"Old person" names are fashionable, BUT...

[gail734]

When I was at school, there were three Gillians in my class and three Alisons! You can guess how old I am from that. I suspect that if anyone had turned up in my class with what we would have regarded as an "old man's" name, say, Archie, we would have teased the poor soul relentlessly. However, these names are all over the place now. BUT do you know of anyone who has taken it TOO far? My cousin has called her little boy Walter. It's a family name, but I think it's just TOO old-fashioned!

I know of twin boy babies called Reginald and Leonard. That's too far for me, but I do love Stanley, Sidney, Albert type names.

Nora isn't a nickname, it's a name of it's own.

"Yeah, that's the thing. I don't think names like Bertha, Wilfred or Doreen are unpleasant names on an old person at all. They suit them and sound pleasant. But on a baby they just don't work for me at all."

That is only because you only know old Berthas and Wilfreds, so your brain associates the name with old people. As soon as you meet a gorgeous young Bertha or a little cool Wilfred, these associations change almost immediately!

The more I hear some of these names, the more I actually like them as I find they make a refreshing change from all the 'cutesy' names these days. Agatha, Pearl, Vincent, Quentin and Leonard etc. are all going to increase in popularity, I reckon.

I know a baby Phyllis, its a name that I wouldn't want to come back. I really like Edith though.

Remember also that our great-grandparents chose these 'grandparents' names for their cute little babies at the time... they didn't name old people .

Phyllis I love. I had it on my list. Which looked like this:

Phyllis
Truda
Rita
Margot
Reggie (but not Regina!)
Olive

I really wanted Reggie for a girl but no-one liked it. Still love it. We chose Robin in the end.

Humpfrey and Edna cross the line. Really I like the older people style.

The one I disliked the most is a sib of Kimberley, Jennifer and Courtney: far too 70s. Much bigger crime for me than the 1930s revival.

Humphey... love it.

I'm probably not the ideal person for this thread....

See I really like Edith and it doesn't sound old lady at all to me. Whereas some of the names I have come across like Mable, Maud, Stanley and Archibald are too far for me. Funny how we all react differently to names.

I really like my name but only recently someone pointed out to me it was a terrible 1970s name. I see what they mean, but I still like it.

Every generation is always looking for 'different' names which don't sound like those you grew up with like your classmates or, worse, your parents' names.

That is why 'granny/grandpa' names are popular - as the old population dies out, we have no associations to these names and see them as 'different' to those around us.

I also think that the more 'solid' names will continue to rise in popularity as people get tired of the cutesy names used so often recently. I like Josephine, Violet, Ursula, Vera, Sidney, Quentin, Arthur and Clement in particular.

I think that Doris and Beryl and just too old. Try as I might, I just can't see those names coming back.

Norman, Kevin and Clifford are names that I dislike.

I did actually know a Norman, when I was in my teens, who was born in 1981 ... Never jar I come across a name that suited someone so poorly!

Not 'never jar' but 'never did'!

What's all this Maud bashing about? I think it is lovely.

I like Edith too and Sybil (damn Downton - I'll never like Mary thoough!).

What's wrong with Norman???

I just don't think it's very cool ... sorry!

Sorry to crash in on the conversation, but this thread is exactly what I've been thinking about. We heading into a surrogacy arrangement (in India, donor egg - whole other thread...) and thinking about Cecilia with Cici for short? My husband's late papa was called Cecil, so it would be nice. Our first child is called Imogen and has already been shortened to Ima - thought I'd get in there first with the nickname this time.

Outrunners are Kate, Amity and Beatrix.

Just realised this thread isn't quite what I thought it was about - sorry everyone! Opinions still welcome though!!

I like Cecilia, but now I can't get the Simon & Garfunkel song out of my head!

My children both have "old person" names, I love them although I have had a few from people about DD's name (Dorothy). I don't care. I love Maud, Nora and Ethel and pretty much all the names considered over the line on this thread.

Personally I'm not keen on the Hayden, Jaden, Cayden, Febreze, Brickette style names but I'd never say it to someone in RL.

manic nope... Sadly you don't get a pound you can keep guessing though... My age won't help either (I'm 30 btw) as my name is right at home in all the best nursing homes...and the worst ones being honest

Oh dear, my name isn't cool.

I think it's far more important for a name to work in adult life, then it work on a baby, given that humans are only babies for a very short period of their life.

Maud might not work well on a baby (in the opinion of some), but it works as a 'grown up' name.

Whereas in my humble opinion, a cutesy tacky name like Honey might work on a baby, but on an adult, I think it would be ridiculous.

I like a few of the 'old lady' names but when I see people on her oohing and aahing over names like Elsie and Gladys I think it is going a bit too far. They'll be swooning over names like Muriel and Bertha next.

I know recently born Howard, Susan, Freda.