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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:
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MrsvWoolf · 18/08/2010 21:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

nevergoogle · 18/08/2010 21:00

I actually like my name, it's Pauline.
I'd even consider calling a dd it.

er...

so there. Grin

mrspir8 · 18/08/2010 20:50

Vera
Constance
HIlda
Fanny

TartyMcFarty · 18/08/2010 20:36

My DD is Betty (6mths). Cat is Neil FWIW.

Pip51 · 18/08/2010 20:26

My Mum was Ivy Marie. My Nan's were Harriet and Daisy.

CornishNanny · 18/08/2010 20:21

My gran is called Winifred, Winnie for short, she dislikes it too. :)
Personally old names like Edna, Ruth, Maureen etc... no way... but then names like Heidi, Harriet, Josie, Lillian, Ruby, Francesca, Edith [Ee-di for short], are all making a come back. Some names are a big no no, i worked with a seven year old called Margaret once, poor little lass.

SmellsLikeTeenSweat · 18/08/2010 20:15

I love Maud and Mavis, and Minnie (my great aunt's name).

Don't like Beryl or Olive.

mrstimlovejoy · 18/08/2010 19:36

if i ever have a boy i would love to call him
ezra or josiah love those 2 names
i also like for a girl
celia
elsie
florence
betsy
constance [my great aunt was constance]
i had great aunts called thelma,muriel,leah,selina,barbara,bunty
my nan was rachel which isn't a name you really come across in 'old ladies'and my dads mum was sylvia

moragbellingham · 18/08/2010 19:30

I think names are popular in cycles as a previous poster has also mentioned.
Old lady names are popular now, and names from the 70's like Tracey,Emma,Sharon are not so popular.

Wonky?

homebirthmummy4 · 18/08/2010 19:13

My name puts me firmly in the 70s My daughters all have old lady names, youngest being 10 week old virginia. Sisters want to shorten it but should it be ginny or gini? Anyway, I would have called her genevieve or guinevere but got vetoed. Boy would have been solomon. There's always next time

Roz14 · 18/08/2010 19:11

I would have to say Phyllis, which really dissappoints me because my grandma's name was Phyllis who I loved dearly. I would have really liked to give the name to my DD who is due next week but I know that I couldn't inflict a name on her that may cause bullying. I have chosen to use my granma's middle name 'Mary' instead but would have loved to have had Phyllis if I could have got away with it Smile

SqueezyDiva · 18/08/2010 18:59

Winsome
Pauline
Claudette
Yvette

jane1002 · 18/08/2010 18:53

um...onebatmother...MY 5 year old is called Joy! I also have another dd called Amelia (Milly for short)
I've never thought that they were old lady names at all! I've always thought they were very pretty actually.

msyikes · 18/08/2010 18:43

Some old lady names are lovely!
Jean
Joan
Joy
Ada
and definitely Maud!
Gorgeous names. Could not bring myself to use Joyce as dd's middle name though (it's MILs name) so went for Joy instead.
Can be made less old ladyish but also maybe rather too twee if you add ie, Jeanie, Joanie, Maudie

Other good old lady names:
Dora
Dilys
Clarice
Audrey
Kitty
Lettie
harriet

Probably not:
Mildred
Hilda (Thatcher's middle name)
Can't bear Elsie (sorry, know it's popular)

LittleMissSnowShine · 18/08/2010 18:38

Am I wrong in thinking some of these old lady names are still pretty popular in Ireland? Like Nora, Eileen/Aileen and Marion for example.

I have friends in their twenties with these names and I know other friends with DDs who have these names and I'd never really thought of them as being old fashioned!!

Marjoriew · 18/08/2010 18:25

My exMIL was miffed because I wouldn't call one of my girls Muriel. I called her Abigail instead.

And I hate Marjorie too:)

taffetacatski · 18/08/2010 18:25

Yes we have a few Daphnes round here. Love it - " Spiffing, Daffers!"

We also have a few Maggies ( Margaret ) and loads of Rubys and Kittys.

A lot of the original op names would be good cat names, IMO. Our family friends had a massive ginger tom called Eric which suited him brilliantly.

SchnitzelVonKrumm · 18/08/2010 18:19

I know a Kitty and an Audrey... some of these are really common. How odd.

EmmaRoyd · 18/08/2010 18:17

We're considering Joan for a middle name too but DH is worried its too granny or too 'auntie'. I feel its due a revival too. Joan Jet and the blackhearts? not granny

tummytickler · 18/08/2010 18:16

I like Gertrude - little Gertie is cute!

undercovamutha · 18/08/2010 18:16

My friends Aunt was called Pansy!

PosieParker · 18/08/2010 18:14

My mum is Maureen and I have an Aunty Barbara!!

EduStudent · 18/08/2010 18:12

Norma
Barbara
Roma
Phyliss (just makes me think Syphilis Blush )
Irene
Gertrude
Bessie
Vera
Marguerite
Myrtle
Thelma
Gladys
Elma

Surely Gertrude must be the ultimate worst...?

Kathyjelly · 18/08/2010 18:07

Hortensia.

And I had an elderly aunt called Mona. Why would you do that?

SchnitzelVonKrumm · 18/08/2010 18:06

Only got to page 3 but Betty is v trendy atm - I know several - and Ruby has been popular for years.

I also know two Dorothys, a Maud, a Pearl, a Nora, an Agnes, an Ada, a Gwen and one of my DDs' has Joan as a middle name.