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Baby names

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

Original poster

Staying one generation ahead of "cool"

113 replies

NicknameMustbeBetween4and30Cha · 16/08/2018 11:50

So, we all know the current wave of trendy vintage "cool" names being revived (Ada, Vera, Beatrice, Wilfred, Stanley, Albert, etc), but the problem is that kids don't appreciate how cool their names are! It's just their name to them! And by the time they're in their 20s and 30s and old enough to appreciate it, these names will all be done to death and boring. The new Clares and Emilys and Johns and Davids.

So what we need is a baby name that is not even close to being cool yet, but will be in 25 years. The cool names of the next generation! So that when my child is in his/her 20s, everyone will just be starting to think what a cool and unique name it is!

Any ideas? Grin

OP posts:
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Greeneyedgeek83 · 16/08/2018 23:48

Am I the only person that thinks Elaine is lovely? lol

georgie262 · 16/08/2018 23:10

I could get on board with Carla and Tanya actually but my aunty Karen has a daughter called Joanne so I don’t think they’re the same generation

shaggedthruahedgebackwards · 16/08/2018 22:11

I agree OP in theory but the problem is that the child will probably hate their name for the first 15-20 years of their life, and it will only become 'cool' once it becomes popular for newborns

For girls, things like Claire, Jennifer, Samantha, Michelle, Diane, Angela

For boys, Stephen, Andrew, Richard, Robert, Nick, Pete, Martin

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 16/08/2018 21:59

Barry
Alan
Kevin
Brian
Colin
Dean

Pamela
Joanne
Lindsey
Carla
Andrea
Tanya
Melanie
Sharon
Karen
Nicola
Tracey
Debbie
Stacey
Lisa

BeakyPlinder · 16/08/2018 21:58

Ahaha Keith will never be cool

NapQueen · 16/08/2018 21:47

Nuala is lovely! When I was little (early 90s) one of my teachers first names was nuala and Ive loved it since then.

I also love Veda, from My Girl.

tentontruck · 16/08/2018 21:47

I think the next popular cool names will be Audrey, Patricia, Marlene, Stephanie. Not sure about boys, maybe Gerry, Peter, Brian (possibly not).

springmachine · 16/08/2018 21:45

Keith

Emilyjoy · 16/08/2018 21:43

I want to call my little girl Nuala - (nu-la) apparently it’s really old fashioned in Ireland and not yet “granny chic” just old fashioned. But in 20 years should be more unusual!! Plus I just love the name. It’s so pretty

NapQueen · 16/08/2018 21:37

Id go 1985 chic. Dont go further back than grandparents. Go forward. But not too forward.

Gemma
Lisa
Kirsty
Adele
Jodie
Nicola

Paul
Peter
Steven
Richard
Philip

LollyLollington · 16/08/2018 21:34

It makes me giggle hearing CBeebies version of topsy and Tim referring to their friend Tony as if it's totally normal to hear a child of the 2010s be called that...

rainingcatsanddog · 16/08/2018 21:23

My name is Grace (nickname Gracie) Uncool when I was a child and a name that's popular for under 5s now that I'm an adult. If you're worried about coolness then maybe use a name that doesn't conjure up images of how old you are? I mean a name like Katie or Emma could be 0-100+.

Marmite27 · 16/08/2018 21:22

My DD’s middle names are after family members, Anne, Jane, Emma, Margaret.

If they’d have been boys, they would have been Lucas, Andrew, Stephen and Peter.

Lucas seems a bit out of place on that list now, good job I got all girls Grin

Original poster
NicknameMustbeBetween4and30Cha · 16/08/2018 21:16

But when I was a child no one knew it! I hated it and longed to be called Louise or Karen

Yeah but NOW you're in the prime of your life with the trendiest name in town. All the Susans and Sarahs are probably thinking you're the coolest person they know.

OP posts:
NotAnotherJaffaCake · 16/08/2018 21:12

Gary.

DieAntword · 16/08/2018 21:07

Pick a name you love, whether it’s popular or not. It’s not cool to use your child’s name as a vehicle for scoring cool points.

Eh, in the long term the name is (assuming you go for a name name and not something like “squirrel riverdance the third”) is one of the more insignificant parenting choices you get to make. Better to use that to score cool points than discipline methodologies or food choices.

Obviously it’s utterly naff to care about being “cool” in the first place, but if you must then via names is hardly the worst.

WhatKatyDidnt · 16/08/2018 21:01

Pick a name you love, whether it’s popular or not. It’s not cool to use your child’s name as a vehicle for scoring cool points.

MayFayner · 16/08/2018 20:42

Don’t do this though! My name came into fashion when I was about 30 (I’m 42 now) and there are loads of under 10s with my name.

But when I was a child no one knew it! I hated it and longed to be called Louise or Karen Grin

haribosmarties · 16/08/2018 20:36

Sarah, Jennifer, Kimberly, Rebecca, Holly, Abigail, Hayley, Marie, Amy, Rachael... go full 90s

AndromedaPerseus · 16/08/2018 20:31

Sorry not Paul’s but Paula

AndromedaPerseus · 16/08/2018 20:30

70s names I still like:
Deborah
Julie
Amanda
Clare
Paul’s
Jason
Simon
Paul
Nicholas

Original poster
NicknameMustbeBetween4and30Cha · 16/08/2018 20:24

If saw Elaine, Julie or Lisa for first time I think they’d strike you as really pretty names.

Agreed. It's funny how much meaning gets attached to names. I think Lisa is great. It fits with current styles too (short, ends in a).

OP posts:
Original poster
NicknameMustbeBetween4and30Cha · 16/08/2018 20:23

My 1 year old is a Leonard - is that cool?

It's quite cool now but it won't be in 25 years. Sorry. I'm sure he'll forgive you though!

OP posts:
Lightsonthewater · 16/08/2018 20:22

When you look objectively at 60’s/70’s names, some are very beautiful, it’s just we don’t think of them like that. If saw Elaine, Julie or Lisa for first time I think they’d strike you as really pretty names.

TheHalfBloodPrincess · 16/08/2018 20:20

My 1 year old is a Leonard - is that cool?