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Original poster

Why has Felicity become trendy?

83 replies

Livingintheunknown · 07/08/2026 18:00

I love the name Felicity but have noticed that it's become trendy. It used to be an unusual name but experienced a (seemingly random) sudden rise in popularity. It's quite literally everywhere now. Why is this? Did some celebrity or 'influencer' name their child Felicity? Has there been a character called Felicity? I've had to take it off the list. I just can't do trendy names as they always date terribly. By trendy, I'm referring to names that experience a sudden rise in usage, usually due to a cultural phenomenon, when they were once uncommon.

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utahsainthood · 10/08/2026 01:11

I love the name. There were at least 3 at my school in various years. I’m mid 40s. I don’t know any younger ones but if I heard of a baby being given this name today I’d think ah, how lovely.

HollyGolightly4 · 10/08/2026 00:06

ScallopShelled · 09/08/2026 18:51

Yes, it’s the Coronation Street mispronunciation I was talking about. My sister is a Deirdre who lived for some time in England, and annoyingly it was the dreary Dear-Dree pronunciation that people assumed and defaulted to.

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Sorry I listened to the link and see where the mispronunciation is! I didn't realise it wasn't dree at the end.

Didn't mean to derail the thread 😅

Hawksparrow · 09/08/2026 20:55

I really like Fliss as a short form.

ScallopShelled · 09/08/2026 18:51

NamingNoNames · 09/08/2026 18:30

@HollyGolightly4 , I think you might have misunderstood. It's the Coronation Street Deirdre that's a mispronunciation.

Yes, it’s the Coronation Street mispronunciation I was talking about. My sister is a Deirdre who lived for some time in England, and annoyingly it was the dreary Dear-Dree pronunciation that people assumed and defaulted to.

Scorpion84 · 09/08/2026 18:44

My sister is felicity ( born in the 80s) nobody every calls her by the full name she's either flic or fliss

never met any others

Hawksparrow · 09/08/2026 18:31

HollyGolightly4 · 09/08/2026 18:18

That's how I'd pronounce it, but the pp seemed to say that was an English mispronunciation.

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I think pp was referring to the Corrie pronunciation (mispronunciation!) you mentioned.
I don’t think you actually said how you’d pronounce it yourself, or did I miss it?

NamingNoNames · 09/08/2026 18:30

@HollyGolightly4 , I think you might have misunderstood. It's the Coronation Street Deirdre that's a mispronunciation.

HollyGolightly4 · 09/08/2026 18:18

Hawksparrow · 09/08/2026 12:04

@HollyGolightly4
Deirdre is Deer-dreh or sometimes Der-dreh.
forvo.com/word/deirdre/

That's how I'd pronounce it, but the pp seemed to say that was an English mispronunciation.

PancakeCloud · 09/08/2026 16:22

It’s not faddy or trendy at all? It’s just a moderately popular name.

fundamentallyauthentic · 09/08/2026 16:21

Because it hasn’t, neither has it become faddy. Well, perhaps in your corner of the world but not nationally. It’s too much of a mouthful and too synonymous with pony clubs and ‘rah rah’ types. Jolly hockey sticks in the pejorative sense.

CurlyhairedAssassin · 09/08/2026 16:04

I think if you want to be different these days you need to be calling your kid Colin or Edgar or Sylvia or Edna or something. You don't get too many of those.

hellotomrw · 09/08/2026 15:50

I’m in my 30s and know loads of felicitys of all ages, I didn’t think it was uncommon

Bramblesandnettles · 09/08/2026 15:43

I’m 66 and was almost called Felicity, but my mum decided it was becoming too popular. There was one Felicity in my secondary school and over the years I’ve met maybe half a dozen of similar age to me.

BoldBeans · 09/08/2026 15:34

BoldBeans · 09/08/2026 15:29

Pretty sure it is but I can't find the clip to share.

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Oh no, I just found it and you're right- I must have misremembered.

BoldBeans · 09/08/2026 15:29

Hawksparrow · 09/08/2026 15:08

It’s not pronounced right in Four Weddings iirc.
It’s Deirdre not Deidre.

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Pretty sure it is but I can't find the clip to share.

Felicitysmummy · 09/08/2026 15:11

Name changed for this of course. I have a Felicity in her 20s. She loves her name and it really suits her. I’ve met a couple of younger Felicitys but not many. Friends call her Flick or Fliss both of which are cute IMO.

It’s definitely not a trendy name imo. I’d say timeless really.

DoreenCorkhill · 09/08/2026 15:10

Two in my local primary school so must be getting popular ( rural area up North ) so not remotely trendy .
Quite like it .

Hawksparrow · 09/08/2026 15:08

BoldBeans · 09/08/2026 14:59

Yes the proper pronunciation of Deidre is lovely- definitely not Deer-dree. See the bit in Four Weddings and a Funeral where Tom meets second cousin Deidre.

It’s not pronounced right in Four Weddings iirc.
It’s Deirdre not Deidre.

BoldBeans · 09/08/2026 14:59

Yes the proper pronunciation of Deidre is lovely- definitely not Deer-dree. See the bit in Four Weddings and a Funeral where Tom meets second cousin Deidre.

Tryagain26 · 09/08/2026 14:28

Where have you heard it's trendy?
Why not just call your child a name you like and not worry about trends?

felicityc · 09/08/2026 14:19

This is a very common pseudonym and is not a very common but somewhat uncommon name for trans women, which would explain why you see it more often now even though you didn't see children named that.

I don't think I've met a single person with the given name Felicity personally who didn't have it as a pseudonym/stage name. So, trendy yes. In the late 2000s it was on a lot of name lists for Victorian/19th century popular girl's names as well. I imagine that may also be relevant to seeing it more recently, but it may also just be the psychological bias of recent exposure (something made you think of it, then your brain starts to pattern match. Where before it would not).

I will note that use as a pseudonym may have been lower around the mid 2010s because everyone would ask if it was a reference to Arrow. Yes, about once per day I would be asked. That stopped, and then suddenly the number of Felicity rose dramatically. Curious

Hawksparrow · 09/08/2026 12:04

@HollyGolightly4
Deirdre is Deer-dreh or sometimes Der-dreh.
forvo.com/word/deirdre/

piscofrisco · 09/08/2026 06:44

I’ve only ever met one Felicity. I think it’s a lovely name, and not trendy or faddy in the slightest.

RaraRachael · 09/08/2026 06:31

I know of one Felicity who's 9.

I always find it such a mouthful to pronounce.

Plinketyplonks · 09/08/2026 06:23

I’ve only met one, at school, and I’m now in my 40s. She wasn’t a nice girl so I don’t associate the name with positive things unfortunately!