Downton Abbey Names?

See, I would class Violet and Pearl as dreadful, why-choose-those-when-there's-so-many-lovely-girls'-names names - they make me think of Beryl Cook ladies - matronly, mono-bosomed, frumpy and, err, fuller-figured... In fact, I'd lump the name Beryl in with them. And as for Florence, I just do not get the fuss over it at all.

Edith is infinitely nicer.

All a matter of personal taste - luckily we don't all like the same names, or it would be a very boring world indeed!

Old fashioned names are definately on the rise i've recently met a 2 yr old Gwen and a 3 yr old Edith except she couldn't say it properly and told me her name was "EdiFF", very cute.

Yup - our DD was an Edith before DA - as was the other Edith I know. And one of our DD's middle names is Violet. Actually - her other middle name is was pretty popular in Edwardian times too. (Anglo Saxon though.) (Our children have two middle names each - aim was to keep both sides of our family happy... long story. But DH's mother's middle name was Violet and, very sadly, she died before we had children. Afraid we didn't like her first name...)

But we can't claim to be original - old lady names have been a trend for at least 12 years I reckon.... (or 36 years if you are my mother - but she's just eccentric ;) ).

Ponders - you are original though!

Julian Fellowes is just jumping on the zeitgeist (?). Fashions for names always go in cycles though I suppose.

Totally agree Edith is a Marmite name. DH and I had long discussions - he loved it until he asked what people (laddy blokes) at work thought about it. He likes Edie though. I love both. (And won paper scissors stone when we had to decide.)

(Love Mary too, BTW - but can't use it as DH's family use it to describe women's bits...! Most odd...)

I know a family with a Mary & an Edith, both around 20 now

They were way ahead of the game

Have I missed something?

Not in the least-I don't think that he has any influence. Mary and Edith are already making a comeback and I doubt whether the rest will.

Anyone else slightly disturbed that Julian Fellowes of all people is influencing our choice of baby names????

Oops - fat fingers on iPhone syndrome. .... In years to come, I was trying to say. But honestly, what's the alternative? Call them unfashionable names (any recent Sharons/ Pamelas out there?) safe in the knowledge they'll be unique?
Have discovered Edith to be a Marmite name with extreme reactions both ways; Anna much 'safer'.

We have a pre-DA Anna and a new Edith who we're calling Edie. Hadn't made the DA connection with either name til finding this thread, now slightly concerned my Edie will be one of 10 in her class in years to c

My daughter is called Edith (rarely 'Edie') and she's 5.5 - I've only met one other little girl called Edith and she's the smae age as DD - I hadn't even made the Downtown connection so we're ahead of the curve. However, I was reading Julian Fellowes' book 'Snobs' when I was pregnant and the main character (not particularly nice) is called Edith so I was inspired by the creater of Downton I guess, though we chose it because it's a very old Anglo-Saxon name (pretentious, moi?!). I like most of those Edwardian names but not Sybil (though isn't it originally Greek?) - too much Fawlty Towers.

www.babynology.com/meaning-abbey-f24.html

3 of my children have Downton names actually - all from before bloody Downton was written. And all below stairs. Will have to have another one and call it something posh.

I am thinking of naming my son Mrs Patmore. I just love Downton names.

Lavinia is a pretty name, but she'd get called variations on 'Lavatory' at school.

I don't follow `Enders v closely but it is the name of Tanya Branning's mother so not a main character/ cute new baby & probably not a huge source of inspiration. Noticeable enough for a number of people to mention to us though

My mn is Lavinia, its also my Mum and Gran's first names. I used to hate it but I actually really like it now I'm 'grown up'. There is a little girl at DS's nursery called Lavinia, it sounds so sweet on her and not old fashioned at all. I know a little Cora too.

Oh darn -- is it a bloody EastEnders name as well? Arsebiscuits.

We have an 8 week old Cora. It was my Grandma's name and her Dad named her after an opera singer. We didn't know about the TV characters of the same name (Downton Abbey, Eastenders, Maxwell House advert) until people started wondering if we'd gotten inspiration from them. I had been pleased that it is fairly uncommon (434th or thereabouts last year) until that point, especially since it's not a name I particularly love.... not that I'm overly bothered about such stuff given both our boys have top 10 names.

Yes, but Tim Minchin ( who is mine, by the way, hands off) also has a Caspare, so I don't think he can be used as a good role model!

In my mind Sybil only means one thing (Fawlty Towers) and for that reason I could never call a babe in arms by such a name. And sorry, but Ethel really is not a name for a baby. Think Edie (as in Sedgwick the famous Andie Warhol muse) is a lovely diminutive for Edith....

Like Cora too - wasn't someone in Last of the Mohicans thus named....?

I could never call a child Edith as I can't resist saying 'Edith' in the voice of the old woman from 'ello 'ello