What are the most boring, unsexy names in your opinion?

[HoneyandRum]

I would go with Martin.

Yes, and there are never any naked ladies on the internet

I hope the names you named from uni were made up.

Of course

'quite feisty around here isn't it?'

A lot of it depends where you're from. Barbara and Colin don't sound particularly unsexy to my ears because they wouldn't have been particularly common names in Dublin when I was growing up. Deirdre, which often gets mentioned on these types of threads seems to have a dreary Coronation Street image in England, whereas here in Ireland it would be considered a traditional celtic name on a par with Siobhan or Niamh or Roisin. Likewise Kevin does not have the same connotations here as it seems to have in the UK

For me, unsexy names would be Philomena, Bernie, Dermot or Vincent because they would be the equivalent of the English Barbaras and Colins.

Kevin is a very popular middle class name in France and the USA

Colin and Trevor. There were two boys at my school called that and now, at the age of 45, I still occasionally wonder if either of them has had sex yet. They weren't just called 'Colin' and 'Trevor' - they lived up to their names.

Y'see Beryl and Norbert are cracking old names to my mind. I can imagine a daughter called Beryl. same goes for most of these Scullery Maid names.

And Colin, Kevin and Barbara would be quite daring names to call your baby - quirky and subversive. Lobe it.

For me, the dullest names are the likes of Lucy and William. I wonder to myself if their parents just couldn't be arsed to think of name. But I am obviously the wrongest of the wrong as every 4th child in my child's year will attest.

David, Stephen, Daniel, Mark and Ben.

Zzzzzz

To me, Dermot is rather a sexy name. But that's because I have a thing for Mr O'Leary. Mmmmm...

I only knew one Colin when I was growing up - a gorgeous looking boy from a very artistic family who ended up working in theatre. Then I worked with a very glamorous sophisticated girl who called her son Colin. As a result I always loved the name and was very surprised to realise it had such a nerdish image in England.

I had a crush on a lovely guy called Colin at uni. Now have a housemate called Colin! Must be more common than I realised! Also in my social group we have a Dennis, a Keith, a Brian and an Eileen (all late 20s/early 30s). On the right people those names can be lovely

atthewelles, suddenly it makes sense! I'm from NI, so I have slightly different ideas of what is dated from the English. I only ever knew one Colin!

There are so many threads that say how dated Sarah is, but I think everybody who would be called Sarah in England was called Roisin or Aisling (or, weirdly, Naomi) in NI. I never met a single person called Sarah back home (except my granny).

I agree badtime, names like Sarah and Emma would not have been popular at all in 1970s Ireland, grew hugely in popularity in the 1980s and are still used quite frequently for new born babies. I also hear a lot of people on MN talking about how boring the name Louise is, whereas again it wouldn't be a particularly dated name here at all. Rachel would also be considered a pretty contemporary name and was practically unheard of here before the 1980s.

I was given a desperately old-fashion, boring, dreary, old-lady name in the 70s - Isobel.

DS has a name mentioned very early on on this thread (but is known by a nn) - won't say which one for fear of outing myself entirely!

By the time he's in his prime, it'll be back in, and he'll stand out from all the Harrys, Charlies and Fins. That's my theory anyway, since it worked for me.

Kenneth doesn't appear to be making a come back. Even Ken doesn't work?

Nor does Donald. Don?

Colin is a Scottish name, more common up here, particularly in the Highlands and traditional with some surnames eg. Campbell. It doesn't have the same negative connotations really (or it didn't until it spread from jokes and adverts originating down south). My brother Colin, reckoned it affected his dating success in London, thankfully he is now happily pared up with a Scottish girl ( who also has a derided name. I kind of wish I'd called one of my DS's Colin now, I love my DB.

DS3 was doing a family tree for homework and asked why we hadn't named him after his Grampa Ronald as he thinks it's a cool name! That would have been a step too far for me.

There seems to have been a fashion for Scottish names in England in the forties and fifties, lots of Donalds, Colins and Kenneths, Andrews and Gordons and Douglases etc. When the fashion ended they became uncool but they are more traditional and classic in Scotland and are not just old mens' names.

The Scottish patronymic naming traditional didn't die out in Scotland until more recently than in England, again especially in the Highhlands, so lots of wee Kenneths and Donalds names after their Grandfathers.

Oops, I have killed this thread with my pedantic lecture! Story of my life [ grin]

I thought Andrew was of Greek origin?

The only name I think is truly,irredeemably awful is Ethel...not on someone's Gran...on a modern day child. Names are cyclical I suppose,the people calling their daughters Ethel are probably ahead of the curve.

I do have a soft spot for Dorothy though.

A box of chocolates is attractive and appealing but I don't particularly fancy a roll in the hay with one.

I don't think any names are boring & unattractive. Although I've met PEOPLE with some of the names mentioned that are boring & unattractive! Lol. I met a Barry once who was extremely handsome & charismatic, and his name didn't matter to me in the slightest :D xx

"The only name I think is truly,irredeemably awful is Ethel...not on someone's Gran...on a modern day child. Names are cyclical I suppose"

But they only become 'cyclical' if everyone follows the trend and names their kids the same top 10-20 names e.g. Harry, Amelia etc currently. If no name ever becomes 'overused' it will never 'belong' to any particular era.