Are fifties names having a revival?

[Jusfloatingby]

In the last couple of months I've heard of a baby Jill, a baby Hilary and a baby Judy. I think of these as very fifties Enid Blytoney type names and am just wondering if the fashion for early twentieth century names like Edith, Iris and Ethel is now moving on to another stage?
I love the names Jill and Judy by the way.

Must stop reading this thread. I have no intention of having another baby but I would love a little Rita. And looking at that list 1944girl posted, even Jacqueline is looking glamorous!

I think they will come back, but not quite yet. Basically all the original Ella, Elsie, Alfred, Freddie, Daisy and Rubys died and the names stopped being associated with old ladies. It's going to take another twenty years, I think, before Janet, Colin, Nigel, Gail etc come back in.

I don't think either Susie or Sally ever went out. I was at university with 3 Sallys and I knew two Sues.

For me, Joan, Jean, Rita etc are not just old lady names but are v v meh as every woman of a certain age as I was growing up was called one of about 6 or 7 names like that and I can't make the leap to seeing them as cool just yet. They're just too recent for me.

It's a theory born out of my experience re dd's name (Lily)...MIL and a few other similar aged rellies were horrified, saying it was an old lady name on the way to extinction. Little did they know how it was racing up the top names chart!

Yes, this.

Though funnily enough I know a couple of Americans who think Audrey is lovely. To me, it's a complete Granny name. 1930s though, so probably due a bit of a renaissance?

I'd like to know when/if Mavis will ever come back in. It just seems to be one of the old lady names that's a step too far...

A few of the girls' names not so bad imo, but some of the boys' would be awful.

Derek or Donald anyone?

My name screams 1950s and I hate it. No one has ever been given my name since 1959.
In my class at school in the 60s there were about seven Susans.
Other common names were;
Carol
Deborah
Christine
Ann
Gail
Sheila
I don't recall any Jills though, more 1930s I think? Also Jean and Joan are def 30s not 50s names.

googlyeyes yy when I told elderly relatives of dd's name 21 yrs ago they were not impressed...Rose.
They couldn't believe I would use such an old fashioned name.

I think it's heading that way. I found that with DC3 a few names from my parents' generation (born late 40s - early 50s) had crept onto my list, which hadn't been the case with DC1 (I still went for safe turn-of-the-century name in the end, though).

I know an 8yo Audrey who is lovely.

Audrey is massive in the States, in the top 50 at least.

I grew up in Dublin so don't have the mumsy associations that English people have with names like Janet, Jill etc. To me they are just lovely nostalgic names from the books I enjoyed reading as a child.
I would love to see them come back in fashion.

Ooh, I love Audrey. I know a five year old Audrey, is v pretty - Audrey Hepburn, Audrey-from-Twin-Peaks (puts 90s hat on)...

My dd3, 4 months, is called Elsie. People were shocked when we said her name and got the 'that's an old ladies name'

Yes 1944girl! I was also at school in the 50s and had all of the same names in class with me - as well as Heather, Dorothy and Jennifer. The only name I liked then and still like now, was Stephanie. And I was one of a number of Judys!

My former boss was a Colin (born in 1950s). When I was pregnant with DS1 he suggested Colin (I'd found out I was having a boy) and I do think he was only half joking.

I love Joan but I was an Abbey Girls fan! I was born in 1944 my name is Valerie and I hate it.

DS's middle name is Colin, after FIL who died when i was 6 months pg.

Ooh I like Audrey. Wouldn't be so sure about Deirdre though!

I know a baby Sandra...

I think that Susan is a lovely name. Pity it gets shortened to Sue.

Jean, pronunciation of, confused the hell out of me as a kid (French mum).

EB....Rory, Bets, Fatty, Julian.....I know one Rory, 18 y.o., pretty quiet and trendy.

Been watching the Mad Men re-runs

The characters definitely make the names more attractive; top of the list is
Joan (Holloway)
Peggy (Olsen)
Bettty (Draper) - although i prefer Betsey

They'll definitely come back, though I don't know if they have yet.

In a few years it will be "Pearl, with her daughters Pamela and Tammy..." :)

I recently met a baby Susannah and a little Quentin. Actually am starting to like them now.

I know of a Sally who'll be about preschool age now, and a Claire and a Susanna of about 9 or 10. Claire is more 60s/70s than 50s, though.

One of my classmates at secondary at the end of the 80s had a little sister called Jill. I also knew a Sally and an Alison.