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Baby names

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

Original poster

Are fifties names having a revival?

190 replies

Jusfloatingby · 03/10/2012 16:47

In the last couple of months I've heard of a baby Jill, a baby Hilary and a baby Judy. I think of these as very fifties Enid Blytoney type names and am just wondering if the fashion for early twentieth century names like Edith, Iris and Ethel is now moving on to another stage?
I love the names Jill and Judy by the way.

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salome2001 · 04/10/2012 16:40

my great grandmother was Ivy, I think it would suit the Victorian names revival without being too over-used. but we are not succumbing with pink bump :)

WhatWouldGrandmaDo · 04/10/2012 16:36

if there is a revival I will blame Mr Bloom - Raymond, Joan, Margaret, Colin etc.

I am quite surprised that Maggie is having a revival. I would've thought it was in the same no-go category as Adolf! (not saying Maggie was the female Hitler but, well, still not good...)

Quadrangle · 04/10/2012 15:34

Caroline was the most popular name at my high school. I still like it..and Clare. I think Clare is very pretty. Makes me think of County Clare in Ireland. Bit irrelevant to the thread really as I was at high school in the 80s.

frogletsmum · 04/10/2012 15:31

Diane and Nicola/Nicole were really popular when I was at school.

Funny, I've noticed 'older' people often call me Cath - which I HATE! Must be an age thing.

Not 50s at all but my favourite name for revival would be Maude - would have called DS that if he'd been a girl. DH wasn't too keen though.

Original poster
Jusfloatingby · 04/10/2012 15:22

Oh, I forgot Helen. That's another lovely 50s name. I vote for a revival of the following:

Helen
Susan
Jill
Judy
Anne
Janet
Sally

OP posts:
thefudgeling · 04/10/2012 15:02

My mum is 60 and ALL her friends are called Linda, Sue, Kath/Cath or Anne.

squoosh · 04/10/2012 14:58

I think it's because Catherine has never fallen out of fashion.

Unlike poor Wilhelmina (!)

ivykaty44 · 04/10/2012 14:58

I thought Catherine was still popular though so can't be reveived in the same way as other names that have gone out of fashion

timmytoes · 04/10/2012 14:58

I was at school in the 70s and popular names were Joanne, Rebecca , Rachel, Victoria, Susan, Robert, Richard, Stephen, Andrew, David, Louise, Sandra, Claire, Mark whereas my parents generation were Ann, Sylvia, Roger, Peter, Trevor, Kathleen, Sheila, Stephanie and Colin. My grand parents generation were Stanley, Florence, Marion, Percy, William, Gladys, Frank, Elizabeth, Ann !, and Lancelot (not heard of that one for a while). There were lots of Emmas a few years after me.

frogletsmum · 04/10/2012 14:56

I'm a 60s girl - can't believe no one has mentioned Catherine/Kathryn/Katherine and all the variants yet. There were always at least 3 of us in every class I was in and I hated having to be identified by my surname.

My big sister was a 50s baby and had a typical name - Helen - she wanted to be a Penny.

Guess you're never happy with what your parents inflict on you...

ivykaty44 · 04/10/2012 14:49

Wilhelmina - I would choose Billie

ivykaty44 · 04/10/2012 14:48

I am really sorry but Phylis reminds me of an illness

Jane
Barbara
Clare
Susan
Dotty
Maggie
Caroline

Original poster
Jusfloatingby · 04/10/2012 14:29

Alison was sensible feeble and silly because she didn't like racing around a lacrosse field in freezing cold weather.

She also used to have crushes on teachers and other girls, IIRC. Totally innocent of course. I'm sure she's a happily married grandmother now.

OP posts:
weegiemum · 04/10/2012 14:23

Murrow = Murdo

weegiemum · 04/10/2012 14:23

This is great. Ii know a Darrell. He's in his 50s and American.

I'm a 70s baby and was one of four susans in my class. It's lovely to say people saying they like it as it was considered way too "Mavis" on MN a few years ago.

Reading this is like reading the register when I was at school!

Some names retain more popularity in some areas - like people mentioned earlier. We used to live in NW Scotland and I knew Donalds, Murrow, Malcolms, Alastairs of all ages. And Donaldas, Murdinas, Jeans, etc. Many, many Donald Macdonalds too!!

Quadrangle · 04/10/2012 14:05

If I was named Wilhelmina I would call myself "Mina" (pronounced Minna not Meana or Miner."

squoosh · 04/10/2012 14:04

Blyton also didn't approve of gels who had silly pashs on the fellows.

It would cause Darrell and co to shake their heads in pity for the little airheads. Then they'd retreat to the games pavilion for a quick grope with the games mistress

MadBusLady · 04/10/2012 13:57

There was also an Erica who was mean and horrible and had to be reformed by the other gels, but I can't remember which books.

Alison was the stuck up one at St Clares. I dunno why, I think she occasionally brushed her hair or something.

squoosh · 04/10/2012 13:56

5th child???? How is he old enough to have f-i-v-e children?

Wilhelmina though. Ouch. Poor kiddo.

stokemeaclipper · 04/10/2012 13:54

daily fail

interesting name they have gone for this time

squoosh · 04/10/2012 13:43

Wow the parents of baby Jason are waaaay ahead of the curve.

I agree with the advice from the 80 year old neighbour further up the thread, Winifred is awful!

edam · 04/10/2012 13:41

Cross-post! :-)

Declutterbug · 04/10/2012 13:41

I have met babies called Colin, Winifred (Winnie) and Edith, and 2 little Susannah's and an Audrey.

I think we are halfway there already!

edam · 04/10/2012 13:40

Friends called their baby Jason which I think is a bit of a Colin name. Too soon for a comeback on that one, I feel...

wigglybeezer · 04/10/2012 13:40

Can I just defend Colin as a name, in Scotland it is more common and is more of a suits all ages traditional manly name, especially in the Highlands where it is popular with members of clan Campbell.

Mind you my brother Colin reckoned it affected his dating success in England as women didn't like the thouhght of introducing " my boyfriend Colin" to their friends.

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