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Baby names

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

Names you think will not come back into 'fashion'.

208 replies

BloodiedGhouloshes · 28/10/2013 13:59

I am fascinated by the older style names that have recently come back into fashion.... Alfie, Stanley, Maisy etc. All gorgeous names. Not to mention George (almost the name of DC2).

We are thinking (just a little bit) about ttc again and I am day dreaming about names.

A DCousin recently named her little boy Phillip John on the idea that 'he will be the only one in his class'.

What nice names do you know that are unlikely to be around again any time soon?

OP posts:
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thegreylady · 28/10/2013 19:37

I have a 16 yr old dgs named John and one of my younger grandsons has a friend [aged 6] named John.

thegreylady · 28/10/2013 19:35

Myra
Edna
Claud
Walter

AtticusMcPlatypus · 28/10/2013 19:14

Jason
Keith
Kevin
Kelvin
Brendan
Russell

Karen
Tracey
Sharon
Amanda
Dawn
Brenda

All these names just scream 1960s/70s. I was born in the early 70s and went to school with many of these names.

daughterofafarmer · 28/10/2013 18:51

Joan and Nigel

Saying that give it 20 plus ys Grin

TheNunsOfGavarone · 28/10/2013 17:40

Moyra?

Mattissy · 28/10/2013 17:25

So pleased to see my name on here, lol. I hate it, I don't know anyone else under 50 with it. My parents were young (23) when they had me so why the crappy name?

It'll be back in 2050 though, when my great grand kids resurrect it as "old fashioned funky"!

VerySmallSqueak · 28/10/2013 17:25

Yes,thinking about it,definitely Elaine pronounced 'Eee-laine'.
And,Michelle,pronounced 'Meee-chelle'.

VerySmallSqueak · 28/10/2013 17:23

Elaine

AntoinetteCosway · 28/10/2013 17:19

I'm surprised John has fallen from fashion. I always think Biblical names have stood the test of time this long-I can't imagine them ever not being popular! I love the name. Though it is my grandfather's Wink

MortifiedAnyFuckerAdams · 28/10/2013 17:08

Sandra
Sharon

Darren
Barry

PuppyMonkey · 28/10/2013 17:08

Ken
Keith
Dave
Malcolm
Steve
Annette
Gaynor
Gail
Tracy
Julie
Linda

Minnieisthedevilmouse · 28/10/2013 17:05

Norman. (It just doesn't pass the orgasm test does it? Yes yes yeeeees Norman. Yuk)

Sharon. It's sadly too stereotyped I think

UpTheFRIGGinDuff · 28/10/2013 17:05

A lot of these are already back.

I would have named DD's Maude and Mildred,Winifred or Nora happily.

And Percy,Ernest,Herbert et al won't be rare much longer.

NadiaWadia · 28/10/2013 17:00

Pretty sure Fanny was short for Frances, not Hannah. I don't think it will come back due to the, um, new meanings the word has acquired. Similarly Dick, although Richard may return, maybe with short form 'Rick'.

morethanpotatoprints · 28/10/2013 16:59

Maude
Ethel
Gladys
Mabel
Joan
Dorothy
Gillian
Julie
Sandra
Carol

ShatnersEmptyCatacomb · 28/10/2013 16:58

Good names like Richard, Michael and Paul have fallen by the wayside. Jane is one I haven't heard a baby being called for years, and Elizabeth. Jonathan too. All decent names and not 'trendy' back then.

NadiaWadia · 28/10/2013 16:58

I have seen people on this very board talking about naming their daughters Hilda or Mavis.

nagynolonger · 28/10/2013 16:55

Hilda
Edna
Mavis
Barbara
Dolly
Peggy
Nora
Norma
Maud
Nelly
Fanny not so sure about that. It was a nn for Hannah and I do know a few of those.
Dick is the same. It's a nn for Richard which isn't over popular but there will always be a few about.

Nigel
Gary
Terry
Roy
Clive
Percy
Norman
Ernest

alemci · 28/10/2013 16:54

Reenie
Norman (poor old grandfather)
Maurice
Marilyn
Pauline
Angie

Dillydollydaydream · 28/10/2013 16:53

Edna
Keith
Derek
Doreen
Fanny
Blanche
Beryl
Norris

Grennie · 28/10/2013 16:47

No sign of Jean or Jeanette coming back into fashion.

NadiaWadia · 28/10/2013 16:46

I was born in the 60s and also went to school with several Joannes. Not one of my favourites, although I do like Joanna for some reason.

sisterofmercy · 28/10/2013 16:42

I've never met any Joannes who weren't born in the 70s. Celebrated actress Joanne Froggat is just on the edge of that cohort being born in 1980. There were 5 Joannes in my year at Primary. Two of them were Joanne Marie. It was the name nof my cuddly pandas (I had a big one and a little one with a bell in its tummy).

NadiaWadia · 28/10/2013 16:33

Clare/Claire is really nice imo. So are Louise, Julie, Deborah, Linda. I am sure they will come in again one day.

I wonder if Tracey will also return? Of course, it is now considered a joke name to some extent and quite downmarket (sorry to any Tracies!). But when it began its popularity in 60s (or late 50s) it was considered very chic and classy - I think it came from the character played by Grace Kelly in 'High Society'. When you listen to the actual sound of it (drop any associations and imagine it was a brand new name), it is quite pretty. So I wonder if it could do a 'Ruby' sometime in the future?

But then Gladys was similarly the 'in' name in the early part of the 20th century, and yet that hasn't been revived, and is still thought of as 'old lady' unlike Florence, Ruby, Elsie etc. Wonder why?

colleysmill · 28/10/2013 16:31

wanda that was exactly my grandmother's reaction apparently to when my parents named me - she described it as an old lady's name. Still not massively popular now but not that uncommon.

Interestingly my uncle is shocked and appalled at the revival of his middle name - he was taunted at school for it and never uses it now. His name? Wilfred :)

I had a great aunt Zilla - I've never meet another - but i would say it probably won't get revived (although I like it alot - dh and I only seem to produce boys though so can't use it)