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Baby names

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Original poster

Thoughts on Joan?

129 replies

WhiskyCollins · 10/08/2026 11:36

Stuggling to decide on a name for my week old baby girl!

Nothing on the pre-birth shortlist quite works.

Looking for something short - frilly or overly feminine girls names aren’t my taste and her surname will be double barrelled.

I like Niamh, Tess, Erin and Joan but there’s just something about Joan that is drawing me in. Interested to hear other thoughts and if people are seeing/meeting many baby Joans these days?

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Atschjvkbgj · 10/08/2026 15:35

I have recently taught a couple of Barbara’s and Lillian’s so maybe it’s on its way back

NannyOf8Girls · 10/08/2026 15:25

Tess is lovely as is Erin....my mum was Joan, but it feels a 'flat' name if that makes sense..

Unblushingly · 10/08/2026 15:02

ZoyaTheDestroyer · 10/08/2026 14:54

Joan peaked in popularity in the 1930s and 1940s. That's grandma-generation for parents who are currently in their 20s and 30s, i.e. absolutely spot on for a revival. OP would be ahead of the curve but not by much.

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No, because those people have grandparents called Joan, so it’s a living, elderly woman memory for them — it will be the generation after that, which doesn’t retain a memory of Granny Joan, that may bring it back into vogue. My parents were born in the early 40s and their names have fallen off the baby name statistics here. My son’s generation won’t use their names because they’re naff granny names to him. His children might.

ZoyaTheDestroyer · 10/08/2026 14:54

pouletvous · 10/08/2026 14:47

It’s not old fashioned enough to have a come back

its still an old lady name

Joan peaked in popularity in the 1930s and 1940s. That's grandma-generation for parents who are currently in their 20s and 30s, i.e. absolutely spot on for a revival. OP would be ahead of the curve but not by much.

Cardemomle · 10/08/2026 14:53

ZoyaTheDestroyer · 10/08/2026 14:22

Yep! I've been here long enough to remember the mockery and derision when people asked opinions on Stan / Arthur / Elsie / Ivy. I'm a teacher and classrooms are now full of them.

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Absolutely! I remember how we laughed at a girl called Maisie back in the 70s! We thought it was very granny and dowdy.
It's fashionable now though.

24Dogcuddler · 10/08/2026 14:51

The Joan I know is in her eighties.
I like Erin from your list. How about Etta?

pouletvous · 10/08/2026 14:47

It’s not old fashioned enough to have a come back

its still an old lady name

BakedPotatoBeansCheeseColeslaw · 10/08/2026 14:43

There’s an influencer I follow who called her daughters Jean and Joan. I think it’s surprisingly cool. If other granny names can come back then why not Joan?

CandidStork · 10/08/2026 14:24

I like Joan, but prefer June, Jean or Joni personally

MsInterpret · 10/08/2026 14:22

Joanie is cool and makes me think of the character from Mad Men -maybe not ideal for a baby but a strong character nonetheless!

ZoyaTheDestroyer · 10/08/2026 14:22

Cardemomle · 10/08/2026 13:52

All lovely names and you'd be ahead of the curve.
I never thought I'd meet teenagers called Elsie, Arthur, Stan and Mabel - yet here we are. They are "old people's" names which have come back.

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Yep! I've been here long enough to remember the mockery and derision when people asked opinions on Stan / Arthur / Elsie / Ivy. I'm a teacher and classrooms are now full of them.

Vitany · 10/08/2026 14:21

If you love Margaret, how about Margot?

user85642879067 · 10/08/2026 14:20

To me it’s a proper old lady name, but I’m pretty old myself so it’s probably just coming into fashion again! We have a Florence as a neighbour, who is about 5 I think - I think Florence and Joan would have been friends in the 1920’s!

Whosthetabbynow · 10/08/2026 14:19

Rodney and Cassandra named their baby Joan in OFAH after his mother. It’s lovely. It’s Enid Blyton btw

Atschjvkbgj · 10/08/2026 14:16

I was at school with a Joan in the 80’s, she hated it and has always been Jo. If you like old/medieval what about Maude ?

SereneGoose · 10/08/2026 14:14

My granny was called Joan..she was born in 1904....lovely name.

Unblushingly · 10/08/2026 14:13

MyDarlingRose · 10/08/2026 14:10

Prefer Jane. Joan makes me think of mousy little Enid Blighton characters

Yes, she uses it a lot to designate ‘Background character — filler’

Unblushingly · 10/08/2026 14:12

I see where you’re coming from, but for me it’s very much grouped with Gladys, Beryl and Doreen. Tess is much better. Niamh only if you pronounce it properly.

MyDarlingRose · 10/08/2026 14:10

Prefer Jane. Joan makes me think of mousy little Enid Blighton characters

Branleuse · 10/08/2026 14:08

I really like it. Also Jean

Cardemomle · 10/08/2026 14:07

Pushingback · 10/08/2026 14:06

I love the name Joan.

But I also love Barbara, Hermione, Ophelia, Gretchen and Astrid.

Those are all lovely names.

Pushingback · 10/08/2026 14:06

I love the name Joan.

But I also love Barbara, Hermione, Ophelia, Gretchen and Astrid.

Dumbledora8 · 10/08/2026 14:02

Love Niamh and Erin. Pick whatever name you want though. If you love Joan, then pick Joan 🥰

Cardemomle · 10/08/2026 13:52

Herewegoagain8 · 10/08/2026 13:41

It seems we’ve got similar taste in girls names! My dd was going to be Erin all through the pregnancy then we changed to Niamh last minute. I never considered Joan but I really love Joanie as a nickname. Also love Jean. Go for it if you love it.

All lovely names and you'd be ahead of the curve.
I never thought I'd meet teenagers called Elsie, Arthur, Stan and Mabel - yet here we are. They are "old people's" names which have come back.

Pistachiocake · 10/08/2026 13:48

There was a woman at our gym some years back called this. Not sure how old she was, but I'd guess 70s, and she was amazing! So full of life. And the famous Miss Marple actor was Joan, and lots of key characters in Blyton books, so I have very positive connotations.
There's a lot of names from that era that are coming back, Love it!