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Baby names

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

Original poster

Will these girls names come back into fashion?

87 replies

annacondom · 28/06/2021 12:55

Was just thinking about people I went to school with, or worked with in the '80s. I like some of these, and they seemed so normal at the time. But does anyone call their Dd these nowadays?
Gillian
Gail
Hayley
Alison
Dawn
Donna
Monica
Lynne/Linda
Janice/Janet
Jean/Joan
Julie
Angela
Barbara

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pilates · 28/06/2021 21:03

I hope not

Scarby9 · 28/06/2021 21:03

I have one of these names, and you have basically listed the names of most of my school friends.
I genuinely don't understand why my name dropped out of fashion. I never thought I would be the Auntie Edna of my generation!

Rockmehardplace · 28/06/2021 20:59

I know a 5 year old Monica and a few Hayley’s under 10. Definitely think Alison will make a comeback and I know 2 little Juliette’s, so maybe Julie will too.

Pinkypink · 28/06/2021 20:06

I love the name Donna.
All the ones I know are talented and lovely

MadisonAvenue · 28/06/2021 19:23

I’ve always found the name Donna so harsh and unappealing

I agree and it’s not helped by the fact that I’ve worked with three Donnas and two of them were really unfriendly and difficult to work with.

PattyPan · 28/06/2021 16:28

I like Alison and Linda but don’t like the others. Donna just means woman in Italian so has always struck me as a weird choice for a name.
Victoria Coren Mitchell & David Mitchell’s daughter is called Barbara.

WaterAndTheWild · 28/06/2021 16:19

I know a Jean (12) and a Joan (9) - they're adorable names..

TatianaBis · 28/06/2021 16:10

I don't miss any of them.

Nor Jackie, Cheryl, Paula, Sharon, Tracey, Trish, Fay

cocomelonz · 28/06/2021 15:46

35 weeks pregnant with my Hailey! I think it's a lovely underused name which suits a more modern spelling but of course I am biased!

SingingSands · 28/06/2021 15:44

I love the name Julie and think it suits from little toddlers up to grown ups. I know loads my age (born in late 70s) and have always just thought it was a lovely name!

I had a conversation about this recently with my daughter and wondered if names like Pamela, Michelle, Erica etc were due a comeback by the time she has kids!

Theoldwoman · 28/06/2021 15:43

Julie, Hayley and Monica are very popular here.

ILoveShula · 28/06/2021 15:20

I like Eileen and Maureen, and think on someone younger they are quirky in a nice way.
Barbara is a bit like that too.

I like Gail as a nn for Abigail, although Abi/Abby/Abbey is more usual.

Those names are a refreshing change from the Lily/Lila/Lola or Ellie/Evie/Ava type names.

ScribblyBaller · 28/06/2021 15:20

I know a couple with a baby Barbara. All those 1950s names seem to be what the hipsters are moving on to.

ozzyfroggy · 28/06/2021 15:18

I've got a soft spot for Barbara...

I'm due in a few weeks and she'll be Gloria!

I love Elaine, Jane and Margaret too.

DramaAlpaca · 28/06/2021 15:06

I really like the name Alison from that list. It's a very old name, goes back to medieval times and is mentioned in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. I like that it has such a long history and I could see myself using it.

bdd2017 · 28/06/2021 15:03

I love Angela, condisered it for dc when pregnant 18 months ago, but had a son instead!

ScribblyBaller · 28/06/2021 15:03

Wren is 2021's version of Dawn.

ScribblyBaller · 28/06/2021 15:02

They'll all come back into fashion. Nearly all names that were very popular become popular again once enough time has passed. They start to sound charmingly vintage rather than tired. Arthur was a left field choice 20 years ago, now little Arthurs are everywhere.

AriadnetheSpider · 28/06/2021 14:35

Love Angela (Angie). Literally means “angel”, I don’t know why it’s not popular.

Twickerhun · 28/06/2021 14:10

We had Alison on our list. I think some of those names aren’t far From coming back

ILoveShula · 28/06/2021 14:03

I really like Dona - Welsh name sounds like Donna.
Gillian - prefer Jill which is lovely.
Not keen on Janice but Janet is nice.
The others are fine.

Viviennemary · 28/06/2021 13:59

Not Donna, Tracey, Maureen. Hayley Margaret are ok. Not keen on Elaine either. I quite like Veronica though I've never met one.

CheerfulBunny · 28/06/2021 13:55

Margaret is kind of majestic in its own way, although I mentally add 'Auntie' before it, but I really like all of the variations on it - Maggie, Meg etc. I absolutely adore the name Peggy, it's so cute. Bit like Polly which I also love. I've always liked Jane as a name too. Pretty and timeless.

VenusClapTrap · 28/06/2021 13:52

I know an 11 year old Hayley.

I like the old ‘een’ names, especially Eileen. It’s not that dissimilar from a lot of currently popular names like Isla, Ella, etc really.

FindMeInTheSunshine · 28/06/2021 13:39

I know a toddler called Dawn, which I was very surprised at, but now I'm used to it it seems like a lovely name. A few more years and I'm sure we'll be seeing questions about baby Doreen, nn Dorrie!