Old fashioned names

[WhyCantIuseTheNameIWant]

Which old fashioned names do you know young kids with?
What is unusual ?

My ds had an Arthur in the year above him.
And a Mabel in the year below.
I was thinking from Mabel, we got Mavis. But she is a dog!

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Psst - this thread is a little old. If you’re looking for old-fashioned baby names, these ones are due a comeback. MNHQ

He was at nursery with a graham too.
He is 11...

Old fashioned is subjective. But I'd define it as a once popular name, currently in obscurity and little used. Those two names are not uncommon currently and are on the rise into the mainstream. Mavis is currently very much out of fashion with the mainstream at present and scarcely used

Somebody told me with shock that they'd met an Elsie the other week, and how old fashioned that was. They didn't know that Elsie was now a top 50 name and one of the highest climbers within the top 100 one year (can't remember the year without looking up). Also Linda and Sharon, not many of them, relatively speaking but they haven't sunk into obscurity.

I'd add

Mildred
Pauline
Hilda
Muriel
Gladys
Doreen
Norma

Nigel
Gordon
Leslie
Cyril
Roy
cecil

I know a baby called Reginald nn Reggie - not good imo
Love Doris and wish it would come back

old fashioned but acceptable:
Sidney
Humphrey
Gerald
Royston

Old fashioned and never acceptable:
Kevin
Brian
Keith
Derek

Many of the "old fashioned" names are now top 50 but I know what you mean. I have three kids and between them they are in classes with:

Stanley
Frank
Freddie
Arthur
Algie
Ernie
Sid
Frank
Hector

Edith
Elsie
Evelyn
Iris
Hermoine
Daisy x3
Pearl

Royston! That's never been in fashion, or popular, and isn't currently.

Humphrey was never a top 100 name I'd like to bet

Those look like names which used to be considered old fashioned but are no longer, Artichoke.

My DS was in reception class with Meryl and Debbie - both seemed v old fashioned to me, more so than the recent spate of "granny" names like Elsie. I also know of a baby Maud.

Old fashioned and never acceptable:
Kevin
Brian
Keith
Derek

I'm not overly keen on those names but disagree that they are never acceptable. I know a baby Derek actually and it suits him.

Is Ethel used nowadays? I think that is the name of one of Lily Allen's daughters.

I noticed that welshrarebit. Dare I say those more middle aged names, rather than 'granny' names are often more old fashioned in stat terms.

Ethel isn't much used at all

My Mabel is one of 2 in her class and I'm starting to hear of loads more. Quite relieved really as I feared we were maybe taking granny chic too far.
She does get called Mavis as a NN sometimes - her little sister mispronounced 'Mabes' and it stuck.

Mabes is lovely Ktay.

I take it on the chin reuset about Royston. I had a very dear old vicar friend who was called Royston but agree it's not for the faint hearted.

Apologies to Dereks, Kevins Brians and Keiths everywhere but if a friend rushed at me and told me she was naming her baby one of those I would struggle to enthuse.

What about Gladys? That was supremely popular at the turn of the century (my granny) but you don't hear it these days...

I used to know a boy called Royston, I suppose he's the only one I've ever met.
I'm totally baffled by people thinking that if a name is "old fashioned" it's unacceptable though. If you like a name why would it matter what anyone else thinks of it?

Royston is a fairly obscure and uncommon forename, I imagine it is usually given because it's a family surname somewhere in the line. It should not be confused with Roy which is a standalone name. Roy can be short for Royston, but usually is not.

I know a large town called Royston in Hertfordshire/Cambridgeshire...