I like 'dated' names

I can remember my class:

Sally, Susan, Abigail, katharine, Beverly, Hilary, Jane, Denise, Helen, Julia, Jane, Helen, Charlotte, Fiona, Kim, Amanda, Elizabeth, Margaret, Helene, Cheryl, Karen, Debbie, Debbie, Karen, Helen, Lynne, Heather, Drusilla, Married.

Am nearly 53.

In my class at school there were 3 Alisons, 2 Sarahs, 2 Janes and 2 Helens. One of my friends now has a daughter called Sarah, but it's quite unusual. I don't think I've met an Alison, Jane or Helen under the age of 35. But maybe they will come back into fashion. My DH was keen on the name Helen when I was pregnant with (what turned out to be) DS1, but I wasn't keen as it felt dated.

My name's a little better known today but please all teachers on here, if a child has an unusual name don't do what one or two of mine did and say "why on earth did your parents call you that". It is hard enough to carry a commentable monika without your teacher, when you are 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 actively encouraging teasing. I would have done anything to have been called Susan, Helen, Jane, Julia, Amanda, Fiona, Caroline, etc.. Anything that people wouldn't comment on really. That's why our children "sparkle"

"oh my Karen, oh my Karen, oh my computer wife Karen"

As sung by Plankton in Spongebob.

Every time I hear that name I break into song.

it was even in my head at my DH's aunty's funeral

I like some of the older names but not all. I. Like the thought of doing a family tree to see how many repeat through history.

I'd rather see the older names than some of the ones you hear nowadays. Its the child that has to live with the name for a long time and I do feel sorry for some.

sorry not mad on the name Karen or Caroline

I always think its an odd choice of name for the little girl in Outnumbered has spent too much time wondering why they choose that name Verity would be better

I do not have a dated name it has become more popular but will never be that popular as it is one of those funny foreign names

As a ten year old, I suggested Jasper as name for my teacher's new baby and she laughed at me. Turns out I was just 28 years ahead of my time.

I like Clare and if I was having another baby I would use it as a middle name for a girl, which would make my SIL very happy as it is her name (she's 38).

I'm 30 and growing up there was always a lot a of Claire's, Sarah's, Emma's, Rachel's, Lisa's and Amy's. For boys there seemed to be a lot of Craig's, Stephen's, Andrew's, Lee's and Mark's. Talking about names that are old fashioned for the time period though when I was I High School in the 90's there was a girl in my year called Margaret which seemed very old fashioned. A lot of people used to take the piss out of her and call her "Maggie Thatcher".

As for liking old fashioned names I've always liked Audrey for a girl and Stanley for a boy. But my mum says Audrey reminds her of Audrey from Corrie lol.

Names go in and of fashion though. When I as born in the early 80's it would have been very old fashioned to call your child Ruby or Jack, but now those are top ten babies names. I often wonder of the likes of Kevin and Debbie will ever come back in one day?

I think Karen and Claire are lovely just maybe not together.

Dd is Jennifer or Jenny for short if I have a boy in the future he will be Joseph or frank and if I have another girl I really like Stephanie

Anna, Sarah and Rebecca are still top 100 or thereabouts. Definitely not dated.

I currently or have recently taught children under the age of 11 called:
Rachel, Cathy, Claire, Nicola, Simon, Stephen, Scott, Gavin, Darren, Douglas, Clyde.

I don't think there are many names from the 60s-80s that really don't get used. Testing a couple on the database for 2011:
Susan: 33 born (rank 1043)
Patricia: 50 born (rank 749)
Beverly: 9 born (rank 2636) - ok, this one's unpopular!
Karen: 22 born (rank 1374)

I only like traditional names, very traditional and mainstream. anything that deviates from the norm makes me go unless it's a minor royal who comes out with something like Cassius.

If I heard someone screaming across the park "Apollo, come here!" I would definitely go possibly unless I was in Notting hill and it was Boris Johnson missus!

2 out of 3 of my DCs names are on the MN approved list.

My Grandkids names on the other hand would get me kicked off

ach little satan sexfruit has a lovely ring to it

1. Iceland

The Iceland Naming Committee, formed in 1991, is the group that decides whether a new given name will be acceptable. If parents want to name their child something that is not included on the National Register of Persons, they can apply for approval and pay a fee. A name has to pass a few tests to be approved. It must only contain letters in the Icelandic alphabet, and must fit grammatically with the language. Other considerations include whether it will embarrass the child in the future and how well aligned it is with Icelandic traditions. It must have a genitive ending or have been previously adopted. Also, names should be gender specific, and no one can have more than three personal names.

Read the full text here: mentalfloss.com/article/25034/8-countries-fascinating-baby-naming-laws#ixzz2QKyQ4lXA
--brought to you by mental_floss!

MN has an approved list.

that is much more important than ANY government list

mentalfloss.com/article/25034/8-countries-fascinating-baby-naming-laws

This made me laugh!

New Zealand's Births, Deaths, and Marriages Registration Act of 1995 doesn't allow people to name their children anything that "might cause offence to a reasonable person; or [...] is unreasonably long; or without adequate justification, [...] is, includes, or resembles, an official title or rank." Officials at the registrar of births have successfully talked parents out of some more embarrassing names.

Rejected names: Stallion, Yeah Detroit, Fish and Chips, Twisty Poi, Keenan Got Lucy, Sex Fruit, Satan, and Adolf Hitler

Approved names: Benson and Hedges (for a set of twins), Midnight Chardonnay, Number 16 Bus Shelter, Violence

Officials say the 'Personal Names Register', which contains over three thousand approved names, exists in order to protect children from embarrassment and ensure that names fit Icelandic grammar and pronunciation rules.

MN has an approved list.

I didn't know that I wonder how long the list is I guess it stops children being called after fruit or wine or whatever does france have a list ?

I think NZ has an approved name list, in Germany the name must reflect the gender.

does iceland have a list of approved names really?

Why do you think it would be unreasonable to have a preference for a particular kind of name?

Do you live in Iceland where the government keeps a list of acceptable names, and your preferred names are not on the list?