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Original poster

Darren and Joanne

136 replies

Davespecifico · 29/08/2019 21:02

In what year will there be pictures of little Darren and Joanne skipping through fields in a Sunday supplement article?

OP posts:
MadisonAvenue · 30/08/2019 15:09

@Dljlr I'm a Joanne too, but always go by Jo. The only person who calls me Joanne is my sister in law.
I hate my name, I'm not even that keen on Jo but it's preferable to Joanne. Our parents told me and my sister that we were given names which were popular when we were born so that we wouldn't stand out Sad

Waxonwaxoff0 · 30/08/2019 15:28

I also know a 7 year old called Christina. I always think of that as a 70s/80s name.

TroysMammy · 30/08/2019 15:36

My name is never mentioned on any threads and I've never seen it on gifts like mugs and pens. A lot of people will have heard of the name or even know one but I don't expect there will be any little my name under the age of 40 ever again.

MorrisZapp · 30/08/2019 15:39

DS proudly told me he'd been reading about Joanne of Arc. Didn't mention Darren.

My name is so middle aged and aspic frozen it's a twitter meme.

JockTamsonsBairns · 30/08/2019 16:13

I love the name Bernard, but DH vetoed it for ds2.

In dd's tiny village school, there are 2x Ian, 2x Bruce, a Brian and a Steven. Good, solid names!

When I was last at a playground, around 7 years ago, there were twins called Agnes and Kathleen.

I love name trends, just when you think a name is dying out, there's a resurgence.

Dljlr · 30/08/2019 16:19

@MadisonAvenue I was going to be Lucy but my sister named me instead Angry Would so much prefer to be a Lucy

weegiemum · 30/08/2019 17:15

My dd2s boyfriend is Alan. He's of Polish background, aged 16.

I know a 9 year old Rodney, and know of a 4 year old Desmond

Witchend · 30/08/2019 17:22

I met a baby Agnes last week.

Alicatz66 · 30/08/2019 17:25

I'm an Alison ... we need a comeback !!

BizzzzyBee · 30/08/2019 17:26

When Darren's and Joanne's become grandparents or great grandparents
They’re already grandparents because they’re about 40/50 and both they and their DC had kids in their early twenties. But the GDC aren’t being named Darren. They’re being given Darren’s grandad’s name, something like Albert or Wilfred.

I reckon another couple of generations will see Darren’s great-great DC bearing his name when he’s about 90.

Coniferhedge · 30/08/2019 17:45

I’m a Joanne and I hate it with a passion. I was born in the 70’s and in my year alone at school there were eight Joannes. I once read an article which explained that the reason Joanne and Joanna were popular names in the 70’s is because of Joanna Lumley. Anyone as old as me will remember she was very popular at the time in The New Avengers and everyone was having the ‘Purdey’ haircut. This leads me to think that basically I’m a 70’s version of an 80’s Kylie or a 90’s Britney. I don’t even like shortening it to Jo as I think that sounds pretentious, but that’s just me.

Aragog · 30/08/2019 20:31

@Aragog I think many of us here might be your parents' generation.

Ah, you see for me Darren and Joanne are names of people I went to school with and of my generation (born 70s) rather than my parent' s generation (born in 50s) but guess they were around a fair but earlier too.

emilybrontescorsett · 30/08/2019 21:04

I really like Joanna as a name.

user1493423934 · 31/08/2019 04:37

Kieren - no sadly just a boring state school (I guess UK version of comprehensive?) in an unexciting suburb! Sorry!

Does she go to St Clare’s? 😃

omafiet · 31/08/2019 04:43

1986 😄

I knew a family growing up with 4 kids: Tracey, Darren, Lee and Joanne. It sounds now like a family from a retro sitcom !

Sweetaholic · 31/08/2019 05:10

Neil.Noel,Philip, Peter, John (with the 'h')
Jane, Helen, Emma. Dorothy, Jean, Beverley
I don't know any young ones with those names.

tryingtobebetterallthetime · 31/08/2019 05:23

Don't be judge about names!

What goes around comes around, every time. I know lots of women named Joanne who continue to blaze a trail for all the Violets coming up. Don't let a name hold anyone back.

One of the most warm and fuzzy feelings I ever get from Mumsnet relates to the name Violet. It was my Mum's name. She was born in the 1920s in Vancouver to new immigrants. All her life she hated her name as she thought it labeled her. The most ridiculous thing is she thought it labeled her as poor.

She's gone now, but dear Mum, your name is lovely!

EssentialHummus · 31/08/2019 05:42

I met a baby Gary the other day.

I have a crap 70s name. I grew up in a very different culture, my name (pronounced a bit differently) is still widely used. Not so great in the UK now, but I guess I have the element of surprise as I don’t “match “ my name.

BethanyGilbert · 31/08/2019 08:41

I love the name Karen. So much! It’s my favourite name ever ever ever but I don’t think it will be back in fashion during my child bearing years.

Delatron · 31/08/2019 09:15

I don’t think Agnes, Annabel and Bobby are in the same league as Darren, Kevin, Sharon, Linda etc.

Annabel especially is just a classic name, not especially 70s?

I think the name Daphne is coming back which is great! Friends have a Dougie, that’s a fab name.

Aragog · 31/08/2019 09:40

Sweetaholic: I know several children named Emma. Aged between about 4 and 17. Increasingly over recent years.

PolkadotsAndMoonbeams · 31/08/2019 09:49

I'm waiting for Diane to reappear, although it might take a bit longer. It'll probably be back at about the same time as Susan.

escapade1234 · 31/08/2019 09:54

David Mitchel and Victoria Coren have a daughter called Barbara.

Ulrika Jonsson has a son called Malcolm.

When I was a child I would have found it hysterical to hear that someone had named their child Arthur or Albert but they were both in the frame with my last child!

WarmSausageTea · 31/08/2019 09:55

My grandmother, who was born in 1902, hated her middle name because she thought it was old-fashioned.

Her middle name was Emma.

NoHummus · 31/08/2019 10:03

I know primary school age kids called Melissa and Gemma, lovely names but not often used these days.
Most other people with my name are 20+ years older than me. My parents were those people who looked at a cute wee baby in the 80s and thought "Let's call her Sheila*!".
*Not my actual name but it's of that vintage.