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Baby names

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

Original poster

Most retro/dated name you've heard recently

463 replies

atthewelles · 09/01/2013 11:26

I heard a woman in the park calling her little girl Madge. I haven't heard that name in years and years. I also know of a little toddler called Sheila.

Just wondering if any of you know any children with names that you thought had died out completely.

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TaffyandTeenyTaffy · 09/01/2013 19:31

My friend has a very lovely toddler Seth.... who is nothing like the former Emmerdale character that always springs to mind.

TheSecondComing · 09/01/2013 19:29

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SomersetONeil · 09/01/2013 19:29

DS, nearly 4, has a very retro name - has been mentioned on this thread. He's named after DH's uncle, but is universally known by a diminutive version.

Two good things about it...

  • he's absolutely the only one we know and will be the only one in all his classes
  • by the time he hits his prime, his 20s/30s, the name will probably have come full circle and be the height of cool

This happened to me. My name was dreadfully old-fashioned when I was given it - named after my grandmother and it was too soon for it to be back in. Now, you can't move for little girls with the name.

The idea is to choose a name from the era just one generation above you, the parent, and two above the child. By the time they're an adult, it will be back in. And while all their peers have boring Joanne/Karen/Claire/Mark/Darren-type name (our gen's names), they'll have a refreshing, current name. That's my theory, anyway. Wink

eilonwy · 09/01/2013 19:28

Where we live now "old fashioned names" seem run of the mill. We have Flora's and Florrie's, Arthur, Alfie, George, William, Lulu, Deedee, Gabriel, Spencer, Beatrice, loads of Lily's, Ella's and Millie's...

LynetteScavo · 09/01/2013 19:25

I will know we've come full circle when I meet a baby Irene.

2gorgeousboys · 09/01/2013 19:23

I know a 5 year old Brian and a 4 year old Richard.

Also know babies called
Rita
Stanley
Ernest

LynetteScavo · 09/01/2013 19:22

DD has Erik and Neil in her class.

I know several Stanleys, Hectors, an Oswald, a Pete, a Peter, and there was an Ernie shopping in TKMaxx....

StellaNova · 09/01/2013 19:20

I was wondering only yesterday if there were any baby Sarahs nowadays. It was such a common name when I was young that I was blinded to how pretty it is, but actually it has a very pretty sound and meaning, and I would consider it for any future dd -as long as I didn't think she would find it too much of a mum/aunty name, equivalent to me being called Lorraine or Lesley (no offence, they are just very much "generation above me" names).

eilonwy · 09/01/2013 19:15

Ignore that last comment. Lol. It goes with another post...confused.com

eilonwy · 09/01/2013 19:11

Hi, my friend calls 11 yr old daughter Madge, full name Madison (daughter hates it,lol). My sister's middle name is same as your nickname (unusual).

pud1 · 09/01/2013 19:05

when I was pg with Dd1 my oh told friend and family we were going to call it cliff if it was a boy. 2 months after my dd was born our friend had a boy and when they told oh they have called him Shane he laughed and asked what they were really calling him.

CaptChaos · 09/01/2013 18:59

In the last few years

Alfred
George
Richard
Donald
Julian
Tristan

Imogen
Ruby
Lily
Phyllis
Diane

I think it's rather lovely. Both my DS's have got quite 'grown up' names, and if we had had a DD I was determined to call her Margaret Mary for my 2 favourite relatives.

2wwmadness · 09/01/2013 18:57

Otis. Love it!

maniacbug · 09/01/2013 18:54

noddyholder DS2 (3) is Reg(inald) but during a discussion the other day, when he decided he wanted to defect from the boys' team to the girls' team (captained by DS1 and DD), I asked him what name he'd like if he were a girl, and he replied without a moment's hesitation: Barbara. (As far as I know he has never met one.)
Kaekae ohhh, Doris - I always wanted a Doris! Also a Gertie (who would obviously have turned out to be as cute as Drew Barrymore in ET...)

Both my name and best friend's names on here - not sure whether to be proud or alarmed at the fact that we are old enough to have had 'retro' names the first time round!

casma · 09/01/2013 18:35

On the other hand it does seem that everyone else is called Sophie and Jack!

casma · 09/01/2013 18:35

This trend has been growing a long time! Most of DD's friends have old fashioned names and she's 16. Off the top of my head there's

Nora
Arthur
Albert
Elspeth
Kitty
Flo
Penny

I remember her going to primary school with a Francis, Phil, Paul and Ian as well.

Kaekae · 09/01/2013 18:32

I know a newborn called Maggie, a two year called Stan and a four year old called Doris!

WheresTheHoneyMummy · 09/01/2013 18:27

I know an Arthur, several Alfies, a couple of Stanleys, lots of Tabithas, a few Matildas and a Brian

Bearface · 09/01/2013 18:15

What about Beryl? I don't know any but just putting it out there. . .

determinedma · 09/01/2013 18:12

met a baby Martha the other day, which I rather liked.

VBisme · 09/01/2013 18:06

DD has a little friend called Jason.

fussychica · 09/01/2013 17:51

I know a Stan & Arthur in the same family. We laughed and said if she had a girl and called her Olive she'd have a complete set - for those of a certain age who remember On the BusesGrin

thegreylady · 09/01/2013 17:36

I also know a gorgeous little Sylvie [not Sylvia]

Madcaplady · 09/01/2013 17:27

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Lfs2126 · 09/01/2013 17:24

Queenie
Gladys

Alan
terry
leslie

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