Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

'Old-fashioned' names that might NOT make a come-back?

338 replies

PrincessFiorimonde · 04/04/2011 07:08

I was thinking about names that might have been popular about 100 years ago or more, and were then considered old-fashioned 30, 40 or even 50 years ago - but are now becoming more popular again. For example, Dorothy and Archie are names that are probably used more now than they were for babies born in the 60s or 70s.

So I wondered if there are names that have not made a come-back, and are not likely to?

For example, does anyone think these names are used much for babies born recently:
Eustace
Eunice
Jean (for a girl; not the French boys' name)
Joan (for a girl; not the Catalan boys' name)

I'm not trying to start a 'these are horrible names' thread. I'm just wondering which 'old-fashioned'-type names haven't really been revived. (Or perhaps I should say: haven't really been revived yet!)

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Suncottage · 04/04/2011 18:46

Edna (yuck)
Pauline
Maureen
Doreen
Eileen
Noreen

(let them all stay in the past)

BlueAmy · 04/04/2011 19:16

I know a child named Ada (though her parents are misprouncing it as 'adder').

I can't (or rather don't want to) see Rodney or Julie coming back.

Becaroooo · 04/04/2011 19:19

I know someone younger than me (38) called Noreen.

My paternal grandfather was called "Launcelot"

His brother was called Leslie (Les).

BlueAmy · 04/04/2011 19:43

misprouncing mispronouncing I meant!

mylittleponies · 04/04/2011 19:49

CliveKeithMalcomDereckNigelNevilleBarryGarethGrahamLeslie

DrNortherner · 04/04/2011 19:51

Haven't read all, but heres mine:

Eileen
Sandra
Christine
Susan
TRacy
Sharon
Debbie
Rita
Doreen

DrNortherner · 04/04/2011 19:52

Barbara
Shirley

NoWayNoHow · 04/04/2011 19:59

A few months ago I would have said Albert (as in, my 88 year old grandfather's name) but I now now a baby "Bert" so I'm probably wrong!

Bumply · 04/04/2011 20:08

My middle name is Martha after an ancient aunt.
My godmother who was born in 1901 was Eudora, known as Dora.
I know a Phyllis who is younger than me, but she got a lot of grief growing up with an old fashioned name.
Bridget Millicent Eleanor Patricia Gordon Roy Cliff are all family names I've not seen in children.

Omarlittlest · 04/04/2011 20:25

Quentin
Mervin
Roland
Lester
nuff said

thinkingkindly · 04/04/2011 20:41

Mildred!

Suncottage · 04/04/2011 20:52

Sonia
Morag
Joanne
Nicola
Lesley
Jenette
Annette
Yvonne
Sybil
Carol
Ingrid

Please save little girls from these names.

PANCHEY · 04/04/2011 21:00

notanumber I know a small Ennis

aStarWithHerOwnWays · 04/04/2011 21:14

Gaylord. The one name that is guaranteed never, ever to come back.

I know a gorgeous baby Agnes, a toddler Stan and a small Wilbur.

discobeaver · 04/04/2011 21:21

Launcelot is an amazing name becaroo!

I can't see the name Dolores without thinking of the episode of friends wehre Joey is trying to remember a girl's name, and he said he knew it rhymed with a part of the female anatomy. Makes me giggle.

Wilbur is cute, because he's the pig in Charlotte's Web. I met a gorgeous Wilf the other day, aged about 8?

mammamia25 · 04/04/2011 21:22

I overheard a mum calling her dd Barbara the other day - child was about 2.

PurveyorOfBologna · 04/04/2011 21:23

Jean/Joan are still being used. We considered Joan for DD (DP wanted Joni for a nn). I quite like Jean/Jeanie too.

Dilys I know an Athelstan, who has a brother Wulfric

Plenty of Florence/Nancy/Martha/Agnes around here

What's wrong with Ennis?? I also like Innes and Annis (had this on DDs list too)

Also know a 6 month old Ross, he is gorgeous Grin

CultureMix · 04/04/2011 21:27

I know a three-year old Harriet and Connie, they're both adorable and couldn't imagine another name for them!

tomhardyismydh · 04/04/2011 21:28

a little girl in dds class with a very pretty name (claudia) has a baby brother named martin

GrimmaTheNome · 04/04/2011 21:29

Hepzibah. Mind you, I don't think it was exactly popular even in the era of Silas Marner.

My DD was totally exempted from being named after a grannie as collectively they have Elsie, Joyce, Norah and Winifred to offer ... I gather Elsie is making a comeback, don't think the others will (though Joyce is quite nice)

halfcaffodils · 04/04/2011 21:32

I do actually know a Hepzibah aged about 6 or 7!

Olifin · 04/04/2011 21:40

LOL @ Pauline, Sonia and Carol.

astarwithherownways Exactly what i was going to say!

All the other ones I was going to suggest have, I think, already been said: Graham, Colin, Gavin, Brian, Barry, Alan, Roger, Keith. Just can't imagine any of those on a baby boy. Likewise Dawn, Donna or Gemma for a girl.

I have recently met babies named Bertie, Peggy, Pearl and Martha.

A few people have mentioned Paul as a bit of a boring name. I know of siblings in their 30s named Paul and Paula. Yes indeed. Hope neither of them are MNers.

SugarSkyHigh · 04/04/2011 21:45

I secretly like the name Julie......

and Jean

bilblio · 04/04/2011 21:45

My brother was considering Doris for my niece. They picked something else in the end... her nickname is Mildred.

I've traced our family history back about 400 years. I can't imagine Clement, Leonard, Clifford, Horace, Herbert, Maurice, Rodney, Willie, Willis, Wilfred or Ody making a comeback.

For the girls, Rene, Margot, Marilyn, Gertrude, Eileen & Irene.

Most of those are from late 1800's early 1900's.

The really early ones (1600 & 1700's) were all called John, James, Jane, Sarah, Rebecca, William, Henry, Edward, Anne, etc. The only vague quirkiness was in the spellings, and that was probably due more to illiteracy than inventiveness.

delphinedownunder · 04/04/2011 21:52

I know someone who has called her baby Gary.