What are the girl's equivalents of these boy's classic names?

[lalalagreencar]

I don't know if it's just me but girl's names - apart from a few like Catherine and Elizabeth - seem to be more cyclical than boys. We like classic, non-dateable names and while we can think of loads for a boy, we're getting stuck for girls.

What I mean is, girl's names like Emily and Lily have been around for a long time but they seem to go around every few years so in effect become dateable to a particular period - whereas boy's classics like George, Thomas and William always seem to be popular and therefore not as faddy. Does that make sense? Please feel free to let me know if it's just me!

I would also appreciate suggestions of girls equivalent of classic boys names like the ones mentioned above. The names we currently have on our list are Emma, Catherine, Lily, Emily, Sophie and Jessica. What do you think?

Rebecca?
Amy?
Ruth?
Beth?

To be fair, when I was at school (70s 80s) George, Thomas and William were pretty of unheard of amongst my peers. It was more David, Christopher, Michael, Mark, Stephen etc. which aren't so popular now, so I would say ime those names (Thomas etc) did go out of fashion for a while.

Girls equivalent names, maybe Emma, Anna, Charlotte. All your choices are lovely and classic and wouldn't date I think.

Charlotte
Eleanor
Laura
Megan

Charlotte, Elizabeth, Caroline, Jessica, Naomi.

Look in the Birth column in the Times

There are loads of Catherines and Elizabeths from the 70s and 80s so I'd say they are pretty cyclical too.

I know a few Emilys from that generation too.

I think classics will always be around but will still go through periods when they're very popular. Like Isabelle and Emily at the moment.

If you want classics that aren't at a peak right now, Ann or Margaret, Clare or Frances?

There are far more girls names than boys so that might have something to do with it.

Plus historically there has been a trend for fathers to name sons after themselves or their fathers which is why these names stay popular.

The most 'classic' girls names (least dateable) I'd say were:

Victoria
Alexandra
Jane
Anne/a
Mary
Claire
Louise/a
Margaret
Rose
Grace
Isobel/Isabella
Sarah
Alison
Ruth
Eve
Faith

George is definitely cuclical in my opinion. It's only re-emerged as a popular name in the past ten years.

cyclical

Lily isn't a classic, it's a pretty name that's currently popular. The last time it was this popular was in the early 20th century.

Emily is a name that fits a girl/woman of any age.

Id say it's probably the only female name that isnt cyclical tbh.

Emily is a very nice name, but it was not widely used in 1950s/ 1960s.
It did not even make the top 100 in 1954, for example. Nor did names that we think of as 'classic' today, such as Claire/Clare, Grace, Isabel/Isabella, Faith, Naomi, Jessica, Louise/Louisa, Rose, Emma, Sophie/Sophia...

On the other hand, Marilyn, Doreen, Maureen, Sharon, Beverley and Glynis were all there in the top 100.

The top 10 names in 1954 were:
Susan, Linda, Christine, Margaret, Janet, Patrica, Carol, Elizabeth, Mary, Anne.
Source for all this is a fantastic website for those interested in name trends:
www.britishbabynames.com/blog/2011/06/1954-to-2009.html
and also www.britishbabynames.com/blog/links-to-name-data.html

I think all names go in fashion cycles, but the following usually appear, even if only as middle names:
Elizabeth, Catherine (and variations), Anne/Anna, Mary/Marie/Maria, Jane.

I'm very old. My mother wanted to call me Emily- but her friends thought it was boring and old fashioned, and her father told her she couldn't "because it's a housemaid's name"

Henrietta
Rosemary
Hannah
Eleanor
Rachel
Sarah/Sara
Philippa
Susannah
Gabrielle

I like Emma from your list the best but Catherine probably gives the best flexibility for nns.

Sarah is a beautiful name and not currently overused.

Rachel
Rebecca
Anna
Charlotte

Alice
Louise (as a middle name)
Anna
Lucy

I think Rachel/Rebecca/Philippa/Susan - are very much of the 70s

Classic names would probably not make the top ten for many decades as that would be the really popular ones- its the next ranking ones that are probably consistently there

I agree that George and William have become quite popular recently whereas Stephen, Michael and Andrew were popular last generation. So I expect names like George to sound quite dated in 30 years time.

But how about
Sarah
Charlotte
Rebecca
Helen

Looking at the available stats, which start from the late 1800's, James is the only name that has consistently appeared in the Top 20 for every decade (and it has mainly ranked within the Top 10), so is pretty much what you could define as "timeless". There isn't a girls equivalent name, ie one which has featured in the Top 20 for every decade - but Catherine and Elizabeth are probably the closest you will get.

Would agree that it is only Elizabeth and Catherine/Katherine really.

But having said that I remember a friend of mine sneering a bit at another friend who had just named her daughter Hannah Elizabeth, (this was in late 80s I think) because apparently Elizabeth was old fashioned and uncool. I didn't think so at the time though!

And maybe Anna and (possibly) Maria? Not Anne, though. It seems to be pretty unheard of now, except maybe as a middle name.

Apparently when the current Queen Elizabeth was born people were surprised at her being given such a deeply unfashionable name.

Not sure Maria would be seen as a true classic in the UK, too papish.

In years gone by I mean, I doubt people mutter about papish plots when they meet a little Maria these days

Oh didn't know that about the Queen, squoosh, maybe it is not a classic after all, then. Wonder what people thought she should have been called? Probably Joan or Betty!