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
CornishNanny · 19/08/2010 12:46

My name is Michelle, and i agree, i don't see it coming back anytime soon... I only know a handful of people called it. Blush. I do like the name Georgina/Georgia, a little older but still nice. :)

tinkletinklelittlestar · 19/08/2010 12:45

My gran was called Wilhemina (eek!) shortened to Mina (nice).

Gigantaur · 19/08/2010 12:41

someone i know has called here dd Elsie, i like it.

I love betty.

The name Maude will forever mean a beautifull little girl and pink balloons to me and i suspect a great number of other MNers so very unhappy about that being included.

Bobbalina · 19/08/2010 12:33

Gotta admit though that rita heyworth is not young

BuntyPenfold · 19/08/2010 12:11

Joan is awful old lady name, don't use it anyone please.
It's one of mine and everyone loathes it.

Fibilou · 19/08/2010 11:51

And I adore the name Hetty

Fibilou · 19/08/2010 11:50

"Rita is not and 'old lady' name "

Quite. For those of you that immediately conjour up "old lady" may I remind you of the gorgeous Rita Hayworth claudia79.tripod.com/

Likewise Doris Day, Betty Grable, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford. For me a lot of these "old lady" names are associated with some of the worlds most glamorous women.

MsInterpret · 19/08/2010 11:47

Also v cool Joan from Mad Men might be trendifying that name. get in QUICK and you can say you started it tigermoth!

MsInterpret · 19/08/2010 11:45

I know a baby Olive, a Mabel and an Ivy and isn't Denise Van O's baby called Betty. Or did you just mean normal people? Wink

Pleased to see my DD has an apparently 'cool' ol lady name (Thanks ElephantsandMiasmas and PoshPaws).

BuntyPenfold · 19/08/2010 11:19

I know a little Effie actually

Bobbalina · 19/08/2010 11:12

I don't think these are coming back anytime soon:

Lavender
Dulcie
Freda
Mildred
Fanny
Wilma
Irma
Effie
Irene
Hazel
Beulah
Maxine
Tammie
Joy
Crystal
Regina
Jill
Brenda
Wanda
Glenda
Vanda
Rhonda
Anita
Michelle
Sharon
Tracy
Susan
Lisa
Karen
Sheila

BuntyPenfold · 19/08/2010 10:35

Bridget-awful awful name

Ariesgirl · 19/08/2010 10:26

Beryl and Pearl make me shudder. I know there are a fair few little Pearls now, but all I can think of is that old witch in Last of the Summer Wine who was even worse than Nora Batty.

MerryMarigold · 19/08/2010 09:01

How about all those flower names?

Lavinia (is it a flower, sounds like one)
Primrose
Delia
Petunia

Oh, Daisy and May are quite fashionable I guess...

JebusBuiltMyHotQuads · 19/08/2010 08:17

as and

JebusBuiltMyHotQuads · 19/08/2010 08:15

Heh...my nan, mum, and 2 aunties names have been mentioned on here. My mum's quite a few times!

Gertrude was always used by my friend as I when we played at being old ladies. It was the most hideous name we could think of at the age of 8 Blush

tigermoth · 19/08/2010 08:12

choosyfloosy, I am so happy to hear that :)

pcworld · 19/08/2010 07:24

Not too keen on Winifred. (Apols to anyone on here called Winifred Grin Or Agnes (although that is curiously ok if one is French).

Numberfour · 19/08/2010 07:07

Eunice is awful, I agree!

The names Sharon, Tracy, Karen - they all seem to be about 20 something year old names, maybe 30 ish!! But I cannot imagine a grandmother Tracy - definitely Mabel, Maude, Millicent, Audrey, Edwina - who would EVER call their child Edwina -ewwwwwww!

FellatioNelson · 19/08/2010 05:59

Oh God, yes, Eunice has to be the worst.

rosietoes · 19/08/2010 03:56

Bertha
cousin just named poor dd Lily Bertha

genieinabottle · 19/08/2010 00:55

I do not like these and won't be sad to see them completely fade:

  • Margaret
  • Edna
  • Mabel
  • Gertrude
  • Ethel
  • Beryl
sexybrunettemotherof5 · 19/08/2010 00:29

Beverly
Tracey
Sharon
Karen

midlandsmumof4 · 19/08/2010 00:12

Fanny, Zillah (although that does grow you) & my friend would say Maureen. Smile.

superfrenchie1 · 18/08/2010 23:39

love all the old lady names. dd's name has been mentioned above a few times, favourably thank goodness.

my favourite old lady name is PEGGY. i wanted to call dd Peggy (my nan's name - she is Margaret Olive, shortened to Peggy), or Pearl.

don't understand why you'd want to start a thread listing the names you don't like though, kinda vicious. each to their own and all? i'm glad so many people have expressed the opposite opinion!

it'll be the next generation starting in about 10 yrs when those other names will come back - the ones babies were named in the 50s. Linda, Karen, Susan etc. Then Olive and Alfie and Iris will look dated and a bit dull... and so it goes...