Girls names that won’t come back…..

Rincoe · 2026-04-22T19:06:46+00:00

Barbara Gertrude Muriel Mildred Majorie Eileen Geraldine

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AInightingale · 24/05/2026 21:56

I couldn't see Cecil coming back for boys any time soon, though I have heard of a few girls called Cecily, again very Victorian.

cloudysky75 · 24/05/2026 21:43

I know a teenage Gary, just seems so wrong somehow!

honeylulu · 21/05/2026 14:44

I know a little Rita too! Her parents are Italian and it sounds lovely the way they say it.

I also know a primary age Cyril. His siblings also have older folk type names. He hates it though because he gets called "Cyril the Squirrel" at school.

Firebird83 · 21/05/2026 13:05

deeahgwitch · 10/05/2026 15:06

Rita ?

I know a baby Rita

YourMagentaCat · 21/05/2026 12:50

OneNewEagle · 13/05/2026 21:34

I know a baby Joanie and a toddler Bernice. Both lovely names

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My little girl is 3, she's Joan. She does get called Joanie and JoJo too.

AInightingale · 20/05/2026 21:29

Dinah, Hepzibah, Zillah. More's the pity - I think they're bloody brilliant myself.

I also really like Harriet which you don't hear much (though Harriet Harmon has spoiled it somewhat). I remember the lead singer of the Sundays had that name back in the 90s and it was VERY unusual for that generation.

poppymango · 20/05/2026 19:10

I dunno, I'd have said this about Ethel a while back but that's what Lily Allen named one of her daughters... I think any of these could have a resurgence!

I think Karen has been thoroughly ruined for everyone, however. It'll take a fair while for that to come back.

I do struggle to imagine a baby Cyril or baby Gary.

poppymango · 20/05/2026 19:08

Dalmationday · 22/04/2026 20:24

I know a baby Agnes

I love the name Agnes, although I'd never use it because so many people think its ugly and old fashioned and I'd be worried she's be teased.

Lalgarh · 14/05/2026 20:50

Cheryl

Calliopespa · 13/05/2026 21:40

AInightingale · 12/05/2026 13:37

A girl's name I have never heard much is 'Polly'. It seemed oddly absent from the glut of 19th century names which were so popular in the 90s/00s, what some people snootily call 'parlourmaid names'. I quite like it, though I think for people of my generation (GenX) it was associated with Fawlty Towers and parrots.

It's pretty, but maybe being used for parrots has suppressed its resurgence somewhat? The whole "Polly wants a cracker" thing. But I still like it.

Calliopespa · 13/05/2026 21:39

Warchfulwaiting · 12/05/2026 13:43

Doreen was my grandma's name. I can't imagine anyone thinking it was pretty.....though I suppose it's no worse than Maureen which I also can't see coming back.

Peggy is cute and didn't David Mitchell and Victoria Coren-Mitchell call their baby Barbara?

Eunice is another one I can't see coming back but you never know. At uni my friend liked the name Lily and everyone thought it was an awful old lady name. 30 years later it's so common aming little girls as to be boring.

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Oh yes, I just posted Maureen too. Doreen is arguably even less likely to make a comeback.

Yes. the Mitchells did call their DD Barbara: it's an unusual choice though not really a horrible sounding name, just very dated.

Eunice is most unpleasant - too reminiscent of eunuch!

Calliopespa · 13/05/2026 21:36

LBFseBrom · 27/04/2026 23:15

So do I.

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I don't mind it either.

Has anyone said Maureen?

OneNewEagle · 13/05/2026 21:34

letmebetheone · 22/04/2026 20:17

Doris
Joan
Sheila
Agnes
Bernice

I know a baby Joanie and a toddler Bernice. Both lovely names

pinkchampagne1 · 13/05/2026 19:25

Warchfulwaiting · 12/05/2026 13:46

I know a 4 year old Winnie

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Me too

Htcunya · 13/05/2026 18:03

Most of the names that aren't used now will return eventually, in a couple of generations or so.

Blingismything · 13/05/2026 15:43

Dolores
Linda
Antoinette
Jeanette
Lynette
Agnes
Diane
Janet
Pamela
Glenda
Brenda
Deidre
Thelma

AInightingale · 13/05/2026 12:41

Dawn, also very popular back in the day, hardly ever hear a young girl called that now.

LemonTreeGrove · 13/05/2026 10:11

deeahgwitch · 13/05/2026 09:57

It always surprised me that Diana, Princess of Wales was so
popular but it didn’t translate into Diana becoming a popular name.

I think the Die sound is quite harsh and that's what the nickname would be

YourMagentaCat · 13/05/2026 10:01

SinnerBoy · 12/05/2026 14:43

My daughter has a Lily in her class and 2 more in her year (Y8). I had a Great Auntie Lily.

I've got a university friend called Lily. She was the only one in the year and the only Lily I knew. She was named after her great grandmother and had no idea it would be popular years later.

deeahgwitch · 13/05/2026 09:57

It always surprised me that Diana, Princess of Wales was so
popular but it didn’t translate into Diana becoming a popular name.

Pemba · 12/05/2026 15:15

Thistimearound · 12/05/2026 11:26

Diane I wonder about. It’s obviously from Diana, of Greek mythology, so Diana won’t disappear because biblical / royal / mythology names don’t tend to.

There are so many Diane/ Dianes in my parents’ generation (mainly women in their 60s - early 70s) - I think I know about 7 of them - that it clearly had a HUGE moment in the late 50s and 60s. Was Diane just the alternative for Diana? In which case, I can see it not coming back (and Diana will) - it’s like Jayne instead of Jane, Jaxon instead of Jackson etc.

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Diane is the French version of Diana, but they pronounce it like 'Dee-ahn,' I believe, not 'Dye-Ann'. I suppose French forms of names were quite a trend in the sixties, that's why we got Julie instead of Julia, Louise instead of Louisa, Marie instead of Mary or Maria, Claire instead of Clare/Clara, Christine instead of Christina, Suzanne as an alternative to Susan. Also in the sixties Michelle was very popular as in the Beatles song (although Michaela was never that popular).
So Diane is not made up and I suppose it might return one day, but I think the English pronunciation is not nice really. But it's not like Jayne or especially Jaxon.

SinnerBoy · 12/05/2026 14:43

My daughter has a Lily in her class and 2 more in her year (Y8). I had a Great Auntie Lily.

UnctuousUnicorns · 12/05/2026 13:58

Warchfulwaiting · 12/05/2026 13:43

Doreen was my grandma's name. I can't imagine anyone thinking it was pretty.....though I suppose it's no worse than Maureen which I also can't see coming back.

Peggy is cute and didn't David Mitchell and Victoria Coren-Mitchell call their baby Barbara?

Eunice is another one I can't see coming back but you never know. At uni my friend liked the name Lily and everyone thought it was an awful old lady name. 30 years later it's so common aming little girls as to be boring.

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I think that's maybe why I chose Lillian over Lily for one of my DC.

Warchfulwaiting · 12/05/2026 13:53

Carpaccia · 24/04/2026 18:33

Both enjoying a bit of a resurgence, I think, particularly Edith.

I absolutely love the name Maude, mentioned above. It was on one of my name lists a few years ago.

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Yes I had two Ediths in the same class a few years,ago

Warchfulwaiting · 12/05/2026 13:46

Carpaccia · 26/04/2026 00:39

I know two Winifreds - one's about 16 now, the other around 3 years old. I really like the name!

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I know a 4 year old Winnie