What names DONT you really hear anymore?

[Soubriquet]

We’ve done unusual, but what old names do you rarely hear now?

I’ll start with Gary.

I know an adult Gary but no little Gary’s.

Samantha. Again I know adults but not little ones.

Denise

Denise
Tracy
Tim
Derek
Linda
Marlene
Ian

I know of a

Malcolm
Derrick
Rita
Dennis

All 5 or under. I also know a Trevor who must be about 15 now, a 15/16 year old Dennis and a Sarah who's about 9 I think

Nigel
Desmond
Derek
Gillian
Beverley
Tracey

Thinking back to names from my primary school class )

Lisa
Nicola
Melanie
Angela (this seemed quite old fashioned then tbh)
Kirsty
Julie

Stephen
Paul
Martin
Gary
Neil
Carl

Judith
Tracy (but I actually love it as a boys name)
Myra
Anette
Lesley
Christine
Kelsey
Pricilla
Shelley
Tania
Alison

Piers
Anthony
Brian
Richard
Stephen
Roderick
Ian
Damien
Terence

I actually know a little Judith!!

She’s just turned 2

And I know a 3 year old Tania

Honestly when I heard the name I was a bit especially as her true first name is a beautiful Indian name and Tania is her “English” name.

Growing up names popular in my classes that I don’t hear so much

Claire
Nicole
Nicola
Sarah
Dawn
Stacey
Denise
Kelly
Ashley
Amanda
Jennifer
Rachel
Hannah
Heather
Laura

Craig
Kevin
John Paul
Steven
Daniel
David
Paul Tom
Brian
Sean

I really like the name 'Judith'. Timeless and classy, due a comeback.

I went to school in the 80's and 90's with:
Leanne
Janet
Jacqueline
Tracy
Rosalind
Diana
Angela
Nichola
Carrie-Anne
Vanessa
Sharon
Lyndsey
Julie
Dawn
Melanie
Marie
Jane
Deborah

I have a theory that if you know someone around your age, from your earliest years, their name will never seem unusual to you even if the statistics say it is.

I have a name that is very out of step with my generation. At school I remember being surrounded by Gillians, Karens, Lisas and Joannes (anyone reading can probably guess my age). Whereas my name is one that would be associated with the Victorian era. It was only when I reached secondary school and met a new group of people that it was pointed out that I had a 'weird' name.

I think some of the names mentioned are widely used in families with eastern Europen heritage. I've taught a lot of girls called Patricia, for example.

I've also taught several children with names from the 1970s etc - Nigel, Linda, Alan, Tony, Janet, Paul etc.

I am yet to teach a Sharon.

Doreen
Gertrude
Barry
Basil
Timothy
Lionel
Havelock
Jeremy
Tony
Desmond
Tracey
Julie
Sharon
Elaine
Abigail
Sandra
Sheila
Rodney
Beverley
Amqqa we qq w de

Ian
Brian
Susan
Deborah
Patricia (although frank Lampard called his baby this)
Denise
Julie
Diane
Marjorie
Keith
Barry
Colin
Clive
Gareth
Mary
Janet
Janice
Paul (think a Towie person named their kid it though)
Claire
Janine
Phillip
Trevor
Cynthia
Sandra
Tony

I dont know any girls under 10 called Rachel and there were tonnes of them at school.

Sheila
Martina
Debbie
Josephine
Sharon
Susan
Denise
Esther
Mary
Celine
Margaret
Eileen
Michelle
Claire

Neville
Graham
Niall
Tony
Keith
Barry
Trevor
Terry

Jackie
Pauline
Sharon
Maureen

Malcolm
Terence
Dennis
Nigel

Michelle
Hayley
Elaine
Pippa
Penny
Elizabeth (as a first name)
Rosemary

Arnold
Johnathan
Dennis
Stephen
Geoffrey
Michael
St. John

Its certainly a generational (or age!) thing.
My name, DH, DB and DSiL are on several of these lists. In fact most lists read like my old class register

There are no less than three Pauls in my 12 year old's class. Our 13 year old neighbor is called Lisa. We don't live in the UK though.

Everyone knows name popularity is cyclical though, it's completely expected that names associated with the parents own generation are never fashionable as baby names next generation.

The cycle is about 90 years isn't it? So more great grandparent than granparent names come back around.

BabyCentre says this is the top 100 for girls' names in 2019:
Olivia Sophia Ava Amelia Isla Lily Mia Emily Isabella Freya Aria Ella Evie Grace Isabelle Ivy Rosie Sophie Willow Charlotte Poppy Elsie Emilia Sienna Phoebe Ruby Hannah Evelyn Zara Florence Maya Luna Eva Darcie Emma Mila Chloe Daisy Alice Layla Matilda Harper Molly Ellie Nur Eliza Zoe Sarah Thea Bella Ada Maisie Jessica Millie Lucy Violet Fatima Scarlett Maryam Penelope Holly Erin Anna Eleanor Robyn Imogen Lottie Hallie Harriet Aurora Esme Lola Amber Iris Maria Jasmine Bonnie Abigail Amelie Clara Ayla Annabelle Gracie Rose Georgia Summer Arabella Delilah Elizabeth Lara Leah Kiara Myla Nancy Eden Orla Heidi Martha Penny Ariana

Top 100 boys' names:
Muhammad Noah Leo Oliver Charlie Harry George Arthur Freddie Jack Theo Oscar Jacob Ethan Alfie Jaxon Thomas Joshua Henry Lucas Archie Max Isaac James Adam Louis Elijah Teddy Aiden Finley William Alexander Luca Daniel Logan Liam Jayden Tommy Harrison Reuben Theodore Arlo Elliott Dylan Ryan Mason Joseph Sebastian Samuel Caleb Kian Yusuf Albie Ollie David Zachary Nathan Riley Rory Hugo Edward Hunter Ezra Benjamin Toby Jude Luke Carter Gabriel Grayson Kayden Alex Reggie Finn Ahmad Matthew Jesse Bobby Frankie Myles Roman Michael Kai Connor John Blake Matteo Ali Eli Ibrahim Harvey Aaron Evan Jenson Stanley Harley Jason Leon Levi Lewis
metro.co.uk/2019/12/04/olivia-muhammad-top-list-popular-baby-names-2019-11266090/?ito=cbshare

Barbara

David Mitchell and Victoria Coren-Mitchell have a very young daughter called Barbara.

Barbara Coren-Mitchell is 4. I read that in the Christmas Radio Times.