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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Classic girls names

77 replies

threeinthebed · 01/12/2010 12:44

Hi, I love classic names and have a long list of boys names, but a much shorter girls list. I'd love to hear your suggestions for classic/traditional girls names that won't date easily to add to my list. Thanks :)

OP posts:
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gemhandley · 02/12/2010 12:16

we have chose Emily Rose for our dd but i liked olivia, ava, eva, Emma. I think there names thats will last through teens 20s and beyond. I just struggle to think something like Kalifornia will suit a 60 year old hehe.

KitchenKate · 02/12/2010 12:32

Emily Rose is lovely - both names were on our shortlist. My DD is a classic Elizabeth Jill.

ValiumSingleton · 02/12/2010 13:06

Anna and Rachel don't date much - I think.

Elizabeth is popular now, but there's always a nick name from Elizabeth that is contemporary, so it will never be like Sharon. (sorry to use that example.)

Suncottage · 02/12/2010 14:02

Georgina
Caroline (Carrie)
Maud
Lettice (Lettie)
Henrietta [Hetty)
Agnes
Lalla
Faith
Hope
Charity [Smile}
Dorothy
Horatia
Portia

civil · 02/12/2010 15:09

Imogen (invented by Shakespeare)

Anna

Helen

Mary

Laura

clippityclop · 02/12/2010 15:50

Anna
Margaret )
Lucy
Mary
Sarah
Emily
Jayne
Elizabeth (Beth)
Kate
...seems we have a classic sort of family too.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 02/12/2010 17:02

Christabel
Agnes
Rosamund
Alice
Henrietta
Harriet
Jane
Rose
Josephine
Helen
Clara
Clarabel
Clarissa
Juliet

and then there's Gertrude.....

livvylouis · 02/12/2010 17:27

My dd is called Olivia Rose

I also like

Lucy
Harriett
Eve
Amy
Isla
Bernice

DELHI · 02/12/2010 17:54

Ursula
Rachel
Frances

SmileyPeeple · 02/12/2010 18:44

Mary

Helena

Susannah

Rose

Jane

Kate

Laura

Emma

jacksgrannie · 02/12/2010 19:51

Some of these names are not classic.

Classic names are never short-forms (Kate), or unusually spelt (Jayne).

Classic names are timeless and say nothing about the parents except that they have good taste. So, imo the top classic girls' names include:

Elizabeth
Anne
Catherine
Sarah
Jane
Alexandra
Helen

Best of all though is Olivia Rose (wish I had a daughter!)

Schulte · 02/12/2010 20:35

Top marks to Jacksgrannie for impeccable taste Smile

kt09 · 02/12/2010 21:07

My dd is Julia Charlotte, which I think is very classic. I also haven't come across any little Julias so don't think it's too popular. Also like:

Helen
Beatrice
Clare
Eleanor
Margot

Suncottage · 02/12/2010 22:04

I have a 'classic' name according to the posts above.

Without sounding vain (I didn't pick them) I have always been complimented throughout the world on having 'a beautiful name' from Oz to South America.

Thanks Mum and Dad - best thing you ever gave me was a 'classic name'.

I was never judged by it, asked to spell it, explain it or be embarrassed by it.

Easy life.

I once met a woman who gave her son a very weird unusual name. She rolled her eyebrows and sighed when I asked the origin of it and said in a very bored voice.

"It is a Maori name-no-we-do-not-have-links-with-New-Zealand-we-just-liked-it!

The child was four at the time - he is now 16 and prefers to be called 'Jim'

I also have a friend with a very unusual name and she loves it and feels she 'has grown into it' but hated it as a child.

Another example was a woman I met who was in her sixties and called Sharon - she said when she was a child at school it was exotic and she never met another Sharon until it became popular in the 60's.

Long post - but choose the name you like and want but then again my favourite name for a DD is a total no-no. Bad meaning to it.

Grin
soverign21 · 02/12/2010 22:47

Clare
Sophie
Georgina
Isabel
Charlotte
Lily

Just some i like, also Alexandra but you said you couldnt use that one

mathanxiety · 02/12/2010 22:54

Vanessa
Caroline
Judith
Mary
Julia
Clementine
Cecelia
Celia
Leah
Hermione
Colette
Bridget

ClapTrap · 02/12/2010 22:58

Most of the above names are cute. Didn't see Edith though. My friend's DD is Edith, but gets called Edie (eedee) and I think it's rather lovely.

thecoffeelady · 02/12/2010 23:22

My girls are
Edith Sarah Anne (2 1/2)
and Nancy Elizabeth Rose (15 weeks)

I also like Iris

Coralanne · 03/12/2010 05:11

Every girl I know of between 1 and 10 seems to be named
Elly
Olivia
Sophia
Sophie
Emily Rose
Isabella

Coralanne · 03/12/2010 05:15

My MIL is

Grace Victoria

Honeymum · 03/12/2010 10:04

Eve won't date though Evie might (DD1 has this lovely name!)

SmileyPeeple · 03/12/2010 13:32

Eve will date you though, to a birth date in the first decade of 2000, due to a very spiky spike in popularity.

Still a lovely name though.

I think maybe Kate is classy rather than classic. Or was until ms. Middleton associations made it a little too obvious for a while now.

nappyaddict · 03/12/2010 15:37

Not keen on Elissa or Eloise - I think they are very of the moment and will date quickly.

How about:

Ellen
Helena
Elodie
Eloisa
Elsa
Elspeth
Heloise
Ilana
Ilona
Luisa

clippityclop · 03/12/2010 16:31

Suncottage, go on, you've got to tell us what your name is?! Smile

Suncottage · 03/12/2010 19:37

ClippityClop

It was Persephone - a bit poncey and means 'Bringer of Death'

Charming and 'classic'

Hmm
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