Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

Ethel...too old lady?

73 replies

powderbluerose · 02/11/2017 21:19

I don’t know why but I really like Ethel. Ettie for short. But I can’t get the image of a cute little old lady called Ethel out of my head! Opinions please! :)

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
FrancisCrawford · 03/11/2017 07:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pixie8 · 03/11/2017 02:37

I hate all old lady names.Ethel/Edith/Maud/Ivy etc,it`s like calling your kid Bertha or Vera or Joan!

FreddieFazzbear · 03/11/2017 00:13

Not my bag, love Elsie though.

MovingOnUpMovingOnOut · 03/11/2017 00:11

Ettie short for Juliet/Juliette/Julietta.

I'm not keen on Ethel. Really like Enid :)

junebirthdaygirl · 03/11/2017 00:07

Its a lovely name. Know an older Ethel with sister Iris..both beautiful names.

buttercup54321 · 02/11/2017 23:58

its terrible. no just no.

Thrillofit · 02/11/2017 23:49

Really bad. I know an Ethel in her 60s and it's really old fashioned for her age group.

ElChan03 · 02/11/2017 23:45

I like it. I think it's classy. When she's growing up all the great aunts will be called Jennifer, Louise, Catherine etc. So less connotations of it being an old lady name. Work in a care home and the most common name I see is Edna and Joan so... I don't know any ethels. Go with what you like! Ethel is beautiful!

willyougotobed · 02/11/2017 23:38

Esme? I prefer Etta to Ethel myself.

I'm not that fond of the Elsie, Edith, Ruby type of names. They remind me of a swathe of great aunts I had. There was a Hilda and a Beattie too.

Sugarpiehoneyeye · 02/11/2017 23:30

How about Etta, or Greta?

SuperBeagle · 02/11/2017 23:03

short*

SuperBeagle · 02/11/2017 23:03

It's horrible.

My opinion might be slightly clouded by the fact that the only Ethel I've known was an absolutely feral, vicious cat.

I worked with an older Ettie though. Not sure for anything. Just Ettie.

cathyclown · 02/11/2017 22:35

Edel, or Adele instead maybe. Same name just a variation.

BeanoNoir · 02/11/2017 22:27

Esther nn Ettie?

Nonameyet1 · 02/11/2017 22:25

Ethel is lovely, as is Ettie. Or another nn could be Effie. I like them all.

silkpyjamasallday · 02/11/2017 22:22

DD has an 'old lady' name, so I may be biased but I like Ethel and I can see it suiting a feisty toddler very well. Ettie for short is very sweet, Etta I'm not keen on, but that is because the Etta I know is a middle aged Jamaican man Grin

flumpybear · 02/11/2017 22:20

Dreadful and my grandmas name to boot, albeit she was lonely!

I loathe and woman names anyway reminds me of boiled sweets, moth balls and lavender SadEnvyConfused

PandorasXbox · 02/11/2017 21:59
Grin
BhajiAllTheWay · 02/11/2017 21:57

Not a fan , Just don't like the sound and can't imagine it suiting a child.

Chaffinch4 · 02/11/2017 21:57

I like it. But then I like Enid, Phyllis and Vera too!

BernardBlacksHangover · 02/11/2017 21:57

I love vintage names, but I don't like Ethel at all I'm afraid.

How about Elspeth or Edith?

PandorasXbox · 02/11/2017 21:56

Sorry awful. It’s in the same bracket as Vera, Enid, Doris, Phyllis and Beryl.

kjhh · 02/11/2017 21:55

Etta is lovely... if you’d nickname Ethel ‘Ettie’ why not call her that instead? Ettie is lovely and original... I think Ethel is a really old name sorry

drspouse · 02/11/2017 21:55

My DD has a very old fashioned name and you will get lots of old ladies fawning on her because they share a name.
I like it and agree it will have a come back soon.

cakeandteajustforme · 02/11/2017 21:54

I love it.

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.