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Baby names

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

Original poster

Old Lady Cool names?

80 replies

myweeangel · 07/09/2011 23:15

Got a boy's name picked (we think). Got lots of time left but just thinking about a girl's name. Got DD, Olivia, and would like something charming and elegant to go with it. Love old lady cool names like Molly and Maisie but two friends' snatched these already. Any more ideas? Thought of Isobel, Anna, Emily, Hannah, but would love lots of like-minded suggestions!

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tummytickler · 16/09/2011 23:17

iskra I have an Iris, she is 10 years old and we don't know any others.

exoticfruits · 16/09/2011 22:44

Hopefully, for the DC, Iris is not getting popular-although there are quite a few around-preferable to Ivy.

exoticfruits · 16/09/2011 22:43

Although they go back to 1680 many of them are classic. I would only count Fanny
Maude
Violet
Gertrude
Winifred
Elsie
Edith
As old lady names.

workshy · 16/09/2011 22:26

currently researching family tree -gone as far back as 1680 -and the girls names are.........
Fanny
Harriet
Maude
Violet
Jessica
Edith
Leona
Frances
Joan
Gwen
Joyce
Alma
Betsy
Rachel
Amy
Sarah
Anne
Charlotte
Eliza
Mary
Emily
Clara
Winifred
May
Elsie
Ellen
Gertrude
Elizabeth

definately old lady names, not sure about cool (but I do like Clara)

iskra · 16/09/2011 20:30

Does anyone think Iris is getting popular...?

Kaekae · 16/09/2011 19:50

Doreen/Dori
Dolly
Irene
Maureen
Sylvia
Ethel
Dotty
Ursula

firesoup · 16/09/2011 19:40

Eileen

Theas18 · 13/09/2011 15:38

Margaret and all it's many variations/nicknames. A wee Meggy Maggie or Peggy would be sweet but it is a versatile name. All these are derivations/nicknames!

Madge, Marge, Meg, Megan, Mog, Moggie, Rita, Daisy, Greta, Gretel, Gretchen, , Marg, Margot, May, Molly, Margo Sanna, Meggie, Peggy and Peg.

and wiki missed the "hip and happening " punkified version- Maz!

noddyholder · 13/09/2011 14:41

Eloise Honor May Iris Sadie

AgonyBeetle · 13/09/2011 14:40

Molly, Maisie, Isobel, Anna, Emily, Hannah are not old lady cool names!!!! They are sweet-little-girl-everywhere names!!

Totally agree. Shout these names in a playground in any vaguely leafy part of town, and ten little moppets aged between 2 and 10 will come running. You may think they're chicly recherche, but lots of people have thought the same, and most of them have beaten you to it.

If you really want Old Lady Cool you'll need to ramp it up a notch, viz: Ethel, Edith (though that's borderline popular), Gertrude, Sybil, Maureen, Jean, Janet. Elderly nuns' names might be a fruitful avenue (as it were)? I offer: Dymphna, Perpetua, Fidelma, Philomena. But perhaps not Mary Patrick. Confused

Have fun.
Grin

SherlockHolmes · 13/09/2011 14:38

Elsie
Betsy
Kitty
Ivy
Iris
Lily
Violet
Minnie
Evelyn

and my personal favourite (although not so old) Rita

LaBag · 13/09/2011 14:36

Daphne ?? NO

thecatatemygymsuit · 13/09/2011 14:15

Loving practically all the names on this thread.
I have an Edie but also love Margot, Nancy, Daphne, Agatha, Clementine and Violet.
I almost wish I had six girls Smile
Recently found out that two of my great Aunts were called Cissy and Lena, both of which I think are fabulous names.

exoticfruits · 13/09/2011 14:02

Molly, Maisie, Isobel, Anna, Emily, Hannah are not old lady cool names!!!! They are sweet-little-girl-everywhere names!!

Exactly! classic names like Alice, Mary,Grace are not 'old lady names'

There are no 'cool old lady names'- they are all dire! e.g. Hilda, Maud, Elsie, Ivy, Beryl, Winifred, Freda, Ivy, Pearl, Ethel, Muriel, Mildred-horrid!

TaperJeanGirl · 13/09/2011 13:49

I have 3 girls and between them they have the names Violet, Ava, Rose, Effie, Iris, and Eileen, I love Maude, Ada, Aggie, Edith and Olive too Smile

Lucylucy57 · 13/09/2011 13:25

I love Pearl and Ivy. Not sure my boyfriend started off that keen but resistance is futile!

tothemoonandback · 13/09/2011 10:49

My Great Aunts were called:-

Edna
Nancy
Alice
Peggy
Mary.

and I love those names! Old lady chic is so fabulous!

babybaabaa · 13/09/2011 10:44

Gladys?
Edna?

pud1 · 13/09/2011 10:41

I love Mabel. It's my dd1 middle name after my great gran. Wished I had used it as a first name but people's reactions put me off

LydiaWickham · 13/09/2011 10:35

Agatha
Rita
Jill
Heather

LaBag · 13/09/2011 10:16

Mary

Isabella

My grandmas' names.

chaosisawayoflife · 13/09/2011 10:11

Hazel

Original poster
myweeangel · 12/09/2011 21:52

I hope none of you creative, trend-setting ladies are going to pick these names yourselves. I would hate to pinch your ideas only to find the names had become common!!! Only joking. Thanks again everyone.

OP posts:
MargeryDaw · 12/09/2011 14:48

How about Joan/Joanie?

Pasiphae · 12/09/2011 12:40

Maybe: Cora, Edith, Marguerite, Simone, Prunella, Selma, Ida, Polly, Shirley, Ethel, Elspeth, Vera, Gilda, Adelaide, Blanche, Clara, Celia, Eudora, Winnifred, Zenobia, Lucinda, Marnie, Theodora.