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Baby names

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

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Original poster

Old lady names

107 replies

Namesheardinthewild · 28/10/2025 21:35

Not pregnant, just wanting to expand horizons. I love ‘old lady’ names and wondered if anyone had any to add? So far I love:

Agatha
Enid
Violet
Mabel
Elizabeth (although I think this is more classic than old lady)
Joyce
Jane

OP posts:

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HoppityBun · 29/10/2025 18:57

Gertrude
Queenie
Patience
Lettuce
Griselda
Wilhelmina
Winifred
Marjorie

cannyvalley · 29/10/2025 18:54

Oh and Elsie. Absolutely love Elsie

cannyvalley · 29/10/2025 18:53

I love:

Dot / Dottie
Enid
Edie (Edi? )
Flora
Esther
Mags
Florrie
Betty
Marjorie

Zanatdy · 29/10/2025 18:48

24Dogcuddler · 28/10/2025 21:47

Still waiting for
Doris, Ethel & Gladys!

Or Glenys

WingBingo · 29/10/2025 13:26

Beryl. Everyone always forgets about Beryl. I think it’s a fabulous name.

also, I think a baby Stella or Sally would be quite cool.

FiveCustardTarts · 29/10/2025 13:23

I don’t think I’ll ever like the sound of Hortense or Enid.

user1492757084 · 29/10/2025 12:44

Myrtle
Desma
Dorothy

HillOf · 29/10/2025 08:48

80smonster · 28/10/2025 21:54

Maeve
Kitty
Beatrice
Martha
Iris

But Maeve isn’t an ‘old lady name’ at all. Are you confusing it with Mavis?

MargoLivebetter · 29/10/2025 08:45

Have we had:

Nanette
Brenda
Gerty
Sheila
Shelly
Flora
Ingrid
Hetty
Hortense
Jesamine
Juliet
Vanessa

ThePoetsWife · 29/10/2025 08:43

Margaret

StrongLikeMamma · 29/10/2025 08:42

Lillian - Lilly
Elsie
Winnifred - Winn
Jean - Jeanie
Joan - Joanie
Millicent - Milly
Violet
Florence - Flo
Iris
Ruby
Beatrice - Bea
Ivy
Gladys

HangingOver · 29/10/2025 08:25

Runnersandtoms · 29/10/2025 08:06

My grandma was a Doreen. It's not very pretty though. My other granny was Joan Phyllis but always known as Phyllis (until she was in a care home/hospital when people kept calling her Joan and she didn't reply)

Doris is the name my dd chose for her baby doll 15 years ago lol. No idea why.

Show quote history

Same! She died last year aged near 100.

I like all the Cazalet names, especially Sybil, Polly, Florence, Phyllis, Stella, Nora.

I don't want kids but if I had a girl I'd name her Stella Rose.

fairycupcakes · 29/10/2025 08:16

Don’t think I’ve seen Rita from any PPs so I’ll add that in!

Runnersandtoms · 29/10/2025 08:06

DorisTheFinkasaurus · 28/10/2025 22:46

Also, Doreen.

Doris is the name my dd chose for her baby doll 15 years ago lol. No idea why.

Mumofgirls2017 · 29/10/2025 07:53

Love Enid and Mabel. Also love

florence
daphne
hazel
clara
martha
edith
esther
pearl
minnie
winifred
ida
iris
daisy
ivy
olive
penelope
nancy
stella
nora
dorothy
betty
dora
sylvia

Catwalking · 29/10/2025 07:30

Lorna
Constance
Liberty
Veronica
Rowena

Shineonyoucrazy · 29/10/2025 07:15

Bertha proper heavy, lumpen name like a lot of the pre war names - harsher consonants.
Do you mean boomer, post war names like @ResusciAnnie’s list? I’d add Alison, Elaine, Helen, Sharon, Tracey, Sarah, Claire though these are getting towards Gen XYour original list is more like dead old lady, but these are the ones that are coming back. @Littletreefrog’s is a mixture. Emma and Lucy have never gone out of fashion.

ResusciAnnie · 29/10/2025 07:05

Ncforthistopiced · 29/10/2025 00:07

My grandmother was called Gertrude,just why !?
I love so many more prettier names
Annie
Elsie
Dora
Olive
Winnie
Sylvie

See they all sound so current to me. I know kids called all of those names other than Dora. Don’t know any oldies left with those names!

ResusciAnnie · 29/10/2025 07:01

ResusciAnnie · 28/10/2025 22:23

Old ladies nowadays are more like:

Susan
Marie
Barbara
Patricia
Sandra
Judith
Pamela
Caroline

Oh also:

Lynn
Kathleen
Moira
Shirley
Beverley

On the other hand kids I know are:
Edith
Daphne
Dorothy
Ada
Betsy
Joan(ie)
June
Effie (I guess 100 years ago Effies were actually Euphemia)
Many Violets

Most of the ‘old lady names’ on this thread are names from 100 years ago as PP so assuredly told me, and therefore are now baby names rather than old lady names. As those old ladies are mostly all dead, and names tend to go in century cycles.

falalalalaaaaaaaa · 29/10/2025 02:22

Dottie/Dorothy
Edith
Elsie
Ada
IriS
Jean
June
Ivy
Grace
Patricia
Doris
Yvonne
Betty

mathanxiety · 29/10/2025 00:08

I love Agatha. A stunning name.

Greta
Winifred
Joan
Vera
Frida
Lena
Ruth
Vita
Dinah
Margaret
Bridget
Beatrix
Wilhelmina
Beulah
Annette
Lucille
Mary
Leonora
Della
Celia
Johanna
Audrey
Laura
Alma
Irene
Marian
Honora
Finola
Ursula
Frances
Drusilla
Philomena
Daphne
Monica
Bernadette
Dymphna

Ncforthistopiced · 29/10/2025 00:07

My grandmother was called Gertrude,just why !?
I love so many more prettier names
Annie
Elsie
Dora
Olive
Winnie
Sylvie

daydi · 29/10/2025 00:06

I love Enid, Violet and Elizabeth

KnickerlessParsons · 29/10/2025 00:03

Betty
Joan
Sylvia
Edith
Peggy
Rhona
Margery
Pamela
Shirley

VaddaABeetch · 28/10/2025 23:58

I’m irish

Majella
Assumpta
Concepta
Immaculata
Bernadette
Goretti
Geraldine, although I love this
Sheila
Kathleen
Eileen
Teresa
Mary, Maura, Marie, Maria,Marion, Marian, Maureen
Bridget
Noeleen, Nollaig

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