To think its an old fashioned name!

[Mammyloveswine]

Talking with a colleague lately about common names from the 80s and 90s... the usual., Sarah, Laura, Becky, Lydia, Lindsay, Louise, Emma etc..

We then got talking about more unusual names we went to school with "Hester.. Paula..Hermione (way before Harry Potter 😂).."

I just cannot imagine a baby or small child being called Paula! I can't even imagine a person my age (30s) being called Paula!

Any other names you just cannot imagine as a baby/small child?

For anyone who is good at sleuthing, Alan Bennett did a monologue that I've never managed to track down about names - maybe 20 years ago. He pointed out that Edna and Gertrude were probably lost forever, but the Samuels and Jacobs who would have once been horny-handed working-class lads were now more likely to be middle-class names.

Considering most of mums friends are Lorraine, Barbara, Roslyn, Maureen and Linda, I suppose Gloria sounds quite glamorous in comparison.

I find it quite fascinating:

Grannie's friends: Helen, Myrtle, Minnie, Annie, Evie (b1912)

Mother's friends: Barbara, Sylvia, Marion, Anita, Joan, Patricia (Patsy) (b1936)

Mine: Suzy, Alison, Amanda, Debbie, Heather, Jo, Jane (so many Janes), Helen, (b1960)

DD's: Imogen, Phoebe, Cicely, Livi, and I've lost count of the Millies, Mollies, Tillies and Ellies. (1998)

My sons name is always on these lists

For a girl I would definitely consider Gloria, Sylvia, Nora

I know a 6 year old Jason

Nicola
Lyndsey
Rachel
Catherine
Helena
Lisa
Claire
Lorna

My grandfather was a Bertram and my uncle is Herbert.

I could never in a million years imagine a baby called either of these or even a young man.

Female names, Marjorie, Thelma or Beryl.

All far too old fashioned.

namerology.com/baby-name-grapher/

You can type in a name and see when it was popular. If the chart has a “witch hat” shape it’s a trendy name that was only popular at a certain time.

At least one of my DC’s names have been mentioned on here - DS, although I wouldn’t be surprised if DD’s had come up too somewhere if a trawled through the pages 😂

If I had another DC (not happening!) I like:
Louise
Dorothy
Agatha
Helen
Joan or Jean

Angus
Francis
Hector
Lionel

I’m a sucker for ‘old people’ names.

I live in Paris and Louise is a very popular (and chic) name here

Baby Derek or Malcolm. Dd is 18 and had a Barry classmate

Also when dd 18 was a baby we knew of a baby Trevor

There are lots of Isabelles in their 50s in France but I don't know many English ones of this age. Lots of younger English ones though. The two countries often seem to be out of step with each other in name fashions.

@CallieApricot

im originally from Scotland and I know Isabella is a popular name back home (for both first and middle names)

My mum, fil, sil and dh have been named on this thread. dh hates his name

I quite like my name and no it hasn't made the list fortunately 😁

I know a toddler Bernard, and he goes by Bernard and not Bernie too!

Awww, little Bernard sounds like he'd smoke Silk Cut and offer the other toddlers great odds on the 3.10 at Newmarket.

Yes, I knew it was more popular in Scotland. Was quite rare when I was a kid in England (I'm in my 50s) but I knew a few French ones. It's very popular for young English people. Bernard was another one I knew lots of French ones my age but no English ones.

I did know Bernadettes my age in England though

Does anyone know of any children called Herbert? That was my maternal grandfather's name. The other grandfather's first name was Fairclough, which I've never heard anyone else called. Both grandfathers were born in the 19th century btw.

I have a relative called Keith. He's 4.

Most of my family here!

Newborn baby across the road from me is called Pauline. A Patricia in my daughters year ( year 9)

I would expect the youngest "Alan"s and "Gary"s to be about 16.

I regularly work alongside people who are originally from other countries and sometimes their names are surprising to me e.g. younger people having names that would be considered "old" for their age in Britain, like a 20-something named Barbara or Irene. Or people from seemingly ordinary backgrounds having names that would be called "posh" on Mumsnet. So I wouldn't be particularly shocked by a young Paula, especially if one/both of her parents was from an ethnic minority.