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?

Re: Maria, there were several characters named Maria in Jane Austen's books. And I can imagine a Victorian one too, and one born mid 20th century. Although it has never been that popular, I suppose.

All hail Queen Joan!

I may well be wrong saying it was out of fashion when she was born, maybe they meant it was out of royal fashion.

Yes, there's a Maria in Mansfield Park isn't there. It's tough, most names seem to peak and trough apart from the aforementioned James which I agree is a true classic.

Several Marias in Jane Austen.

Couple of Janes, a Georgiana, an Anne, several Fannys, a Charlotte or two............

Names of Queens I guess.

I'm sure there's a study to be done on Austen's naming of her characters. Maria Bertram was a bit of a cow if I recall.

Augusta is actually a very traditional royal name but it would probably been seen as modern now.

Helen/a are quite timeless imo

How about
Annie
Abigail
Annabel
Julie/a/et/ette
Joanne/a
Alicia
Francesca

mariah bertram was a bit selfish yes. Also its pronounced ma - rye - ah in all the tv adaptations which is nicer than ma-ree-a in my opinion.

Emma currently top of my list (another austen girl).

Lily def cyclical. But a diminution of Elizabeth, along with Betty, Bette, Bess, Liz, Eliza,Betsy, Beth etc.

Jane classic. Joan English and dated, Jean Scots lowlands, Iona Gaelic.

Catherine classic.

Mary, classic, Maria cyclical but yes, Mareea papist, Ma rye ah English.

Ann/e classic

In the old old days, when the book of common prayer was written, the most usual names were Nicholas Nd Mary.

I think both Emma and Emily are cyclical though Emily more so.

Sophia (Soph I ah) classic, with Sophie as the pet name.

Jessica cyclical.

Then you have the upper middle class names often ending in a.

Annabel
Arabella
Amanda
Beatrix
Cassandra
Frances
Georgiana
Harriet
Henrietta
Louisa
Susanna ( no h, preferably)
Venetia
Victoria

• chloe, Olivia, Serena, Margaret ( meg) , belinda, which tend to be more cyclical.

Eleanor

Virginia

Alice

Marianne

Thomasina
Georgia georgette

I suspect the reason girls' names haven't stuck around in the top 20 so much is variant spellings. So Elizabeth/Elisabeth, Mary/Maria, Anne/Anna/Hannah, Catherine/Katharine/Katherine, Isabel/Isabella/Isobel etc. Whereas there's only one way to spell John, James, Michael etc.

In the 70s I knewno children called Emily or George. There were Lucys and Elizabeths though.

At the moment I don't think Emma is overused? Or Victoria?

I like Bethany?

I also do not know any little Elizabeth's in the two schools my children attend.

Beth is a lovely nickname?

Caroline

George and William have certainly not always been popular. Few of them being born to women in the 70s but lots of little Nicolas, Daniel, and Richards.

There are fewer boys names though so all the boys names would seem more popular/classic.

I do think Catherine is a classic name but the 70s and 80s had lots of them, usually Katie/Katy/Kate.

Lily in particular I think will be considered of its time, tapping into flower names and grandma chic. Jessica was very popular about 10 years ago, but it is a lovely name.

Lucy is a classic ish girls name in that it was never wildly popular but has been there or there abouts for a little while.

I agree nearly all names are cyclical.

Classic girl's names I would say might include
Charlotte
Julia
Hannah
Alice
Elizabeth
Beatrice
Georgina
Mary
Helen/a
Ann/e/a

Emily
Laura

George was not a name you would give a child 40 years ago. An old friend of mine was nicknamed "George" by a teacher at his horrible school because she couldn't remember his actual name and it stuck for years as a really cruel nn - equivalent today would maybe be Trevor or Geoffrey.

Equally I was at school with a Sophie which was considered truly outlandish. (I am 50). I am just trying to say that all names are cyclical. Nobody at my school was called Emily. Now it is a really popular name and no one would bat an eyelid at an Emily, there are lots aged up to about 20.

I think the names you suggest are similar in era and popularity to James, William, Thomas, George etc. I would also add Grace, Abigail, Georgia, Bethan, Chloe, Olivia, Milly, Molly. I teach secondary and these names and the ones you mention make up about 50% of most of my classes.

I find it hilarious that you brits consider "Jessica" a classic.

Elizabeth
Katherine
Mary
Anne
Margaret
Caroline
Charlotte
Emily
Helen
Jane
Anne
Laura
Julia

These are the true classics.

I'd go with Marie or Anna. Either could be a newborn, toddler, teen, adult or eldery woman, both are international and easy to spell. And jolly sounding, I think.

Elizabeth is my mum's name, and my middle name and we have a baby Elizabeth in the family I think it's quite timeless.

Well where do you come from then stopitcaroline, and just why is it a 'hilarious' opinion that Jessica is a classic?

It has not been popular continually, that's true, but it is in the Bible, isn't it (?) and definitely in Shakespeare. It is not a recent invention.