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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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wewereherefirst · 12/01/2013 09:45

Trevor? Really... Erm.... Never, ever!

alemci · 12/01/2013 09:42

No no no not Trevor.

Rhubarbgarden · 12/01/2013 08:47

I think Hilary is a retro name that's crying out to be brought back.

TessOfTheBaublevilles · 12/01/2013 07:12

Just found out from an e-mail, that a woman I went to school with, had a baby boy over Christmas.

His name?

Trevor

Toughasoldboots · 12/01/2013 00:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mumsywoo78 · 12/01/2013 00:17

my friends daughter is called madison they call her madge as a NN.

Clawdy · 11/01/2013 22:37

Agatha is not retro,it's a very old name like Maud or Bertha, which has not been popular for at least eighty years. Unlike the prettier old names like May,Florence and Violet,it hasn't really caught on. Until now?

wewereherefirst · 11/01/2013 22:35

Oooh Agatha what a coincidence!

I had Tabitha and Matilda on my girls list, they were token names as DH and I knew we were having boys before we actually found out Grin

alemci · 11/01/2013 22:30

what about Jim Bob :)

wearymum200 · 11/01/2013 22:29

Pearl
Norman
Patience

Yet to meet a Sharon under the age of 20; maybe not retro enough.

monsterchild · 11/01/2013 22:20

Stella! And met an Esmarelda and Drusilla the other day.

YoSaffBridge · 11/01/2013 22:14

I wanted a baby Jim!

BoyMeetsWorld · 11/01/2013 21:50

Jim

Baby Jim

snigger

AgathaPinchBottom · 11/01/2013 20:15

Wewereherefirst - are you me?!?!
I LOVE Freddie but DH insisted on Stanley - your list is the same as mine!
What are your favourite girls names?

I would add: Ralph, Ned, Ted, Billy, Maud, Agnes and Agatha to the list...

Binkybix · 11/01/2013 20:09

Oooh this thread is not good for me. I have been toying with 'Barbara', but had dismissed it as too odd. Maybe I'll keep it on the list!

Rhubarbgarden · 11/01/2013 19:21

I know a baby Thorin. I didn't know it was from The Hobbit.

I also know a two year old Marlena, and a relative is expecting a dd in the spring who they plan to name Nancy (and they are up north, rexie)

If ds had been a dd she would have been a Simone. When I posted on here about that name, everyone shrieked "too eighties!" Smile

Clawdy · 11/01/2013 18:03

Wow,ok,all these Marlenes! None of the ones I remember pronounced it the pretty German way though.....almost sounds a different name.

CremeEggThief · 11/01/2013 16:49

Snazzy, I know! I find it fascinating. To comment very generally, I think several names that are seen as 60s/early 70s in the UK were common or at least not rare among my contemporaries in Ireland- e.g Janet, Janice, Susan and Gillian. I was born in 1978. Names such as Lisa, Karen, Joanne and Michelle were still commonly used well into the 80s too.

I think also the fact that it's a Catholic country had a big influence back then, so saints' names, such as Mary, Margaret, Catherine, and even the likes of Philomena and Ursula, were still used, albeit declining in popularity. I know three Margarets younger than me, for example.

NoGinorWine4Mu1berry · 11/01/2013 13:40

bealos, i agree, those names are on trend, not retro.

to me retro is something that just has NOT come into fashion yet. a name that is 15 years from being mainstream/contemporary as opposed to five.

NoGinorWine4Mu1berry · 11/01/2013 13:39

I know a nANCY who is older than David Cameron's.

MARtha is popular near me. There are about five under 9 in my children's school / My local area. I think it is paving the way for Mary/, mary will be used more soon.

rexie · 11/01/2013 13:06

Not up north Bealos! Only know of one other Martha and have yet to meet another Nancy.

ibizagirl · 11/01/2013 12:59

At least these names are better than the modern ones people are using. There is an Armani by me and sorry to offend but i don't like it. I know a little girl called Flower and it has always suited her - she has always been a tiny dainty little thing and it seemed to suit her. There are a few Maisie's around. Dd has a Lois in her form. And there is a Matthew (which i thought might have disappeared) and a Jonathan. Plenty of Freddie's and Edward's though. William is popular. Even a Mark. Just remembered a Timothy. That seems ancient!!

JambalayaCodfishPie · 11/01/2013 12:59

DD2 8months, is Nancy - when we registered her, the registrar(the only one for the area) hadn't registered a Nancy in 14 years.

Since then have met another in the Doctors waiting room, and a 'friend' also used it for his DD.

I think when the ONS stats are released, it will have made quite a big jump.

wewereherefirst · 11/01/2013 12:41

Grin Donkeys

I know lots of Evies, Ellas and Millies

My husband was aghast that his so 70's sainted name is rising in popularity again!

Original poster
atthewelles · 11/01/2013 12:32

There's definitely a variation in popular names between Ireland and England. Names like Rachel and Rebecca only really caught on here in the 1980s and are still quite popular. Most Sarahs and Emmas would also only be in their very early thirties and younger and both names are still quite frequently used for babies nowadays. Sophie would also be a relatively new name here but has reached saturation point at this stage - as has Ella.
'Old lady' names aren't really that popular here. I know of one Edie but no Elsies, Violets, Evies or Millies. And Olivia isn't particularly common here either.

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