A name that won’t date..

[Hawknotdove]

I’m having a girl after two boys!!! So excited. But I thought girls names were easier...?!?! Really struggling, despite having maintained a list forever.

I hate my own name as it really dates to the early 80s. So I would like a name that is not going to date. I dont mind whether that’s because it is (a) popular but classic or (b) unusual enough not to be a trend.

Here’s my current shortlist. I’m not looking for alternative suggestions right now but would appreciate views on whether any of these will date badly...

Grace
Eve
Isabel
Imogen (Immy)
Olivia
Elodie
Estelle (nn Stella)
Stella
Genevieve (nn Evie / Vivi)
Romy

Thanks!

I think Olivia might date but it’s still a very pretty name. There’s been a trend for Evelyn recently.

I would try plugging them in the comparison graph on the ONS site

www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/livebirths/bulletins/babynamesenglandandwales/2017

To see whether they have suddenly shot up the table from nowhere. Olivia for instance is quite a classic name but because it is just SO popular at the moment it may well date (less so than I guess than Tracey or Sharon which came from now where and then disappeared, but still).

Elodie is having a bit of a moment I think - I know one and know of a few more, all under 10.

Boys names are easier I think. Quite easy to find boys names that are always popular like Thomas.

I think Elodie is going to sound very much of this time, and Olivia is so popular at the moment it could also date. They're both still nice names though.

I love all of the names on your list! Of those, I think Isabel is least likely to date (I say that purely because I know Isabels of various ages).
Absolutely love Stella and Elodie but think they will date.

Grace - ok, but so popular as a mn
Eve - Nice but will probably date.
Isabel - classic but very popular.Trend might be on the way out so it might date.
Imogen (Immy) - not keen but Shakespearean
Olivia - classic but has been massively popular for about 25 years.
Elodie - will date
Estelle (nn Stella) - just use Stella. It will be Stell anyeay.
Stella - fine
Genevieve (nn Evie / Vivi) - not keen on it and think it is possible that it is popular on here because of the Evie trend
Romy - nice but doesn't seem a name. Roamy?

Not sure but I love Stella

Estelle, Stella, Isabel are best

Biblical or monarchy seem to date the least. I think isabel and eve are probably the least likely and olivia has been poular for a good 25 years so it wont tie her to one decade

I don’t think any of them would really ‘date’ as such, but they are names that seem to go in and out of fashion every few years.

All nice names btw

Romy is really nice - I don’t think I’ve come across one before.

The last 4 on your list are the ones that are less trendy and “now”. I especially like Stella and Genevieve.

They are all nice names and I don't think any will date badly.

Perhaps Olivia is most likely to date fastest as it's been so popular for so long that it will surely reach its peak soon and will start to seem passé?

I feel the same about Grace especially when used as a middle name. It seems to be the current mn of choice (along with Rose) just like Louise was in the 80s.

Of your list Romy and Estelle are the ones I like most - they are more unusual and not tied to the latest trends.

I think Romy will date.

Romy is lovely. German I think? Anyway, definitely a name.

Stella is old fashioned to me.

Eve, Olivia and Grace have been very popular for 10 ish, so are likely to scream “2010s” in time to come.

I agree with a pp, classic biblical/monarchy type names are the least likely to be too tied to one time. I feel like all of your list are somewhere on the tail end of a very popular run or at the crest of a wave of new trends. How often do you hear people say they chose a name because no one else had done so then 5 years later there’s 6 in the school.

Properly timeless classic names tend to get labelled as dull/boring by some people. Kate, Jessica, Alice, Eve, Hannah, Mary type names.

My dniece is 15 and is Stella. I have never met another one. I think it isa name that is used so infrequently that it is not tied to a particular time.

Not keen on Elodie and Romy and think they will date. Like all your other choices except Estelle, prefer Stella.

Eleanor
Alice
Elizabeth

I think imogen and genevieve are timeless. But to be honest most names are associated with a certain time to a greater or lesser extent. PP mentioned some names they thought were timeless but J but I think of Jessica as a baby from the 90s (I knew of 3 baby Jessica's then and none now) and names like Alice, Kate. Hannah were popular 80s names and Eve is very popular now. They are all old names but they just seem to go in and out of fashion.

Grace - bit dull, may date as very popular
Eve - nice but many many Evelyn/eve/evies around so will also probably date
Isabel - definitely will date, so so popular
Imogen (Immy) - on the increase so may date
Olivia - popular forever but will probably date to a 10 year period
Elodie - seems suddenly popular

Estelle (nn Stella) - pretty dont think will date
Stella - lovely don't think will date
Genevieve (nn Evie / Vivi) - nice don't think will date
Romy - nice don't think will date

Look at names.darkgreener.com to see popularity trends.

@diddlediddle really interesting looking at the trends on darkergreen

Elodie has jumped up from position 1364 to 153!

I think all your list seem to have been very popular (eg Eve , Isabel, Olivia) or on trend now.

Classic to me would be :

Katherine
Elizabeth
Anna

I would go for something not currently popular if this is important to you, like:

Jane
Jennifer
Pamela