Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

Could you ever name your child after your mother? Pamela, Teresa, Denise, Brenda, Carol, Barbara, Sandra etc?

187 replies

another20 · 06/10/2017 09:56

Found these links to most common girls names born in 1940/50s/60s imagine they would be or becoming grand-parents now could you ever name your child after your mother? Seems older names (our grandparents) get used....

www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/decades/names1940s.html
www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/decades/names1940s.html
www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/decades/names1960s.html

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Original poster
another20 · 06/10/2017 15:26

Thanks ABC - I only picked what I thought to be "challenging" from the US list - many of the ones on your list were on but I thought OK.

However surprised by the subsequent support for Jean and Joan on this thread -- but has anyone actually called their daughter either?

OP posts:
JemimaLovesHamble · 06/10/2017 15:15

All the Cath Kidston type cutesy retro names - Ivy, Mabel, Ava, Ruby, etc - were greeted with horror by the seniors group I volunteer at when they first started becoming popular. They liked the "modern" names - Carol, Christine, Tracey.

It will definitely circle around at some point when people are far enough away from the likes of Viz and Carry On, and Sharon will start to look exotic/classy again "Oh, like the fruit! And dear old Nanna!"

harrietm87 · 06/10/2017 15:14

My mum is called Jane and I think it's a lovely name for a little girl, would definitely consider it for my daughter. I've noticed that Jean and Joan are both making a comeback - wonder whether Jane will do the same?

MadisonAvenue · 06/10/2017 15:13

My mom is called Ivy, she's never liked her name but I do so wouldn't hesitate to name a daughter after her.

AndNoneForGretchenWieners · 06/10/2017 15:11

I like Jacqueline from abc list. I think it's really pretty.

SurfingKitten · 06/10/2017 15:07

I can't see Beryl making a comeback for a while hopefully ever either.

ABCFamily · 06/10/2017 15:03

No, I wouldn’t name my daughter after my mum. Mainly because I know she’s always disliked her name, and would be horrified rather than honoured!

Incidentally, here were the top 10 girls names in England & Wales for 1944, 1954, and 1964, according to the British Baby Names website (I couldn’t find info for the full decade)

1944: Margaret, Patricia, Christine, Mary, Jean, Ann, Susan, Janet, Maureen, Barbara

1954: Susan, Linda, Christine, Margaret, Janet, Patricia, Carol, Elizabeth, Mary, Anne

1964: Susan, Julie, Karen, Jacqueline, Deborah, Tracey, Jane, Helen, Diane, Sharon

My favourites out of those are Elizabeth, Anne, Deborah, Jane, Helen, Jean, Susan, and Margaret. I also quite like Beverley, Marjorie, and Veronica from the names mentioned above.

Butterymuffin · 06/10/2017 13:25

Theresa will be associated with T. May for a while yet. Interesting how some of these names like Rita (via Rita Ora?) have made a totally unexpected comeback.

Original poster
another20 · 06/10/2017 13:23

Iris is vv cool - has been for some time - Jude Law has an Iris - she must be 16?

OP posts:
Original poster
another20 · 06/10/2017 13:21

Patricia - my friend named her daughter after her Mother and she is known as Patti (both of which are lovely).

OP posts:
Greenteandchives · 06/10/2017 13:18

My mother was called Iris. It's lovely to see it making a comeback!

FartnissEverbeans · 06/10/2017 13:17

*baby Rita, not anybody Rita!

FartnissEverbeans · 06/10/2017 13:17

My mum's name is Agnes. She hates it but I've known two lovely teenagers who made it seem really chic.

I also know a little anybody Rita! I love it - it makes me think of the golden age of Hollywood. Rita Hayworth maybe?

I also think Theresa is a beautiful name, with the option of Tess/Tessa which are great nicknames.

I think Joan is sounding quite cool now, as is Jean.

I once read somewhere that, to predict what the next wave of baby names will be, you should look at what gay men are naming their dogs Confused

Notbread · 06/10/2017 13:12

My mother's name is Carol and some of my friends had given their daughter's their mother's name as a middle name, Christine and Diane. I was given strict instructions by my mother not to name any child after her as it was cruel.

EssentialHummus · 06/10/2017 13:06

it seems wrong to name a baby after a living relative - i know I may be alone in this view,

It’s a thing in judaism too.

AndNoneForGretchenWieners · 06/10/2017 12:46

DS is named after my grandfather for his first name and my DH's grandfather for his middle name. I absolutely would use my mum's name (Linda) if I had a baby girl, maybe as a middle name because my mum is still alive and it seems wrong to name a baby after a living relative - i know I may be alone in this view, but both grandfathers had passed away before DS was born.

LBOCS2 · 06/10/2017 12:40

I know! It was completely accidental - and I think that if DH had realised he would definitely have exercised his right to veto Grin

LinaBo · 06/10/2017 12:37

another20 it's Patricia Grin - I know it's not popular on MN but I like it.

Original poster
another20 · 06/10/2017 12:37

LBO - Prime Ministers names ! Tessie lovely.

Pallisers -- would love to hear them.

OP posts:
pallisers · 06/10/2017 12:33

My mum was born in the 30s. Both her full name and her shortened version (another name in itself) would be considered fine now - shortened version is very cool actually. We gave dd her name as a middle name.

My grandmother's name is very trendy now.

LBOCS2 · 06/10/2017 12:32

I have a Theresa Margaret who we mostly call Tessie. Margaret was both of my grandmothers' first names and my DM's middle name, so it has strong family connections for me. We just liked Tess.

Original poster
another20 · 06/10/2017 12:28

Tessa short for Teresa is cool?

OP posts:
BoredOnMatLeave · 06/10/2017 12:28

My mums name is Nicola which we've used as DD middle name. My DM hates her name so wouldn't have been happy with it as her first name.

I have my Nan's middle name too

DownstairsMixUp · 06/10/2017 12:27

My mum is a Teresa, born in 60’s, I quite like the name.

evilharpy · 06/10/2017 12:24

My mum (late 1930s) is a Deirdre. She has always loved her name. I couldn't bring myself to use it even as a middle name.