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Baby names

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

Original poster

Elsie?? Old woman's name or pretty name?

110 replies

xxhunnyxx · 23/03/2009 14:00

Just thought I'd ask opinions on this.
I heard that James Morrison has named his little girl Elsie and I was thinking if you actually disassiociate it with being an old woman's name it is a really pretty name.
15/16 years ago when my sister was named Grace there was a lot of comments on the lines of 'oh that's ermmm...an unusual name these days' and now it's one of the most popular girls names.
Is Elsie making a come back or would I be subjecting my daughter to a life time of cruel old biddy comments?

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5DollarShake · 11/05/2011 03:30

I thought it was already popular again.

It's nice enough, but I think there are so many other, nicer names out there - no offence to anyone with the name. :)

P.S. Why on earth would a 13-year old be posting on Mumsnet?! Confused

Planetofthegrapes · 11/05/2011 03:00
  1. For my generation, (60s child) it's an "old ladies" name like Ethel
  1. Its a nickname name.
usualsuspect · 10/05/2011 22:26

Its an old ladies name

MelinaM · 10/05/2011 22:24

It was my great aunt's name, her mother choose it as it picked out some of the letters of Elisabeth -her own nameSmile I like it, it's definitely not ugly!

Gladys, now there's an ugly name!!!

happyinherts · 10/05/2011 22:22

It's becoming popular again. 17 year old of my acquaintance has just named her newborn it, and quite frankly I was surprised.

Beamur · 10/05/2011 22:20

Its getting more popular, I know of several Elsies.
However, whilst my own DD has an 'old' name, I just can't warm to Elsie (sorry to the Elsies on the thread!)

QueeniePretz · 10/05/2011 22:18

I'm 13 and my name is Elsie. I like it, it suits me and I think I pull it of quite well. I know 4 other Elsies ones 3 one 4 and 9 and the other 10. I thinks it's quite a popular name nowadays, or in England anyway.

QueeniePretz · 10/05/2011 22:18

I'm 13 and my name is Elsie. I like it, it suits me and I think I pull it of quite well. I know 4 other Elsies ones 3 one 4 and 9 and the other 10. I thinks it's quite a popular name nowadays, or in England anyway.

TheHeadlessWombat · 05/10/2009 14:10

Ugly old woman's name.

ByThePowerOfGreyskull · 05/10/2009 13:31

love
elsie
elise
elsa

with a short S sound not a z type sound iykwim

anchovies · 05/10/2009 13:29

I like Elsie, have a friend called Ailsa which I also really like

lucysnowe · 05/10/2009 13:25

A friend has girl twins named Elsie and Evie - v. v. cute I think.

lucysnowe · 05/10/2009 13:25

A friend has girl twins named Elsie and Evie - v. v. cute I think.

sheeplikessleep · 05/10/2009 13:07

Same as Woollyjo - I love the name and have been trying to convince DH for the last few months if our bump is a girl. But likewise, he doesn't like it

woollyjo · 05/10/2009 13:04

Love it, love it, love it - have never been able to convince DH though

LeonieBooCreepy · 05/10/2009 08:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Cortina · 05/10/2009 08:11

Hi Tummytickler, that's interesting I know of quite a few suddenly. It's funny how names seem to enter our 'consciousness' and then suddenly they are in the top 50.

I predict a few others that might be on the rise (Arlo for one). The whole naming business is fascinating I think.

girlsyearapart · 05/10/2009 06:43

Totally- that's my name though only ever shortened to El. You don't hear it much!

TotallyUnheardOf · 04/10/2009 20:25

My dd is Ellen and I call her Elsie for short. I love it!

tummytickler · 04/10/2009 19:53

I wouldn'y say Maude was suddenly much more popular - there were only 4 born last year! (and 2 Hildas!) - that is not popular surely!

girlsyearapart · 03/10/2009 07:28

I like Elsie.

Had same as ten10 but with the name Maisie.
Wasn't sure aboit it but now dd1s 2nd cousin who is her best friend is called that and she's such a sweetheart now i love the name.

bubblagirl · 03/10/2009 07:19

i was given an old name and no one has ever really commented on it at all probably because i suit my name when i had my son another baby was called my name and first time i had heard of a little one with my name
these names are definitely coming back i love all the older names obviously

Cortina · 03/10/2009 07:05

When the older Elsies are no longer with us then this name will become more popular.

That's how it seems to go to me.

Take Violet, to my Mother's generation Violet is an old woman, an old aunty etc. Many had a Violet for a grandmother. Most of the 'older' Violets were pre First World War (born around the mid to late 1880s).

To our generation we generally don't know an older Violet so we don't perceive it as a 'granny' name in way we might Elsie (although this was around in the 1880s too it seems to have been popular for longer).

Perhaps the same a bit with Iris? Think this 'should' be more popular but most of us know a late middle aged Iris so don't think of it without the middle aged association a bit? When all the older ladies called Iris are generally no longer with us it will go up dramatically in popularity.

Same with Maud. Suddenly much more popular. Not many older Mauds still alive? 'Come into the garden, Maud', etc were all a long time ago...

alypaly · 02/10/2009 23:53

elsa reminds me of lions in born free....its quite nice though!!!!!!!

halfcut · 02/10/2009 22:35

I can't imagine a baby or a teenager called elsie ...Reminds me of hairnets and curlers

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