Why have the more elegant old fashioned names not come back round?

[Greythorne]

The old fashioned names which are back in fashion tend to be "cheeky chappy" names and scullary maid names (charlie, freddie, archie, alfie, tilly, molly, grace, evie, ruby, lily etc.)

Any ideas why the more elgant old fashioned names have yet to make a comeback?
Laurence
Julian
Byron
Edgar
Victor
Francis
Evelyn
Oswald

Clarissa
Camilla
Verity
Rosalind
Constance

I wanted to call DS Julian. Massive famous 5 fan. DH less so, so I lost that one! FWIW, I know 3 Laurences and a Verity.

Oh! Well, I know that there are a few of these names knocking about, but they haven't shot to to the top of the lists and there does seem to be a trend for the less sophisticated names....

It's the opposite round here, all Florences, Cecilys, Alberts and Alfreds.

Ah well, I stand corrected!

No, you're right, at least where I live. I know at least one of each of your first list, and only one from your second (my dd :))

I wanted to call DD1 Maude.

That was my introduction to the idea that you can't discuss names with anyone but your DH/DP.

I love Maude!

I like verity and Constance. I wanted to call ds2 Arthur but that was vetoed.

I also love Clementine, Cedric and Edmund.

I was vetoed on Laurence - love Laurie or Larry as nns. Have taught a couple though, both of whom went by Laurence.

Rufus is lovely, but maybe not what you would call sophistiated.

What about Virginia?

Lots of Evelyn's here

Constance is insanely popular where my parents live. A few Victors and Francises too.

Camilla, well, not with Duchess of Cornwall around!

Because they're camp, and there's a vile rightwing government in, which makes rightwing names seem in poor taste somehow?

That said, my 6mo DD is named Vivien. Does she count?

Constance and Verity sound to be asking for trouble, right? I think Francis and Evelyn are too confusable with girls' names these days, too.

and OP, does 'less sophisticated' mean working class? you might just say that.

Lots of Evelyns and a few Byrons, Francis, Constance, and a few other names along with all your names on the list.

No, it is nothing with at all to do with being working class. I think you are projecting there!

To me, Grace and Lily and Charlie are not at all working class, they are just not sophisticated in the way that Elizabeth and Laurence and Jocelyn are.

On the first list.

Few Evelyn's about and I love Frances. Constance sounds horrid I know one and I cringe when she says it .

I think naming trends are political - they reflect the material conditions of the day, that's for sure. I have proffered an answer to your question, anyway!

Ironic that you don't include Grace as an "elegant" name, given its clear meaning!

I don't think any of your listed names are camp, btw. Or "right wing", whatever that's supposed to mean in the context of forenames.

Historically favoured by the middle and upper classes. As opposed to "scullary maids [sic]" and cheeky chappies