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Baby names

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

Original poster

Girls names that won’t come back…..

807 replies

Rincoe · 22/04/2026 20:06

Barbara
Gertrude
Muriel
Mildred
Majorie
Eileen
Geraldine

OP posts:
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Shinyclean · 23/04/2026 02:33

My nan was Ethel, she’d be 108 the other day, my other nan was Bertha

HugoElephant · 23/04/2026 01:50

Agnes, particularly with French pronunciation, is beautiful and chic. Gorgeous and timeless name.

Hanoversquare2 · 23/04/2026 01:33

Anna-Marie or Anne-Marie

PetsPalace · 23/04/2026 01:32

Mildred, Maud & Enid have all been mentioned, they make me think of The Worst Witch and are pretty cool. My cheeky, smart & stubborn dog has one of those names and she's adorable 😂

2021x · 23/04/2026 01:27

Diedre... surely Corrie has put the nail in the coffin... and Mavis

SinnerBoy · 23/04/2026 01:17

Jk987 · 22/04/2026 20:31

Fanny

My dad had a mate called Fanny, Fanny B. He was really called Francis.

Handrearedmagpie · 23/04/2026 01:15

I bizarrely know 3 under 10s with variations of Euphemia - Effie, Phemie & Effie-May, which I would never have thought would come back.
defo no more:
Fanny
Bertha
Dick
Percy

bizarrely, my granny, born in 1916, always described Laura as an “old lady name”

TouchtheEarth · 23/04/2026 01:10

BridgetJonesV2 · 22/04/2026 21:16

I'm a child of the 70s. My class mates were:
Alison
Tracy
Julie
Sharon
Sally
Rachael

Don't see many of those around anymore.

Me too! You must have had a few Karens, Melanies, Kims and Debbies too?!

PretzelChoc · 23/04/2026 00:51

Flaskfan · 22/04/2026 20:57

I think we're at the tail end of the old old lady names now (elsie/ Alfie/ stanley/mabel).

Next gen are my parents, so I'd expect to see a raft of these in the next 10 years:
Pat/pam/sue/Beryl/linda/ lyn
Colin/peter/alan/clive/Gwyn/Rob/ Steve

Then my generation, so not for another 40 years or more:
Sarah/ Laura/clare/ donna/helen/louise/rebecca/Debbie
Gareth/lee/ paul/ David

Sarah, Rebecca, Laura, Louise, Lee, Paul, David all very popular on my part of Ireland for last 15 years. Multiples of each in my small country catchment.

Also know Eileens, Joans, Marys, Ruths and Janes. And for boys, plenty of young Peters , Patricks, Johns, Marks, Denis, etc.

Sortofballs · 23/04/2026 00:50

I know a young Joan, Mary, Margaret and Agnes!

Names I don’t think will come back are
Joanne
Stacey
Jane
Jennifer
Phyllis
Griselda
Bertha
Ann
Doris
Helen
Ursula
Yvonne
Susan
Amanda
Julie
Sally

Sbmpp · 23/04/2026 00:48

@MissAmbrosia My GM was named Hildegarde and I had an aunt named Mildred! Great ladies:)

Sortofballs · 23/04/2026 00:45

My mum was always surprised by the number of Sarah’s and Clare’s in my generation. To her they sounded very old-fashioned.

Sortofballs · 23/04/2026 00:43

Notashamed13 · 22/04/2026 22:31

She was 100% Queenie......her Dad (my Great Grandad? Was a "Jessy" which I think is also unusual for a male name.

Show quote history

My gran was Queenie too! Also her real name, not a nickname.

Jesse is a boys name from the Bible. Quite popular among Victorians.

Itiswhysofew · 23/04/2026 00:38

Pasta4Dinner · 22/04/2026 20:26

I would have loved to call DD Gertrude (Gertie), she is very glad I didn’t.

That's my DM's confirmation name, pulled out of a hatGrin It's sweet.

Gloria
Cynthia
Beryl
Christine
Gayle
Beverly
Miriam
Kim
Jane (love it)
Leigh (love it)

HatStickBoots · 23/04/2026 00:38

Gloria, Shirley, Shiela

AInightingale · 23/04/2026 00:32

Fidelma, Concepta and Incarnita were all names I knew from growing up in Belfast in the 70s. And Markievicz I heard too. Jesus, you would get so tired of spelling that out multiple times in a lifetime.

Anouken · 23/04/2026 00:23

RubyFatball · 22/04/2026 22:04

Probably been done by PPs but:
Beverley
Elaine
Lorraine
Sylvia
Pauline
Janice
Janet
Bertha
Patricia (nn Pat)
Keith
Alan
Kelvin
Jason
Donald
Geoffrey

(Edit: OP asked for girls I know, but those two last are never, ever going to happen again)

Edited

I love the name Jason, hope it soon comes back

FlowerPot981 · 23/04/2026 00:22

Cosleepingadvice · 22/04/2026 20:20

I know a baby Joan and a baby Agnes! 😅

Show quote history

I also know a baby Joan, born 2025.

SleepingStandingUp · 23/04/2026 00:21

pilates · 22/04/2026 20:36

Sharon
Tracy

Dark Greener is fascinating for this kind of thread. It only shows if a names been registered 3 or more items a, year but in 2024 there were 14 baby Sharon's registered in the UK but only 4 Tracys. 3 Doreen. 17 Joan's. No Deidres.

Everlore · 23/04/2026 00:18

NoodleHorses · 22/04/2026 23:53

I know of a child called Mildred. I am friend with her parents. Her sister Florence is a cool kid too.

I am not surprised that kids are still being called Mildred, it seems like the sort of name that could easily become fashionable again. I know Florence is a classic name but I also consider it to be quite current. There are quite a few famous young women called Florence and hearing a baby or small child called it would not surprise me in the least.
Our friends have a delightful nine-year old called Kathleen, named after a favourite singer of her parents, and the name really suits her.

duckingclueless · 23/04/2026 00:14

Karen

Nervousbuilder · 23/04/2026 00:06

somburd · 22/04/2026 23:52

Bertha
Michelle
Ada
Alberta
Fanny
Doreen

Ada was 40th most popular baby girls name
in 2024

Anouken · 23/04/2026 00:02

Heyhelga · 22/04/2026 20:18

Peggy

I can see Barbara making a comeback though.

Peggy is back

Mackerelfillets · 23/04/2026 00:01

70's names, Karen, Sharon, Helen, Louise, Claire, Angela, Marie, Joanne, Sally etc...and my Grandmas name....Bertha, last one of 13...I think they ran out of names!!

LeftBoobGoneRogue · 22/04/2026 23:59

Maureen
Myrtle