Old lady names

[Gimmeechocolate]

I really love old lady names and already have 2 DDs with old names.

I have fallen in love with the name Ethel. Everybody I know hates it and laughs at it.

I guess what I am asking is what are your associations with it as a name other than 'old lady'?

Iris, Hetty & Daisy?
Iris, Hetty & Delilah?
Iris, Hetty & Charlotte?
Iris, Hetty & Dottie?
Iris, Hetty & Poppy?

Lovely names you have already :) I love the current 'vintage names' trend we have going on!

Estelle
Ada
Betsy

Oh dear - I really want to offer you some support for Ethel but just can't. Sorry.

My suggestions are:

Agnes
Alma
Barbara
Betty
Blanche
Bridgit
Cecily
Constance
Doris
Eliza
Elspeth
Enid
Eunice
Gladys
Hesta
Hester
Jean
Marjorie
Maud
Myrtle
Pearl
Violet

Marion
Phyllis
Vivian
Mavis
Gillian
Nesta
Netty
Wilma
Gwen or Gwenda or Gwendoly/Gwendolene
Ursula
Olive
Judy
Agatha or Aggie

I've got an Esther and lots of people say how nice it is to hear an 'old fashioned' name. I think old lady names are great and better than some made up names - at least when they're old ladies their names will suit them!!

Dolores (Dolly)?

Thanks again everyone.

It's interesting isn't it because I would say Barbara, Blanche, Beryl, Joyce, Veronica and Edith are nowhere near as nice as Ethel! Horses for courses and all that!

Sasparillo - I love Dottie but is it too many 't's with Hetty?

Ficidy and Soggysummer - Also love Betty and Betsy but too close to Hetty.

I really like Violet but people have put me off by saying it sounds like vile and Maud also as have been told it sounds like mould. Funnily with Ethel people just say it's horrible!

My dh doesn't like it but I know i will really regret not using it!

I don't associate Ethel as "old lady" actually, I think of the glamourous elder sister who everyone was always falling in love with in the Just William books.

I don't think it's any worse than many of the other names suggested! (but clearly I am in a minority )

I like Ethel. To hell what others think, it's your baby, you aren't naming it Satan Ballcrack or something l!

Doris/Doreen/Dorothy?
Lettice?
Florence?
(everyone hates this one but I love it) Hebe?
Margaret/Millicent/Maureen?

Dottie - short for Dorothy. That's lovely.

Maeve

Ida is anice name.

I quite like Ethel. I have an Audrey if that's any good to you? I also love Dinah.

Dotty/Dottie is great. I almost wish I'd called DD that, as it would have really suited her. We called her Kitty (Kathleen on BC) in the end.

Violet is ace too-l I want to call DC3 Violet if it's a girl, but DH doesn't like it.

Ethel is horrible, sorry. How about Margaret? Then she could be Maggie/Mags/Peggy.

Ivy nice too

My DH's grandma was Ethel. She would be 106 this year. She hated it so much she used another name for all of her adult life.

Esther's nice but Hetty and Esther is a bit samey for sisters. Also Ettie is a nn for Ethel so you'd have Hetty and Ettie - is that enough to put you off Ethel OP?

More positively, Iris and Hetty are wonderful names!!

For the next one, what about...

Frances
Mathilda
Doris
Martha
Eliza

What about Gloria? I just love that name, beautiful!

Also Silvia and Silvie.

Janet
Annie
Jennifer (Jenny)

or......Hilda?

Some great suggestions...

Ivy is another favourite and Ida too but Do you think they work when we already have an Iris?

Our surname begins with A and is three syllables so A names don't work well for me.

Florence is beautiful but I already know 4!

Matilda is already DD's middle name.

Awkward aren't I?!

I know a 14 year old Ethel, I was really surprised when I found out her siblings names as they are all what you would expect for children of their ages - Maddie, Jack and Tilly (Matilda). I have grown to like it on her but still sounds odd for a baby - but they are not babies for long are they?

(Fat lot of help I am hey?)