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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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msappropriate · 21/03/2008 09:06

I really really like Elsie, Celia, Cecilia, (and Celeste and Cecily) they were on my short list. The others are ok too.

Was it Fern Brittan whose daughter is Winifred? I taught 2 5 yr old winifreds about 5 yrs, they were cousins and it was same family.

In my names books the top 50 girls names of 2002 were so similar to the top 50 girls names of 1900. Old ladies names now very common!

castille · 21/03/2008 09:05

I like them all except Mabel, and I prefer Cecily (def spelt this way) to Celia/Cecilia. Clara was top of our list for DC3 (but he is a boy!). Elsie was my grandmother's name, I think it's sweet.

On the same theme I also love Constance, Clementine and Madeleine.

hoxtonchick · 21/03/2008 09:02

oh i like this thread as you all like my dd's name (florence). UN-shortened. though i suspect she might become flo when she writes her name!

AbbeyA · 21/03/2008 08:59

I can't believe that Elsie is making a come back-my great aunt Elsie always hated it and was called by a nick name, never Elsie! I also know a lady in her 80's called Freda and she has always hated it-so much so that when she started school she invented a second name for herself-the teacher had to query it with her mother! Ethel is another name I can't believe people would want, the one I knew was always known as Eth-horrible IMO! However, I seem to at odds with a lot of people as I dislike the current trend for Ruby.

MrsJohnCusack · 21/03/2008 00:42

I LOVE old lady names
(except Edna - that's NEVER coming back)

Lizzer · 21/03/2008 00:25

Pickledegg, i love all those names! Particularly Cecelia and Florence but ALL of them are lovely, you can't go wrong IMO

JodieG1 · 20/03/2008 23:54

My dd's middle name is Florence, named after my nan that died. She was a lovely woman and I felt she was a mother to me. I love it.

tensmum · 20/03/2008 23:52

This reply has been deleted

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Janni · 20/03/2008 23:40

I really like Esme, Clara and Evie.

I'm pretty sure that 'Cecilie' is the usual spelling of that name.

buzzybee · 20/03/2008 23:36

I don't think it will - not if you don't use it. Flossie is such a lovely flowing sound, I can't see why anyone would want to use Flo!

My name is Linda and my mum told me later she liked Lyn better - which is bizarre because I don't ever remember her using it and I can't imagine using it myself now!

Original poster
Pickledegg · 20/03/2008 23:28

Yes I like Florence, shortened to Flossie.
I'm a bit worried it will get shortened to Flo though. Flo sounds terrible with a lancashire accent!

OP posts:
buzzybee · 20/03/2008 23:19

I went to school with a Florence and DD had a Florence in her creche who had the nickname Flossie, which I love! So not old lady to me.

My baby is Beatrix / Trixie.

brimfull · 20/03/2008 23:18

I'm a geriatric nurse and we have loads of ladies with these names.
They are such lovely names that suit someone of any age.
Am nursing a 95 yr old Clara and a 90 yr old Florrie atm.

Original poster
Pickledegg · 20/03/2008 23:14

SoMuchToBits - some lovely names there.

Margaret Melita is v glamarous! And Nana is v v old fashioned!

OP posts:
itsahardknocklife · 20/03/2008 23:11

I like Florence. That was my number 1 choice if we had a girl, but DH didn't like it. Luckily we had a boy and had decided on that name!
How about Elsie or Elise instead of Elsa?

Original poster
Pickledegg · 20/03/2008 23:08

I like Flossie! Yes Florence reminds me of Magic roundabout too, but in a good way

I like Freda and Flora too, but not as much as others.

Elsa is nice, I think its a German name though(????), I've not heard of anyone with the name here. Not that thats a bad thing, but might be more confusing. Correct me if Im wrong!

OP posts:
cheesesarnie · 20/03/2008 22:57

love flossie!

and iris

MadameCh0let · 20/03/2008 22:56

I prefer Cecily to Celia. With Amelia and Olivia I feel that I'm too familiar with Cecilia, even though I don't know any, so Cecily seems fresher.

I love Flora, but I know of two and they aren't babies either, they can read and write! so not too old lady at all imo.

I really like Mabel, Ethel and Freda. DOris is never coming back.

I love Elsa. Could Elsa be short for Elisabeth?

unknownrebelbang · 20/03/2008 22:56

Prefer Elsa to Elsie.

Like Ella too.

tortoiseSHELL · 20/03/2008 22:56

All beautiful!

notnowbernard · 20/03/2008 22:55

Like Florence
Love Elsie and Mabel

Not keen on the others

Pick what you love!

unknownrebelbang · 20/03/2008 22:55

I like Celia/Cecelia.

Don't dislike Florence, but it makes me think of magic roundabout.

SoMuchToBits · 20/03/2008 22:55

Ok - I have recently been doing a lot of family history research. Here are all the female names from my grandparents' generation (I am quite old at 46, and my parents were old at 41/42 when I was born, so we are talking people born in the 1890s mostly)

Nana, Gertrude, Margaret Melita, Gladys, Hilda, Edith, Mabel, Dorothy, Kate, Lily, Alice, Emily, Gwendoline, Elsie.

Others, more distantly related, born at the same time were:-
Elizabeth, Olive, Elsie, Constance, Jessie, Louisa, Valeria, Rose, Eleanor.

Heated · 20/03/2008 22:54

Flossie?

cheesesarnie · 20/03/2008 22:54

my favorites on op are
Florence
Elsie
Mabel

im not so keen on
Clara
Celia / Cecelia

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