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!

Grace, Isabel, Eve and Olivia will date. Even if it dates to a 10+year period like Olivia will, it will date.

Stella, Genevieve, Estelle are pretty timeless.

Imogen and Olivia perhaps a bit less so.

The others are all very "early 21st century" names. Nothing actually wrong with that, but if that is not what you want, do not call your kid Eve or Isabel etc.! Romy seems to be suddenly all over the place as well.

They are all perfectly nice but they all seem quite ‘now’ names. A lot of girls names go in and out of fashion. Even timeless names like Elizabeth and Anna have peeks and troughs. I could easily name 20 boys names that don’t date but that is harder to do with girls names.

Names are like new cars, the moment you use it it becomes dated.
There’s no way you can ensure a name you use will not become dated. Once a blue moon, if you choose a so called classic name, it will not seem to date. Even unique/made up names like Apple, Peach etc date because they reflect a trend at a particular point in time.
In the future people will regard flower names, animal names and names such as Alfie, Arthur, Effie and Agnes. (Recycled from the early 2Oth C) as being indicative of the current point in time.
Use any random name that appeals to you. Today’s unusual name may be in next year’s top 20.

Grace- no, very common
Eve- no, very common
Isabel- no, love
Imogen- no, like
Olivia- no, very common
Elodie- no, like
Estelle- no, Marmite name
Stella- remind me of the TV programme
Genevieve (nn Evie / Vivi)- no, love, love,
Romy- yes,

I don't see Eve or Stella dating at all.

Elodie and Romy will date badly. Grace is already quite dated.

Isabel, Imogen and Stella are my favourites.

If you want a name that won't date then see if a particular name is used in different ages/generations without comment. I can think of people called (for eg) Catherine, Anna, Elizabeth, Isabel, Helen, Eleanor, Rachel with a wide mix of ages.
All the names on your list are well represented in current classrooms with maybe Romy, Elodie and Genevieve just beginning to have a moment.

Don't overthink it though. My Ds's have classic names which were also quite popular at the time and still are. The most important thing was that we liked the names,and they haven't raised any objections!

Honestly, I think they'll all date. Genevieve and Stella are probably the least.

What dates a name is not so much that it's super popular, but that it then goes out of popularity. And you just can't tell if that will happen, although an awareness that a name has been super popular does tend to make to decline.

Please pick my name because i’m Never having a girl, all done with babies after one DS.

My girl name would have been Eleanor. Love that name 💖 Congrats on the baby x

Eleanor is another classic.

I also like the spelling Elinor.

Stella already sounds dated to me.

Genevieve I don’t think is or will be linked to a particular few years. Romy too.