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Baby names

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

Original poster

Is Lisa too dated?

117 replies

nunonuno1 · 05/02/2019 23:54

Bear with me here! In terms of name styles we like – short, ending in A, we like L names – we realised that if you ignore any attached meaning and just look at the name objectively, Lisa is really great!

Unfortunately most people do not just ignore the meaning/feelings attached to a name though, so... hmph. But is it too soon for Lisa to make a comeback? Bear in mind, it fell out of the top 100 in 1995, so there are very few people under 23 with the name, meaning that by the time my child is 5+, nobody under 30 (maybe even 35/40) will even see it as dated any more. It will just be a fairly unusual name to all those people.

What does mumsnet think? Grin

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Pomello · 06/02/2019 23:05

Dated but I agree that that's not necessarily a bad thing. I love Jillian, Melanie, Valerie. Dated means The Only One in the Class without being achingly try-hard. Lisa is a pretty sound. I prefer Liza short for Elizabeth though.

MistyMaudMilou · 06/02/2019 23:01

My Italian best friend is called Annalisa, Lisa for short. It's lovely.

Duvetdweller · 06/02/2019 21:52

I’ve just realised this is the first baby name thread I’ve ever been interested enough to reply on, go for it!!

BabloHoney · 06/02/2019 21:52

Love Lisa, it’s a great name. And Lisa Simpson is my feminist icon Grin

Also love Lissa, short for Melissa or as a stand-alone name.

RockyFlintstone · 06/02/2019 21:51

I quite like it actually. It's very dated, very late 70s/early 80s but it is objectively very pretty. And it's better than all the Lyra, Lyla, Lila etc which are everywhere now and will also date massively!

Duvetdweller · 06/02/2019 21:48

I’ve got a phone full of Lisa’s (yes I’m 40) and I still absolutely love this name! And there aren’t any baby Lisa’s - I think it’s fab. My best friend is a Lisa and she’s very cool and fabulous so I’m a bit biased 😀

mimibunz · 06/02/2019 21:46

To me it’s like Susan and Karen, very plain.

BegoniasAndPetunias25 · 06/02/2019 21:43

Bear in mind, it fell out of the top 100 in 1995, so there are very few people under 23 with the name, meaning that by the time my child is 5+, nobody under 30 (maybe even 35/40) will even see it as dated any more. It will just be a fairly unusual name to all those people.

I disagree with this logic - my dd is 18, so under 30, and will still be under 30 in five years time.

She says that she thinks of Lisa as a dated name because she knows several women with the name who are aged 50+

To her it’s not an unusual name, it’s just a name that older people have and that would be dated on a newborn.

stellarfox · 06/02/2019 19:47

I think it’s a bit dated but I can see it becoming popular again. I like the suggestions of Lara and Louisa too.

Bumblebeesmum · 06/02/2019 19:28

I’m really surprised someone has listed Lila as a name that isn’t based on a trend....

Sugarpiehoneyeye · 06/02/2019 19:22

Do you like Alisa OP, or Alyssa ?

noideaatallreally · 06/02/2019 18:57

Lovely name. My best friend was called that. It is classic and will not date.

VoyageInTheDark · 06/02/2019 18:27

I'm one so I definitely think it should come back in fashion! I've always quite liked it and it would definitely stand out nowadays in a classroom

CloserIAm2Fine · 06/02/2019 13:52

It’s dated but would still work now, I dont really have strong feelings about it tbh

I know a young Lauren which surprised me as it’s a name I associate with my generation (I’m in my 30s) but it’s fine

I think Lauren and Lisa are both the kind of names that I think are fine, not what I would choose or that would make me think “ooh lovely” but also not something I would inwardly roll my eyes at or think is horrible

MikeUniformMike · 06/02/2019 13:24

It's not a diminutive of Bethany. It can be a diminutive of Isabel.

Lisa is a pretty name and has the benefits of being easy to say and spell. It was just a bit too popular in the 1960s and early 1970s.
That won't mean anything to those born in 2020.
Lisa Simpson might though.

VenusClapTrap · 06/02/2019 13:20

I liked it in the 70s/80s and I still like it now. It would definitely sound refreshing in a current primary school.

I’m another L....a name mentioned on this thread and I’ve always liked my name! It doesn’t come up on here often.

SemperIdem · 06/02/2019 13:17

I don’t dislike it. Though every single one I know has people shorten it to “Lis” prn “lease” on a regular basis.

Original poster
nunonuno1 · 06/02/2019 13:04

Wow, I'm surprised and happy about all the positive feedback! Thanks!!

OP posts:
tammytoby · 06/02/2019 12:58

Dated is good! It's a refreshing and interesting change from all the Ellies Evies Lillys etc.

Lisa is a beautiful name!

OneAndDoneForNow · 06/02/2019 12:35

It's a nice name and much more unusual than all the Lily's, Leah's etc these days.

TeacupDrama · 06/02/2019 12:33

there is a Lisa in DD's school she is 10 it is a perfectly nice name easy to spell sounds absolutely fine much better than names which will date much worse like Lyla, if you like ti go for it, do not do Lissa though I can't abide unique spellings of normal names

Icklepup · 06/02/2019 12:33

I like it!

Kokeshi123 · 06/02/2019 12:29

www.nytimes.com/2003/07/06/magazine/where-have-all-the-lisas-gone.html

I think it's a pretty name though. Go for it.

JillGoodacre · 06/02/2019 12:20

Also @Graphista makes a good point in that it's never shortened

Dandelio · 06/02/2019 12:19

It's a nice name. I much prefer it to names like Ellie, Evie etc.

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