-a versus -e names

[WhyOhWine]

When I was growing up (70s), I had friends with the following names, most of which were pretty popular names:

Julie
Joanne
Claire
Louise
Susan/Suzanne
Anne

I cant really imagine any of these names being used much today (I think they would be viewed as dated), but I do know babies/children with the longer -a version, some more popular than others but none of which sounds particularly dated, so
Julia (also Juliet)
Joanna
Clara
Louisa
Susannah
Anna

The only one I can think of where both are in wide use is Sophie/Sophia, but i don't remember either being popular in the 70s, at least where i grew up!

So is it a sign of a move towards frillier (if that is the right word) girls' names, or is it just that all names go in cycles and it is the turn of the -a names?

I think it’s just the turn of the -a names. I read somewhere that the -e names were popular back then as many of them are French and were considered chic and classy.

It's a trend. The -anne and - elle names seem very 1970s.
There does seem to be a trend for frilly names now.

I don't like the -iana ones, except Diana. They seem too long and the AH-nuh doesn't sound all that nice.

I prefer Sophie to Sophia, but Maria is nicer than Marie.

Long names were popular in the 60s and 70s but were shortened. Vicky, Becky, Debbie,Nicky and so on.

I guess Sylvie/Sylvia disproves my observation, in that i can imagine Sylvie being used now but less so Sylvia (not that Sylvia or Sylvie was a 70s name)

I actually think we’re moving out of the frillier -a names back to simpler ones again. Maybe it depends where you live. I know a young Louise and Anne, and a teen Juliana who goes by Julie by preference.

Juliana is just the sort of -ana name I don't like. Julia and Julie are much nicer.