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Baby names

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

Original poster

On trend names and attitudes towards them

38 replies

cathf · 10/09/2018 16:28

Inspired by a thread a while ago, I find attitudes to names interesting on this board.
Someone asked what the next round of fashionable names would be and the general consensus was 1960/70s names such as Karen, Gillian, Paul etc.
I actually disagree, as I think we have the 1940s/50s names to come yet, but I digress.
Anyway, it set me thinking, as posters were saying how awful the 70s names were and they could never imagine they would be popular again.
However, I wonder if the posters who always proclaim such names as Albert, Elsie, Betty etc as georgous would have been so enthusiastic before that kind of name became a 'thing'?
Imagine if someone posted in 1980 they were going to name their baby Arthur? You would assume that it was a family name and there was no choice.
Our ears do get accustomed to hearing familiar names, don't they?

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flumpybear · 11/09/2018 06:38

I can't get used to old fashioned names, whenever I hear a George, Mabel, Betty all I can think of is old people not cute little children!

deptfordgirl · 11/09/2018 06:18

I remember being shocked when I heard Lily Allen had called her daughter Ethel as it was such an old fashioned name. I don't think I would now. It's similar to Mabel, Peggy, Pearl, etc which are all fairly common. On the other hand, when an old lady asked my daughter's name (a top 30 name which no one would say was old fashioned nowadays) she exclaimed how odd it was that all these old names were coming back into fashion.

passwordfailure · 11/09/2018 02:50

I went to school in the 70s and there was one boy called George. I felt so sorry for him, all the cool kids were Darren and Tracy.

If I was naming a child now I would go for Catherine or Max. I do like Stephen and David though, they are due a comeback.

BitOfFun · 11/09/2018 00:06

Heaven preserve us!

MoanasPig · 11/09/2018 00:01

You mean the Arlo, Theo, Teddy, Freddy, Archie, Alfie, Noah, Leo or the
Isla, Sophia, Lola, Olivia might come to an end? Hurray. But what's next .. I think more individual unique names are to come. Different spellings and more double barrelled names

Quangot · 10/09/2018 23:54

I still don't like Arthur and Betty, but I do like Albert and Elsie.

I think perhaps it just doesn't occur to people to use a name until for some reason it starts making a comeback.

MikeUniformMike · 10/09/2018 20:39

I think sometimes a name sounds lovely because it is unusual. But when they are popular you go off it.
I have always liked Esther and know two adult ones.

museumum · 10/09/2018 20:27

I think the generation with them before need to mainly die out. My grandparents generation were all Arthur and molly and Alf and Elsie. They mostly passed away around the turn of the millennium.

So for the next next big thing just check the obituaries!!

Glumglowworm · 10/09/2018 19:55

I think hearing names more makes them more familiar and more liked. And 20 years ago it would’ve been much harder to imagine a baby Albert or Evelyn, whereas now it’s easy because there are loads of them.

I think Irene and Susan are due a comeback. Susan especially is a lovely name and I know loads of 60 somethings called Sue so almost due for “naming her after my grandmother” baby Susans

Maybe Carol, Irene and Anne as well

Sarahandduck18 · 10/09/2018 19:27

Yes names follow fashions just like clothes and music.

There’s a name that was non existent a decade ago I now know 6 under 6s with it!

Sunflower321 · 10/09/2018 19:25

Agree with Dragon. Fashionable names (often described as 'lovely for a reason') become dull from overuse and start to sound dated.

DragonCat · 10/09/2018 18:23

Trendy names become boring, then people really get tired of them.

RedPencil · 10/09/2018 16:30

I think our ears do become accustomed. I remember around 10 years ago my mum worked with a young Esther, and i thought it was so old fashioned. Now I absolutely love it!

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