Are we due a revival of obscure Victorian names?

[Delphigirl]

Just reading something where the protagonist is Alfrida. Her brother is Kenelm. I am really feeling both of them. I tried to persuade a niece to call her new son Sylvester a few months ago and I’m still feeling cross she didn’t leap on it. Is the zeitgeist moving towards these long-ignored names? Or maybe it is just me.
Let me know what names you would revive and please please if anyone has used a name like this recently would you share? I would LOVE to know.

I agree with this. As much as I love Victorian era names, the next trend will be for names that were popular in the 40s and 50s (and sound pretty drab to my ears, but it’ll happen!)

I recently heard of a baby called Daphne, although having Googled it seems that might be thanks to Bridgerton.

Linda, Susan, Joan, Christine. Too soon?

I've seen a few baby Patricias in recent years but I think they all had Polish parents.

Another one here with a Great Aunt called Rosina.

My favourite Victorian name from my family tree has to be Pharoah!! He was born in the East End and I always picture him as a friend of Dodger in Fagan's gang.

Not sure it would be very PC to call someone Pharoah these days 😁

There is a branch of my family in which all the females for generations have male names with tina or ina on the end. E.g. Albertina, Jamesina, Josephina, Thomasina.
Another had daughter 1 Janet, daughter 2 Jane, son 1 James, son 2 Jarrod, I can't help feeling they only had 1 page of a baby names book.

Why would anyone call their child sorrow?
Misery?
Despair?
Failure?
All have a ring to them

There are some interesting ones in my family tree. Banks, Beresford, Langley, Simpson, Beverly (a boy).

Those are all surnames. It was often the custom to call sons (and occasionally daughters) by the maiden name of their mother or the surname of another relative of family friend, especially if there was any expectation of a legacy

No they weren't all surnames. Some were, some were place names. I know why they were used.

My mum suggested I called our son Peregrine or Kenneth. The latter was the name of her boyfriend who died in the war. I didn't want either name!

Dorcas and Zillah from Larkrise to Candleford that I was watching only yesterday. I don't mind Dorcas but Zillah makes me think of Godzilla!

Naughty naughty, veeery naughty...

I agree. It's become rather wilted lately. :-)

I know an Isambard, an Ebenezer, a Lettice, and a Rosina, all similar age to me (am in my 40s)

I've also met quite a few people with Mercy, Patience, Prudence type names, mainly with West African heritage.

Also met a Dorcus! And know an Ephraim. The Ebenezer I know uses the nickname Ebz, and is able to carry it off

David Mitchell could make 'Snotnose McGee' sound attractive... (I'm a big David fan..).
But I agree that some of those old Saxon names ought to come back.

I always fancied Lancelot and Capability, as in Lancelot Capability Brown the famous garden landscaper......

The name in my family tree that I find most fascinating is German. Why would you call someone German? No German heritage anywhere. His surname was Batty, which makes it all the more striking.

Uncles:
Percival (Percy)
Noel
Obediah

All lovely gentlemen which is possibly why I have a fondness for the names.

I was so disappointed to see when researching my family tree that everyone has names like Mary and John.

It wasn’t until my grandfather and siblings were born that anyone had an unexpected name. Most of them are still alive, so it wasn’t that long ago.

Any Irish connection for your man German? There were five of them in the 1911 Census of Ireland.

Could the name be from Saint Germanus - Germain in France and Garmon in Welsh?

Yes it will be a variant spelling of Germain.

That figures, there are three male Germains in 1911 as well - also two females and six Germaines - two of whom were nuns.

DH’s auntie is called Euphemia. She gets called Fay though. She’s in her 80s I think.

I know a couple of little Effies (short for Euphegenia or Euphemia in the olden days). The smallest is 7 weeks old ❤️