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Baby names

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

Original poster

Girls names, are these a bit too "old lady"?

142 replies

Pickledegg · 20/03/2008 22:11

Florence
Clara
Elsie
Celia / Cecelia
Mabel

This is my shortlist of girls names. I love them (obviously!), but some people have said they're a bit too "old lady".

What do you think?

Any you particularly like /object to?

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evie99 · 21/03/2008 20:28

I love Celia, such a lovely arrangement of letters and feminine ring to it. Second favourite is Clara.

MrsJohnCusack · 21/03/2008 20:17

this pets thing is funny - I had a dog called what is now DD's 2nd name, and a cat called DS's 1st name. I loved my animals, why would I not use a name because of that. (however I do realise I am unusual in my dearly departed pets' theme in naming our children)

runragged76 · 21/03/2008 20:03

I like Clara, Elsie and Cecelia, not sure about the others tho. My dd middle name is Lily, as a modern day take on both DH grandmothers - Lilian.

Troutpout · 21/03/2008 19:56

oh no...i cannot have a grandchild named Carol or Keith..i just cannot

PellMell · 21/03/2008 19:54

I love cecelia. It is the name of my cousin and I have always envied her for having such a pretty name.

MadameCh0let · 21/03/2008 19:50

If I end up with a grandchild called Barbara I will be depressed.

MadameCh0let · 21/03/2008 19:49

Our children will call their babies Doreen, Brian, Trevor, Malcolm and Gladys.

PeatBog · 21/03/2008 19:27

I like them all, except Mabel who was our dog

CountessDracula · 21/03/2008 18:39

Oh I love Nell but I wasn't allowed it for dd as dh had a dog with the same name

MrsJohnCusack · 21/03/2008 18:36

Helen BAxendale's daughter is Nell, not Nelly
I know a 3 year old Elsie, it really suits her and she is very cute

LaDiDaDi · 21/03/2008 18:17

I love Clara.

I prefer Celia to Cecilia and although I think that Mabel is very cute I can't imagine it on anyone aged between 8 and 80.

What about Ida or Ada?

AbbeyA · 21/03/2008 18:12

I wonder how long the revival will last for? It is interesting to see how they are coming back but I don't like any of them!

MadameCh0let · 21/03/2008 17:48

Helen baxendale from coldfeet called her daughter Nelly and her son Eric. WEll. There you go.

AbbeyA · 21/03/2008 17:04

Queenie-Gladys?!! Might as well go for the old popular of Nellie!

Troutpout · 21/03/2008 16:54

oh Gwen is lovely!

Troutpout · 21/03/2008 16:53

i like them all except Celia and Cecelia

Also like Queenie,Gladys,Florence (very popular though..quite a lot around here)Doris and Margaret
(all of which are either my mothers or my aunts names)

AbbeyA · 21/03/2008 16:47

The old lady names that you are resurrecting are generally hated by the old ladies!
I think that Elsie, Winifred, Hilda and Maude are all Germanic in origin and were not used before 20th Century (just a guess).

easylife9 · 21/03/2008 16:29

love all the names you've chosen, i know a two year old called Mabel and she has a little sister called Kitty...

jocat · 21/03/2008 15:36

Chose Elise for my daughters middle name and love it. Florence is becomming more popular round this way. I love all your choices older names are so nice the boys have had it going on for a while (met a stan 1yr the other day - how cute?!)so its time the girls caught up.

kerala · 21/03/2008 15:19

Love old lady names! Though find that real old ladies think we are mad to be resurrecting them. My friend's granny was horrified that she called her daughter Elsie - her outrage at the choice were practically her last words before she died.

Particularly keen on Esme and Elspeth personally but they are all nice.

tummytickler · 21/03/2008 15:04

i like old lady names too. We have a7 yr old called Iris and a 3 year oldcalled Pearl.
Other shortlisted names were Dorothy, Mabel, Hilda and Maude.
My cousin has a dd Elsie and i know a couple of Florences - not old lady at all any more.

Cecelia is beautiful.
Clara is elegant and classy.

Lovely names

gracepaley · 21/03/2008 15:02

my dds both have old lady names, although not the ones you mentioned.
Old lady names ROCK.

Klaw · 21/03/2008 14:45

knew someone once who was known as Celie

found out later it was short for Cecelia

realise Martha is getting more popular but that's dp's mum's name and I don't reckon he would want to use it!

Calisteregg · 21/03/2008 14:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

jeanjeannie · 21/03/2008 14:16

Love Clara....and I think old ladies names rock! We've got an Iris.....only other one we've met was 78..!