Names that WON'T make a comeback

[Greenandcabbagelooking]

Some older names I don't think will be returning:

Ethel
Enid
Sheila
Carol

Archibald
Gary
Brian
Reginald

Any to add?

Kerry is beautiful too and deserves a comeback

I don't like Rita. I only ever knew two Ritas when I was at school, the name conjours up blowsy barmaid.
The only one's I ever knew were nuns!

I think a lot of 70s/80s names are starting to make a comeback, my 9 year old has friends called Gemma and Claire. She's also had a Colin and a Kevin in her class at school at various points.

Isn't Christine Blakeley's daughter called Patricia?

Not sure Clive or Keith will return. Nor Mildred or Gertrude!

Karen
Sandra
Kevin
Ethel
Barbara
Janet
Norman
Beryl

I've seen some of the 50's and 60's coming back.

In the vicinity I live I know a:

Debbie
Caroline
Victoria
Nicole

Keith
David
Andrew
Iain
Douglas

As well as 'older' names

Esme
Evelyn
Agnes
Olive

Albert
Percy
Bruce
Hamish

Dd is 13 and has a Susan and Peter in her class which are nice

Michelle
Alan

Was listening to an audiobook set in the 1920s and Anthony was a main character - I quite like it.

Seriously, almost EVERY name will be revived at some point, unless it's developed an unpleasant "other meaning" that is likely to stick around. Dick, Fanny, things like that. The invention of margarine probably killed Margery (pity, as it is actually a pretty name, especially the Scottish "Marjorie" spelling). And the development of the chemical industry since Victorian times has probably made Ethel unusable ("ethyl-")---I seem to recall some celeb used it for her daughter, but it hasn't caught on.

Karen will only be unusable if the current slang continues to be used, which it may not do.

Every other name will be back. Seriously. There is nothing inherently wrong with the sound of Brian, Sheila, Carol, Keith etc. They will all sound fresh and new to our great-grandchildren. Some of the ones listed here are used now. Why would, say, "Alison" be a bad name? Nobody blinks at "Alice" or "Madison," and Alison sounds similar to both. My mother almost died at the idea of me calling my daughter Iris. Said she knew an Iris back in the 60s and was horrified at a young woman being called such a dreadful old-lady name. I know three little girls called Iris now! I also know a little Enid.

I know two Ethels, one aged 12/13 and one aged 4. And a few friends have had Ethel on their shortlists for baby names. So that one may be unusual atm but I don't think it's going anywhere. I know a baby Enid too.

Gay lord

Myra is still in use - 101 baby girls were named Myra in England and Wales in 2018. Myra is ranked at 431 alongside Demi, Hareem, Kara, Macey and Meghan.

Myra was followed by Louise (100 born in 2018).

Myra Hindley died in 2002, which is the year my 18 year old niece was born. Soon there will be adults of child bearing age who won't be as aware of Hindley and her crimes.

Bleh. There’s loads of names that have made a comeback that shouldn’t of in my opinion so I doubt anything is off the cards! I mean who called there kid Mabel or Betsy?

@YourWinter

I know a few dogs with names like Dave and Brian. The dog thing will have to pass before parents choose those names for babies again.

I think dog names are all part of the cycle. A few years ago, names like Wilf and Bertie were old man names, then they were popular dog names and then they started becoming baby names. Now people are calling dogs names like Steve and Dave and, in time, they'll be baby names again.

I quite like Myra, which is associated more with Myra Hess than Hundley for me.

I know someone who had boy recently and called him Martin - it seemed so unusual

@Coromandine Was there was a Lucy and an Edmund in her class too? 😛

Nigel
Gary
Kevin
Keith
Piers
Clive

Sarah
Tracey
Claire
Stacey
Sharon
Karen
Eunice
Irene

I don’t agree with the every name comes back thing. If you look at popular Victorian names or Edwardian names (should be back by now) some have come back and some have faded into obscurity.

www.britishbabynames.com/blog/2012/08/top-200-most-popular-names-in-england-and-wales-1900.html

Following the 100 year rule thing all these should be back or have come back already. Cecil, Gladys, Leslie (male) are not.

Leslie (male)

Well, it did go through a mid-century phase but then it started being used for girls, and we all know what happens after that.

I'm a Natalie and surprised to not see my name (yet not RTFT) as it very 80s

What's more interesting about that link, @zigaziga, is just how close the top 20 or 30 or so is to today's most popular names. You don't see a lot of Harolds, Walters or Herberts, or Dorises Gladyses or Hildas, but give it a few years and I suspect we might.

@Dyra Yes to Lucy but no Edmund sadly

And there's very few indeed that I think are really unusable today. Mildred, perhaps. Pretoria, Lavinia and Cissie. Redvers and Baden, Hyman and Brinley.

I think it's all swings and roundabouts. I imagine in the 70s/80s/90s the list for old fashioned names that no one would name their child would have included "old people " names. Ethal, Betsy, Elsie, Erin, etc and Frank, George, Archibald, Burtie etc.

Now these names are used again and quite sweet as opposed to old fashioned.

I think I'm 20 years time names like Jason, Mark, Darren, Michael, Claire, Shirley, Kirsty, Debbie etc will be fashionable again.