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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:
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Sallylondon · 06/10/2017 11:08

PS OP, your lists are the American ones. Can’t think of many UK born Darlenes!

Sallylondon · 06/10/2017 11:05

I think it takes 100 years for a name to “come round” again... once the original owners have passed on. Florence, Elsie and Edith were all popular in the 1910s, most of that generation are gone now and the names are coming back. By that reckoning, hard as it is to believe, in another 10 or 15 years, the likes of Doris, Joyce, Kathleen, Beryl, Irene, Muriel and Sheila, all popular in the 1920s and 30s will start come come into fashion (as their original owners die off), but we won’t see many in the vein of Janet, Susan, Pamela, Linda, Christine, Carol etc until approaching 2050.

Original poster
another20 · 06/10/2017 10:53

No hiding behind 2nd names -- would you have the balls to call them any of the folllowing......

Others from the 1940's list that I couldnt do...

Margaret,
Shirley,
Joan,
Janice,
Beverly,
Geraldine,
Norma,
Rita,
Sheila

(I think Margot is stunning - came up on the other thread for beautiful sounding names - but just one click away from Magot in autocorrect...)

OP posts:
Sugarpiehoneyeye · 06/10/2017 10:42

Teresa is a lovely name.

emsyj37 · 06/10/2017 10:41

Both my DDs' names are on the 1940s list! Grin

emsyj37 · 06/10/2017 10:40

My mum is called Margot, which seems to be quite trendy now! It was very very unusual when she was a child (she is 78) and she didn't meet another until she was in her 50s. I think it is hideous and would never use it!

endehors · 06/10/2017 10:38

Well that's right as Ivy (and Elsie, just another example) has soared massively in popularity in recent years (just outside top 30)

EssentialHummus · 06/10/2017 10:30

I wouldn't, but DD has a "granny name" (Mabel, Edith, Ivy...) so I reckon those sorts of names will come back in fashion too.

endehors · 06/10/2017 10:28

I like Teresa or Carol best of those (Teresa has a family connection, but not my mother). My mother's name is more classic but I wouldn't use that either.

brilliantslight · 06/10/2017 10:27

Yes I have named my DD after my mother. The name suits her and it stands out in a good way at school. She always gets complemented on her name.

My DM died when I was a child so it just seemed natural to give DD her name.

BakerCandlestickmaker · 06/10/2017 10:24

I love Pamela.

Smoliver · 06/10/2017 10:22

It's interesting because my mother's name was Teresa. She passed away when I was a child, and people have often asked me would I name my daughter after her.

I think Teresa is a lovely name and I think it could be used today for girl. However, I've always said though that if I had a daughter, I would want her to be her own person, so I wouldn't use her name to name my daughter.

I'm considering using Teresa as a middle name though if/when I ever have a daughter. Then again I might just stick to the family tradition of using Marie for a middle name.