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 which should never see the light of day ever again

385 replies

MrsSchadenfreude · 11/03/2010 21:21

In my opinion. I give you:

Ethel
Enid
Edna
Doris
Maud(e)
Hilda
Ena
Elsie
Gladys

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
ZZZenAgain · 13/03/2010 18:00

I wouldn't expect a child to necessarily grow up to embody that virtue though, I just like the type of name. Not Chastity though, don't think you can do that to a dc these days, also not keen on Prudence but some of them I like

edam · 13/03/2010 16:07

Verity will be an awful liar, Charity a misanthrope, Faith an atheist...

edam · 13/03/2010 16:06

Yeah, but as someone further down pointed out, those virtue names are a bit of a risk. Patience is bound to be unable to wait for anything, Hope to be a confirmed pessimist, and as for Chastity...

ZZZenAgain · 13/03/2010 12:17

am really struggling with some of the older names a lot of people have said they actually do like, especially Elsie and Maud.I know they're quite popular but don't really see the attraction. Mildred and Myrtle conjure up the image of a stern type woman for some reason. Liked some of the others though that everyone else shook their heads over!

Not keen on female versions of boys names (Roberta from Robert;Charlotte from Charles, etc).

Quite like some of the old-fashioned names which stand for some moral virtue - Constance, Verity, etc.

MamaLazarou · 13/03/2010 11:38

I love Roberta, Bobbie for short. It's not old-ladyish at all, IMO. Roberta is a go-getter who wears dungarees and eats her greens.

RachieB · 13/03/2010 11:35

lol omg yes Gertrude is baaaad too!
reminds me of the gooseberry in the "Garden Gang" books!

Is Roberta really that bad ?

If we ever have a girl was thinking of that as a middle name,after my dad and hubbys grandad

I'm not that keen on it,and would only use it as a middle name! lol

ElephantsAndMiasmas · 13/03/2010 09:55

OOh Margot is lovely - I know a little Margot and I keep thinking what a cool name it is (she is half french though).

Maureen is dreadful, Rhoda/Rhonda both bad too.

Iris is nice-ish, but not sure about having all flower-names for the girls...

telsa · 12/03/2010 23:32

I know a little French girl called Gladys - they say it Gla-deeeess, which makes it rather pretty. Irene pronounced in a German way sounds good too - EE-reynah.

WorzselMummage · 12/03/2010 20:53

Irene is awfull.

Agnes, Gurtrude and Mavis are almost as bad.

Betty is almost unforgivable.

What about Doris?

Skegness · 12/03/2010 20:52

Iris is a great name.

Skegness · 12/03/2010 20:51

Noreen
Doreen
Maureen

LittleSilver · 12/03/2010 20:44

I was at school with an Irene(I'm 29). Ghastly name.

TheCatAteMyGymsuit · 12/03/2010 20:42

Picked dd up from nursery today and she was surrounded by a cute gaggle of girls called Ivy, Cissy and Beatrice. It was a little like a nice old ladies' coach trip to a stately home or something, I must admit (but in a good way, dd also has an old lady chic name).

tummytickler · 12/03/2010 20:39

My 9 year old is Iris (well 9 in a few weeks - if you ask her she is 9 ), so I love it, elegant, sophisticated and timeless. I dont think it will ever be as popular as Daisy and Poppy etc because it is not 'cutesy' which is why I like it. Iris Murdoch is a fabulous namesake too.

allbie · 12/03/2010 20:35

Iris is so severe for a little one. But then again, I like the name Margot!

steph1512 · 12/03/2010 20:23

talking of old names...whats everyones honest thoughts on iris its on my shortlist and was also last time round but my dh not keen so we named her daisy instead!

this time round im back to iris again but seems a bit of a love it or hate it name!?!?!

mathanxiety · 12/03/2010 16:29

From this thread, I love the following names:
Hilda, Agnes, Mabel, Beryl, Rita, Evadne, Agatha, Freida/Frida, Pearl/Margaret, Nora/Leonora/Honora, Nellie (and Eleanor), Marjorie (and Marsali), Ivy, Trudi, Oonagh/Una, Sybil, Gwen, Marie (and Marie-Louise, Marie-Therese, Marie-Claire and other Marie- names).

All the others mentioned, especially Enid and Mildred, I dislike. Would like to add Concepta, Assumpta, Breda, Thecla, Dymphna, Martha and Nuala.

ruddynorah · 12/03/2010 15:05

and what is wrong with 'norah'???!

there is actually a 2 year old nora at dd's nursery.

and i love mabel, and elsie. both were on the name list for dc2, but we had a boy.

my dd has joan as a middle name. it's a family name for both dh and i so it means a lot to us. it's dh's mum's name and my gran's name and was my mum's middle name.

diddl · 12/03/2010 14:54

Ada
Brenda
Phyllis
Norma
Doris

tummytickler · 12/03/2010 13:46

ooooh - I have really liked Shirley ever since my nearly 5 year old announced she wishes her name was Shirley!

BitOfFun · 12/03/2010 13:46

Piscesmoon- I wonder if we know the same Hilda? I think you live near where I used to. She was a doctor. Shagged my first husband, incidentally

Cadelaide · 12/03/2010 13:44

Surely, surely no-one will ever like Barbara again?

Cadelaide · 12/03/2010 13:43

Pranma, my grandmother was Nellie Gertrude!

Poshpaws · 12/03/2010 13:24

Paula ?? .

I went to school with 3 and that was in the 70s. Don't know any 'old' Paulas.

Love Dora, Elsie, Betsy and Rosa.

Was in Hyde Park once and heard a dad call for his 1yr old daughter 'Olive, come back.' and it did seem strange seeing such a young child with such an 'old' name .

Ktay · 12/03/2010 13:16

I have a Mabel! I figured if it passed muster as a name for a Mulberry handbag and a pair of shoes in Topshop - not to mention a Blue Peter pet - then it should be good enough for DD...

Swipe left for the next trending thread