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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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Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 24/04/2026 11:31

No baby girls registered as Carol, no baby boys registered as Nigel.

UnctuousUnicorns · 24/04/2026 11:29

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 24/04/2026 06:16

Missing no, I think.

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Nope, tried it again with that inserted, and I'm still lost.

UnctuousUnicorns · 24/04/2026 11:28

Snakebite61 · 24/04/2026 10:53

Darn, you beat me to it 😁

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How many human examples have there been of that in the UK, ever, though? I only know it as the cow in TMR! See also Boadicea/Boudicca. You can hardly talk of a name losing popularity if it were hardly ever used in the first place! 🤷‍♀️

Original poster
Rincoe · 24/04/2026 11:27

UnlikelyIntimacies · 24/04/2026 10:24

Whereas I'd class them together as broadly similar in vibe. Enid is probably more towards the 'ugly chic' end of the vibe, along with Maud, Mabel, Ursula, Nell.

I know what you mean, though. I'm always a bit taken aback to see posters on here saying Maeve is frumpy because it reminds them of Mavis -- to an Irish person, they couldn't be more different, but I suppose it's understandable that they would code similarly to a foreigner.

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‘Ugly chic’ what a great description and always a good strategy to have an uncommon name which is often the motivation. I agree about Maeve….interesting to see lots older Irish names on the list - Maureen, Kathleen, Geraldine, Philomena, Nora etc - no ones mentioned the Bridie, Breege, Bridgie nicknames for Bridget yet - but maybe they are niche or considered sweet.

OP posts:
TinyTear · 24/04/2026 11:03

Mikki77 · 24/04/2026 10:22

Sharon
Tracey

Haven't heard of a Lindsey or Lorraine since primary school......

Edited

i know a 14 year old Lorraine

AgentPidge · 24/04/2026 11:03

UnlikelyIntimacies · 24/04/2026 10:24

Whereas I'd class them together as broadly similar in vibe. Enid is probably more towards the 'ugly chic' end of the vibe, along with Maud, Mabel, Ursula, Nell.

I know what you mean, though. I'm always a bit taken aback to see posters on here saying Maeve is frumpy because it reminds them of Mavis -- to an Irish person, they couldn't be more different, but I suppose it's understandable that they would code similarly to a foreigner.

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I love Maud! I also like Mabel. They have a 1920s flapper vibe to me. I also like Mavis because I had a beloved Auntie Mavis (born in the 1920s). I think association with people can influence taste in names, for good and bad.

I hate Nancy but it seems popular. It reminds me of wincyette nighties.

Snakebite61 · 24/04/2026 10:53

AgentPidge · 22/04/2026 20:19

Ermintrude

Darn, you beat me to it 😁

UnlikelyIntimacies · 24/04/2026 10:24

HeadDeskHeadDesk · 24/04/2026 10:15

I think Edith is a beautiful, elegant name. And I think Enid couldn't be uglier. It's funny how there is so little difference in the two names and yet they sound completely different to my ear.

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Whereas I'd class them together as broadly similar in vibe. Enid is probably more towards the 'ugly chic' end of the vibe, along with Maud, Mabel, Ursula, Nell.

I know what you mean, though. I'm always a bit taken aback to see posters on here saying Maeve is frumpy because it reminds them of Mavis -- to an Irish person, they couldn't be more different, but I suppose it's understandable that they would code similarly to a foreigner.

MeandT · 24/04/2026 10:23

Taking a punt that Ghislaine will be even more off the cards than it ever was.

Parked in the same section of the baby names book as Adolf for a while I suspect.

Mikki77 · 24/04/2026 10:22

Sharon
Tracey

Haven't heard of a Lindsey or Lorraine since primary school......

HeadDeskHeadDesk · 24/04/2026 10:15

Abso · 24/04/2026 09:34

Edith was definitely in resurgence when my eldest was a baby. Enid as well.

I know an Ethel. She's 7.

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I think Edith is a beautiful, elegant name. And I think Enid couldn't be uglier. It's funny how there is so little difference in the two names and yet they sound completely different to my ear.

Rhaenys · 24/04/2026 09:55

TheBirdintheCave · 24/04/2026 07:35

Lol yes same. I live next door to a baby Mabel.

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I mean Mabel is one of THE most popular names of last few years. There’s been at least 5,312 born since 2019, and we only have data up to 2024, so there will be even more by now.

Abso · 24/04/2026 09:34

BeZippyZebra · 24/04/2026 08:09

Edith
Margaret

Edith was definitely in resurgence when my eldest was a baby. Enid as well.

I know an Ethel. She's 7.

somburd · 24/04/2026 09:20

Brenda!

BatsInHibernation · 24/04/2026 08:48

UnlikelyIntimacies · 24/04/2026 08:34

I’d forgotten Neveah. Has it died a death? How old are the Neveahs now?

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The Nevaeh's are all in high school.

BatsInHibernation · 24/04/2026 08:46

MrsMoastyToasty · 22/04/2026 21:18

Sheila
Maureen
Lisa
Mandy
Pauline/Paula
Annette

Most of these will become fashionable again..possibly not Sheila because of the Australian use

Fgfgfg · 24/04/2026 08:41

thinkofsomethingdifferent · 23/04/2026 04:42

@Fgfgfgmy daughters friend (14) is called Tryphena.

What about Joyce? My Nans name and I don’t hear of it much.

Who knew there were so many Tryphenas in the world?
I have an aunt Joyce. She's 75.

UnlikelyIntimacies · 24/04/2026 08:34

TinyTear · 24/04/2026 08:30

I have late primary and middle secondary kids. some of the names said here are used - rarely but still being used and to be honest they are better than bloody Neveah (also because the one I knew of was a bully)

I know from baby to mid-teen:

Edwina
Gladys
Doris
Barbara
Camilla

I’d forgotten Neveah. Has it died a death? How old are the Neveahs now?

TinyTear · 24/04/2026 08:30

I have late primary and middle secondary kids. some of the names said here are used - rarely but still being used and to be honest they are better than bloody Neveah (also because the one I knew of was a bully)

I know from baby to mid-teen:

Edwina
Gladys
Doris
Barbara
Camilla

BeZippyZebra · 24/04/2026 08:09

Edith
Margaret

Witknit · 24/04/2026 08:08

I know a Hilda. Just a kid who comes in our shop - I thought it was a terrible choice but she's now 3 and I love it as she's such a lovely little girl.
There's a couple of Agnes here too

BoomerBoy · 24/04/2026 07:40

Enid
Gladys
Agnes
Bertha

TheBirdintheCave · 24/04/2026 07:35

Rhaenys · 24/04/2026 05:16

I have to remind myself that not everyone is a name nerd, because how can anyone think that Mabel and Agnes are not popular? 😁

Lots of the names in this thread are way more popular than people seem to think.

Lol yes same. I live next door to a baby Mabel.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 24/04/2026 06:16

UnctuousUnicorns · 23/04/2026 22:34

I don't follow? 😕

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Missing no, I think.