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Baby names

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

Girls names that won't date?

80 replies

Disneydreams · 20/05/2012 18:53

Just that really. Doesn't matter if popular. Ideas please. X

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SodoffBaldrick · 20/05/2012 23:46

OK, Florence will definitely date to this era, so if this is your criteria, then it's out. Freya will also date. And Olivia absolutely will! Doesn't it have the number one spot at the moment?

The following are names - neither hugely well-known and classic, nor ludicrously yoonee'q - which you would be very unlikely to be able to tell the age of the owner...

Eleanor/Elinor
Mallory
Merryn
Honor
Louisa
Rosalind
Miranda
Ingrid
Astrid
Blythe
Rowan
Briony / Bryony
Celeste
Simone
Aurelia
Cara / Clara
Odette / Odile
Claudia
Ines
Rebecca
Ellen
Elena
Ida
Elspeth
Henriette...

There's loads. This is just a drop in the ocean. If you start looking, there are so, so many under-utilised names out there that won't date. It's just a matter of landing on one that captures your imagination. :)

scoobydont · 20/05/2012 22:17

sophie
emily
rachel
charlotte
alice
jessica

Disneydreams · 20/05/2012 21:09

Casey your number 2 options are fab, if only I had guts lol Smile

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Disneydreams · 20/05/2012 21:07

Do not like Anna unfortunately. Love antonia, that is beautiful. Also like charlotte and Freya.

Thankyou for all your ideas Grin

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Angelico · 20/05/2012 21:07

Great suggestions!

radiolater · 20/05/2012 21:01

Emma
Lucy

Just trying to think of girls' names from my era (born in 60's) and my childrens' schoolmates - those are the only 2 I can come up with at the moment

CaseyShraeger · 20/05/2012 20:58

If you really want to not date, I think you have three main options:

  1. The timeless classics -- for example, Catherine, Victoria, Elizabeth or Anna
  1. The completely-out-of-left-field -- for example, Sacagawea, Persephone or Corisande
  1. Names which already seem dated to us but will probably be popular in our grandchildren's generation -- for example, Susan, Doris, Valerie or Elaine. These aren't exactly "won't date" names, but they won't date your DDs to their actual birth decade.

But it sounds as though what you want to do is to pick up on current naming trends (because you're no more immume to those than anyone else) but avoid the top few names that those trends catapault into ubiquity.

What about Phoebe?

LaBelleDameSansPatience · 20/05/2012 20:57

I would go for Anna, which won't date, because she can call herself Anne, Anna, Annie, etc, depending on the current fashion.

janji · 20/05/2012 20:48

Phoebe, Florence, Freya? All have nice meanings as well.

Convert · 20/05/2012 20:46

What about Amy or Anna?

AlexandraMary · 20/05/2012 20:45

According to the baby name wizard (blogger) who did some number crunching with popularity/variability over the years, the most timeless girls' name is Antonia.

youarekidding · 20/05/2012 20:42

agree with Sarah, Elizabeth, Charlotte and Alice. cos they're my favourites but most of the ones on this thread are beautiful.

Stellan · 20/05/2012 20:36

You need a name that has either always been popular like Elizabeth or Sarah or Catherine or that has never been popular and isn't increasing in popularity.

Stellan · 20/05/2012 20:36

You need a name that has either always been popular like Elizabeth or Sarah or Catherine or that has never been popular and isn't increasing in popularity.

Disneydreams · 20/05/2012 20:33

Thankyou sugar Smile I love Harriet and Florence. Very pretty.

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sugarspiceandallthingsnice324 · 20/05/2012 20:18

Lilian
Matilda
Alice
Felicity
Ophelia
Cecelia
Evelyn
Catherine
Elizabeth
Beatrice
Florence
Anabel
Agnes
Harriet
Josephine
Edith

This names are all classic victorian/edwardian names - they will not date, this is shown by the fact some are born with such names every single year - you can also shorten this names to things like lily, tilly, evie, eliza, bella, posy, josie etc that are very on trend.

QueenEdith · 20/05/2012 20:07

Well, you can never predict if a name is about to explode in popularity, but using an older name with strong associations that's never dropped entirely out of use might minimise the chances of it becoming too associated with a generation.

For inspiration: how about Shakespeare - Juliet, Rosalind, Celia, Jessica, Cordelia,

Or the myths: Diana, Penelope, Ariadne, Melissa, Maia, Gaia, Thalia

Or Royalty: Elizabeth, Matilda, Maud, Mary, Victoria, Louise, Isabella, Adelaide, Alice, Eugenie, Alexandra, Anne, Margaret, Catherine, Jane

Or Biblical/Saints: Helen, Agnes, Tabitha, Theresa, Talullah, Naomi, Agatha, Juliana, Apollonia, Petronilla, Marina, Felicity, Theodora, Christina, Euphemia, Pelagia, Cecilia

AKissIsNotAContract · 20/05/2012 20:02

Lily, Ellie and Eva are popular names so they might go out of fashion. But they are popular because they are nice names (not to my taste but certainly not awful). You can't predict the future so you are best off to pick a name you like and hope for the best.

Disneydreams · 20/05/2012 19:47

I do like Olivia and eleanor. I do like really popular names to be honest like lily and Ellie and Eva etc but really do not want a Chantelle type name in years to come iykwim. No offence to anybody. Just not my taste. I suppose if I love something now I still will in years to come? Even if ut goes out if fashion do u think? I know I'm hard work Blush

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AKissIsNotAContract · 20/05/2012 19:41

Can you suggest a few names you like then maybe we can suggest similar ones?

MaidInYorkshire · 20/05/2012 19:41

Eleanor?

My aunt was called Olivia 70 years ago. It was so outlandish then that she used to tell people she was called Olive to spare herself the embarrassment of her "strange name"...

Disneydreams · 20/05/2012 19:39

Ok thankyou. Back to the drawing board. Maybe I need a name that will date if that's the case Sad

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DesperatelySeekingSedatives · 20/05/2012 19:33

Charlotte
Katharine
Anna
Elizabeth
Lucy
Hannah
Alexandra
Emma

Disneydreams · 20/05/2012 19:30

Thankyou but apart from Olivia, I think those are dated. Arr can't win.

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Dropdeadfred · 20/05/2012 19:21

Olivia