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Baby names

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

Original poster

How ‘old lady’ is Iris?

81 replies

Sunday4 · 28/10/2022 08:01

As a general rule, I’m not a fan of vintage sounding, ‘old people’ names.

But I do like Iris. For some reason, I feel like Iris has a bit of an edge to it, and I like names with an edge (not edge as in edgy-trendy, more that the sound has an edge. I don’t know how to explain what I mean here!)

Now I know Iris IS an old name - and it’s on all the vintage name idea lists - but when you hear the name, do you immediately think ‘old lady’?

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starfire88 · 28/10/2022 18:39

I know two people named Iris, one aged 8 and one aged 92. Always thought it was a nice name, and both the people I know with the name are lovely. Plus, it has a great meaning too.

VenusClapTrap · 28/10/2022 18:07

Beautiful name. Just makes me think of the flower.

I don’t really see what’s to dislike about ‘old lady names’. They’re just names.

AlicesAttic · 28/10/2022 17:19

I love it, and I love its meaning too.
I get you, it has a bit of sass somehow; a short definite sound. I would put Edie in the same category.

MyEasterEggs · 28/10/2022 17:16

It’s first choice for us if we have another girl. I think it’s a really strong name. My daughter is Cora and I think it has a similar vibe. Also like Ivy and Astrid.

Original poster
Sunday4 · 28/10/2022 16:33

Thanks for all your thoughts everyone! Really appreciate all the input.

OP posts:
Cotswoldmama · 28/10/2022 15:20

I like it but I don't think I'd use it myself. It's very popular where I live with the rich hippies.

Choccyoclocky · 28/10/2022 15:10

I like it - my immediate thought is the film The Holiday and I love that film.

KirstenBlest · 28/10/2022 15:03

I think Doris is cute. Doris Day.

Subbaxeo · 28/10/2022 14:57

I think it’s a lovely name-now if you’d said Doris…

5yearplan · 28/10/2022 14:46

Yes of course it’s ‘old lady’ like Ivy, Violet, Ada, Elsie etc. None of those names are to my taste but Iris is ok. I’ve never met one.

TheWayTheLightFalls · 28/10/2022 14:43

Another dd middle name here. Put off as a first name because a woman I don’t like much used it for her daughter, and it lost its shine a bit. But I’m slightly regretting it now! Because of the rainbow thing it’s sometimes used for “rainbow babies”.

irismumm · 28/10/2022 14:34

My daughter is called Iris. She's two.

When she was born I had never met another one but now I've met quite a few, it's certainly quite popular where I live and I think getting more so, so if that bothers you then it's something to think about. It's nowhere near the Eva/Ava/Evie level of common though.

I love the name. Its feminine but it also, as you say OP, has a bit of a edge. It's not frilly but it's pretty, it's simple and easy to spell and pronounce. It's the perfect girls name!

Luredbyapomegranate · 28/10/2022 14:26

You know there are thousands of teen and little Irises don’t you?! It’s been very popular for years.

I like it and agree it has a sharp edge

If you were hoping for something less overused then

Lois
Ines / Inez
Aster
Stella
Aphra
Annis
Astrid
Merryn
Meredith

all have a similar-ish vibe to me - Rowan too but that’s also very popular

3peassuit · 28/10/2022 13:05

It’s a lovely name. I do know an aged Iris but have also encountered a toddler Iris in Costa. It suits all ages.

Pixiedust1234 · 28/10/2022 13:01

As like anything that's been fashionable at one stage - its so old its back to being new and "in". I believe Lily and Rose/Rosa are "in" too, as is Holly 😉

Lovely name, it was my Grandma's.

Houselamp · 28/10/2022 12:49

I think old lady, then bit of an eyeball

Beamur · 28/10/2022 12:48

I know of a couple of teens and a few littlies with this name.
It was on my long list of girls names. I think it's very pretty.

FennelAndOnions · 28/10/2022 12:45

If anything I’d say it was really common. I don’t like it personally as I don’t like ‘vintage’ names.

I work with children and have met loads of little Iris’s so it’s certainly not an unusual name.

RuthW · 28/10/2022 12:17

When I hear Iris I think of a little girl under 10. It's very popular nowdays.

luciaann · 28/10/2022 12:09

I know a couple of baby Iriss

bigbluebus · 28/10/2022 11:42

The only Iris I know is 93.

CryCeratops · 28/10/2022 11:35

It’s in the top 100 girls names now, 70th in 2021, and it’s been rising steadily in popularity in recent years.
Looking at the way it’s been trending upwards, I don’t think it’s reached the peak of it’s popularity yet either.

So it’s not going to feel like an old lady name to your baby’s contemporaries!

names.darkgreener.com/#iris

yehyehyeh · 28/10/2022 10:45

I suspect the reason there are so many teenage Iris' is because of the love of the Goo Goo Dolls song for their 40-something parents.

As most parents of newborns are going to be much younger I would expect the popularity of the name to start to decline again now.

Kanaloa · 28/10/2022 10:38

The only one I know is four, so I don’t really think of it as an old lady name. I don’t think it was ever popular enough to really associate with any one time period if you know what I mean. But it’s lovely. I like the song too!

soulinablackberrypie · 28/10/2022 10:35

I think it's beautiful! I do think of it as being currently an older person's name, but a fairly rare one, that I've always thought of as being due a revival.

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