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.

No Irish on my German’s side. Yorkshire into obscurity. St Germain is possible I guess; it’s a funny one to choose though.

My mind immediately went to Liz truss but was like 10 years nah

anyway I went to school in deepest s. Wales the 90s with a Lettice.

From Victorian times onwards mine were all Anne, Elizabeth and things like Edward and Albert. There’s a good chunk of the family tree though with a tonne of Philadelphias, like daughters and aunts going quite a few generations and off on side quests. It crops up loads.

Side note on random chats with my kids: They asked me when we were on the train the other day, after a weird woman asked if I tried for a girl because I’ve got all boys, if I “woke up one morning and there was a baby girl on the doorstep, what would you do?” I said I’d take her in and call her Aelfgifu and raise her like to be a fierce feminist warrior queen, and they were just like errr WTF you on about? Too much David Mitchell (Unruly the audiobook is fab!)

I know 2 Septimus’s both late 20s. I love the name

I think Septimus is awful - reminds me of sepsis. I like Alfrida though.

ernestine, eustace… I always liked how St. John sounds, sinjun.

I love Myrtle, Lettice, Virginia, Charity, Auberon, Abraham, Bramwell, Aubrey, Jeremiah…

Agatha

I wanted Jemima for DD but DH wasn't keen. She is now 16 and says she would have hated it.....
My friend has a cat called Aloysius........! Don't know if that counts as Victorian but it's a great name!

Same here.. says a lot about us 😆😂

I know a Keziah (late teens) and I had a great, great Aunt called Keturah (known as Kitty) ...which in hindsight I wish I'd used as a middle name for one of my own daughters.

Fleecedandzipped · 04/09/2024 15:47

Beryl ... Olive ... Patricia

I had (great) aunties called Olive, Beryl, Pearl and Ruby. My maternal grandma was Patricia and that's my daughter's middle name. My daughter (11) has what may be considered a Victorian name, but it's also one in Turkic languages. She has a friend called Maud.

My maternal grandmother was called Rosina. I have always thought what a pretty name it is. If I'd had girls I would have definitely used it. Wow....Keziah and Kerenhappuch.....what interesting names in your family!

Sorry if it’s already been posted. Real Victorian names

Place marking for later ☺

We have an Onesipherus in the family tree. Known as Ernie 😁

My friend’s granddaughter is called Ophelia

love this thread, thank you everyone for contributing!

I'm just reading a book and the name Eliphalet has come up, and it seems that had its heyday in early Victorian times. I can't see it making a comeback in the near future!

I worked with an Ophelia once way back in the 80s.

Edited to say I think it’s a lovely name.

I’ve literally just come across this name while reading “Carrie’s War” to my daughter. Had never heard it before!

Hah! I went to a Waldorf school and had friends named Marmaduke, Lancelot, Thorin, Elric, Charmaine and Phineas.

Lancelot that's ace.
Cornelius
Murgatroy