.
Frankie is quite popular for girls here also.

I would go for Francis, with Frank as nn.