Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

Old lady names.......

70 replies

Babylove502 · 08/05/2009 17:51

I really like old lady type names.

My favourite is Elsie (I'm thinking Elsie May)

Also on the list is

Olive (olly for nn)
Ethel
Mabel
Iris
Millicent
Bessie.

Other names I like are

Delilah or Lila (Rose as a mn)
Cedar
Willow
Alyssa (Lissy for nn)
Orli
Phoebe

Let me know what you think?Are they all silly or do you like any of them.I quite like the idea a name that can be shortened or have a good nn!

Thanks

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Heated · 10/05/2009 22:34

Blythe

Meredith

jkklpu · 10/05/2009 22:22

Olive

TsarChasm · 10/05/2009 22:20

Harriett/Hattie

tummytickler · 10/05/2009 22:15

I love Effie - lovely!

AWinHW · 10/05/2009 20:16

Back to Ethel;

It's my Ma's name, she hates it, but everyone calls her Eff or Effie.

I'm surprised Effie isn't more popular i think it's a pretty cool name now.

Has anyone suggested Bertha yet.....;-)

nooka · 10/05/2009 16:48

They do cycle - there is some evidence that girls name cycle every 100 years I think, and boys every 120. Something like that. I think it is to do with our preference for calling our children after our grandparents and not our parents.

piscesmoon · 10/05/2009 09:25

Thinking about it, I suppose that if they get popular, in 40 or so years time there will be masses of Hildas, Elsies and Ethels so it won't be embarrassing! 20 yrs after that people will start saying they are old lady names again! Perhaps they recycle every 80 yrs. It is only a matter of time before Brenda,Sheila and Patricia come back.

piscesmoon · 10/05/2009 08:33

I know a woman my age called Hilda and it sounds really odd. I think I would be embarrassed if it was my name and would have changed it!

nooka · 10/05/2009 04:27

I think if you like names with shortenings then you need to look at longer names! Like Elizabeth, Margaret, Katherine/Catharine, Eleanor (Ellie, Nell, Nora), Alexandra etc

Your names are generally a bit to short to have many diminutives.

Colinfirth · 10/05/2009 00:27

Edith, Norah, Agnes, Agatha etc

Colinfirth · 10/05/2009 00:26

Tummytickler, you must of course go with what you like. But do have a search in the name threads - there was one on hilda and it did provoke a lot of negative reactions if I remember it correctly. There are lots of more attractive suggestions on this thread!

tummytickler · 09/05/2009 23:07

Colinfirth - Hilda is our top name - followed by Enid! And we quite like Thora but not enough to use .

randomname · 09/05/2009 22:29

DD's bestfriend is Norah, has grown on me!

MadBadandDangerousToKnow · 09/05/2009 22:28

Edith
Constance
Patience
Hope
Primrose
Violet
Lucille
Agnes
Agatha

Colinfirth · 09/05/2009 22:24

Or Enid.
Or thora.

Colinfirth · 09/05/2009 22:23

Hilda is grim, please no one use Hilda.

thedolly · 09/05/2009 22:12

Violet nn = Vi

piscesmoon · 09/05/2009 21:33

The Elsie that I know has always been known as something else. She hated Elsie as a DC and she hates it now she is an old lady. (I am not surprised).

hester · 09/05/2009 21:27

Thea
Ada
Dora
Edith

my current favourites

rizlated · 09/05/2009 21:27

ivy, my grandma's name. desperate to have a DD so I can use it!

cthea · 09/05/2009 21:24

Most frequent old ladies' names I came across recently: Kathleen, Beryl, Margaret, Joan, Lilian, Eileen.

thedolly · 09/05/2009 21:21

Here are a few more:

Ade
Kaye
Peace
Doris
Ivy
Mona
Rosemary
Edna
Mary Jane
Olga
Margery
Maureen
Renee
Irene
Violet

MrsKitty · 09/05/2009 21:18

I love love love Elsie - not keen on May as middle name though.

Also like Olive & Mabel.

From your second list I only like Delilah.

Constance is nice too - there's one at DS's nursery who goes by Connie.

oliviasmama · 09/05/2009 20:56

ooooh all these pretty names are making me think perhaps it's time for another!!!

Florence
Coral
but I'm really warming to Audrey.

pigleychez · 09/05/2009 20:50

I know a little girl named after her Gran called Coral..

I love it and it really suits her