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Baby names

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

Original poster

Sheila, Lorraine or Glinda?

213 replies

plinkyplonk123 · 29/12/2025 21:00

I know these names are unconventional but I was thinking they might be nice. I was originally going to go for Sheila or Lorraine (Lorrie for short) but after watching Wicked I’m thinking maybe Glinda would be fun!

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teaandtoastwouldbenice · 30/12/2025 22:42

Lorrie is nice otherwise I’m not keen

ChocolateCinderToffee · 30/12/2025 22:33

None of them. Glinda if I had to pick one. I've never met a nice Lorraine and Sheila is two generations ago, apart from being misogynistic if you're in Australia.

awrbc81 · 30/12/2025 18:29

Glinda is awful sorry!
Sheila and Lorraine are ok but not my taste personally, Sheila is slightly nicer I think.

What about Linda as an alternative? Kind of a mix of the three but is a prettier name.

And from your update Alison and Greta are MUCH better! Alice is lovely too

WeaselsRising · 30/12/2025 18:25

Names typically go in 100 year trends. Those coming into the charts in 1934 (not in the top 100 of 1924) were:

Angela
Cynthia
Diana
Gillian
Gloria
Heather
Jacqueline
Jennifer
Jill
Joy
Judith
Marian
Marina
Marlene
Molly
Norma
Shirley
Teresa
Valerie
Veronica
Wendy
Yvonne

OSTMusTisNT · 30/12/2025 18:08

Sheila is probably the best or your (awful) suggestions as the majority are either dead or heading that way if you want to continue the trend of reviving old names.

landslide51 · 30/12/2025 18:00

Lorena is a lovely suggestion IMO - and no offence OP but you need all the help you can get.

OldGothsFadeToGrey · 30/12/2025 17:44

Love Lorraine but that’s because of my Auntie Rainbow

Mercurial123 · 30/12/2025 17:40

Naming a cat is "fun". A child requires more thought or should do.

saraclara · 30/12/2025 17:01

BatsInHibernation · 30/12/2025 14:55

I know. It's just a joke quoting the film, I wasn't genuinely correcting OP

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Oops! Whooshed right over my head!

Trallers · 30/12/2025 16:38

LavenderLucy · 30/12/2025 16:33

The Irish name Síle (anglicised Sheila) is derived from the name Cecilia /Caecelia, brought to Ireland by the Anglo Normans.
Basically, Síle is the Irish form of Cecilia.

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Good to know, thank you!

LavenderLucy · 30/12/2025 16:33

Trallers · 30/12/2025 04:52

The only two Sheilas I know are actually Cecilia. I don't if it's a common diminutive or they both just fancied Sheila and went with it! But Cecilia is lovely, and you could still.use Sheila as a nn.

I like Alison and Greta too.

The Irish name Síle (anglicised Sheila) is derived from the name Cecilia /Caecelia, brought to Ireland by the Anglo Normans.
Basically, Síle is the Irish form of Cecilia.

ridl14 · 30/12/2025 16:07

IAmTheLogLady · 29/12/2025 21:16

I know a Lorraine who goes by Rainy which is lovely.
That's the nicest thing I can think of to say. I'm sorry op. I am usually really kind and laid back with baby names but if this is real please don't do it.

Agreed 🙏🏼 OP if you're open to suggestions, what about Lorena? Similar but a bit less dated?

liveforsummer · 30/12/2025 16:01

curliegirlie · 30/12/2025 14:25

Nah, very few Lorraines in their 40s I think - I never came across any at school or growing up, or more recently at work. I reckon there are probably more in their 50s or 60s (so 1960s and 1970s babies).

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Maybe regional? I’m 46 and knew plenty Lorraine’s during my school years

thisoldcity · 30/12/2025 16:00

I know someone called Sheila (aged 93) and when we were chatting about names she said hers was always shortened to 'She' which she hated.

Moreteaandchocolate · 30/12/2025 15:09

Lorraine because she can go by Lori.

Original poster
plinkyplonk123 · 30/12/2025 15:07

This is genuine!

Its good hearing different perspectives, I do appreciate it x

OP posts:
LavenderLucy · 30/12/2025 15:04

FairViewRosie25 · 29/12/2025 21:32

But spelt Shelagh as Gaelic surely

Absolutely not!
What that looks like is fake Irish spelling.
The Irish language spelling of the name is Síle.

BatsInHibernation · 30/12/2025 14:55

saraclara · 30/12/2025 12:50

Not in the original story or film. It was Glinda and pronounced as such.

I have no idea how or why it transformed into Ga-linda on the story's more recent iteration.

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I know. It's just a joke quoting the film, I wasn't genuinely correcting OP

JaninaDuszejko · 30/12/2025 14:34

While I suspect this is intended as a joke thread there is nothing wrong with Sheila or Lorraine, or indeed most of the other options suggested. It is not necessary to give your child a 'fashionable' name, both names are perfectly acceptable names that are well known and are the standard spellings. Also, I really dislike how rude people are being about quite normal names that just happen to be less popular at the moment. In another 50 years the appropriately fashionable but not too fashionable names you have all chosen for your children will be the Sheila or Lorraine of the future and your grandchildren will dispise them just like you look down at those names now. There are some names that might have only a very negative connotations (Adolf or Myra being the most obvious ones in the UK) but most other names are fine and people grow very used to them. Even Glinda (other names that come from literature: Lorna, Wendy, Fiona, Shirley).

curliegirlie · 30/12/2025 14:25

liveforsummer · 30/12/2025 09:07

But at least Cinderella and tinkerbel are pretty and have decent nick names 😅. Glinda is awful. Lorraine I guess is the best if a bad bunch as Lorraine’s are usually in their 40’s where as Sheila’s 50’s and you can get some younger sounding nick names - lorrie, Rainey etc but seems daft to name a child a bad name only to shorten to something you do like. You could get those from other far nicer names like Loretta

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Nah, very few Lorraines in their 40s I think - I never came across any at school or growing up, or more recently at work. I reckon there are probably more in their 50s or 60s (so 1960s and 1970s babies).

liveforsummer · 30/12/2025 13:05

plinkyplonk123 · 29/12/2025 21:57

another name I was thinking of was Greta perhaps, or Alison maybe? They’re perhaps a tad bit less controversial?

Greta Thunberg - nope!
Alison - see Lorraine

Purplecatshopaholic · 30/12/2025 12:50

Oh golly op, I don’t want to be rude in case you are actually serious, but errr, let’s just say it’s a No for all of them…

saraclara · 30/12/2025 12:50

BatsInHibernation · 29/12/2025 21:34

It's GA-linda

Not in the original story or film. It was Glinda and pronounced as such.

I have no idea how or why it transformed into Ga-linda on the story's more recent iteration.

Flingotheflamingo · 30/12/2025 12:48

Lorraine is my daughter’s middle name (after my mother) and I think it’s cute but it will likely never see the light of day as a name unless she’s actively discussing her middle name someday.

BillieWiper · 30/12/2025 12:46

Laurie is cute. Like the french girls name Laurence. But in English that sounds like a fairly boring mans name. What about Lauren or Laura? Or Lola?

Glinda is diabolical (sorry.) and Sheila is just very very old fashioned and frumpy sounding. It also reminds me of Australians calling women 'sheilas'.