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?

[Ellapaella]

Margaret
Maureen
Eileen
Irene
Roger
Dick
Fanny
Wayne

[drspouse]

My DD's name has been mentioned, she's 6.

[jessstan2]

@Ellapaella

Margaret
Maureen
Eileen
Irene
Roger
Dick
Fanny
Wayne

Margaret is a nice name, classic. I think that is due a come back.

'Fanny' is from 'Frances' which is ok; nobody would use 'Fanny' now, it would be, 'Fran'.

'Dick' is Richard - 'Rich'.

The rest of your list is, I agree, quite ghastly.

[Yesterdayforgotten]

'I don't think Karen is way out. I know a few with this name as first or middle name, all under 5.
Petunia, Amos, Marjorie, Jim, Colin, Mary are the top "on the way out" ones I can think of.'

Can't see Karen, Sharon making a come back whatsoever unless these names are on occasion used as middle names to honour a relative as pp above suggests but that is the case with mose names. I do know a baby Mary however and it really suits her and the name always reminds me of Its a Wondeful Life!

[Yesterdayforgotten]

Most%

[PetraRabbit]

Surprised because so many of these are pretty and due a revival- eg. Pamela, Linda- they both have beautiful sounds and meanings. And others are quite trendy currently.

The only ones I can think of that I'd definitely bet against are Nigel and Sharon.

[purplecandle]

Susan

[Whatnametochoose85]

Beryl
Jeffrey/Geoffrey
Clive
Douglas

[Maduixa]

I think it depends (somewhat) on location:

IME, Alison, Ia(i)n, Graham and Colin (and to a lesser degree Keith, Douglas, and Malcolm) are unremarkable for a baby/child in Scotland.

Claire is still popular UK-wide. And Maud(e) already making a comeback.

Also know under-5s called Christine, Martin (x3), Janine and Julie, all in France. Caroline, Raymond and Roland are popular there too.

Jemima and Benedict would probably be considered forever unusable in the US, and Jude in Germany - but they're all popular on MN, at least.

I do find it interesting how close some "out of favour" names are to really popular names. For example, why love Vivian and nix Gillian, or rave about Juliet/Violet but pan Janet? And I'm always surprised Jill and Neil are so little used; people always seem to be looking for classic one-syllable names.

[Coco784]

I think I must be in the minority because both

Archibald and Reginald are on the list for my little boy - day to day I would use Archie / Reg but would def be giving them the full version for later in life.

To me they are classics

[WitchesGlove]

I the USA, Hazel has become popular for girls, seventh most popular name now

[InTheWings]

A friend in Aus has named her baby Hazel.

[elainesummers]

I know three baby/small child Hazels in the UK! I think it's a lovely name.

[LesLavandes]

I don't agree with you all. Some of these names are historical, biblical, derived from ancient Greece and used still in Europe.

Let's see

[highlandshortbread]

I know a few Ethels.

Denzil
Kelly
Alan
Monica
Janet
Paul

[Miljea]

@GiraffesAreBeautiful

What a horrible discussion! Names are subjective and prone to celebrity endorsement. I don’t see anything wrong with any of these names.

It's not 'horrible'! More or less nobody is saying they hate the names, just that they can't see them coming back into fashion any time soon!

Many took me down memory lane as I am in my late 50s!

Look at it as 'social commentary', not hate speech, eh?

[ResIpsaLoquiturInterAlia]

www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/reports/amp28347489/uncommon-baby-names-going-extinct/

The 28 baby names that are going extinct in England and Wales

[Willowmartha1]

Fanny !

[LivingInTheBackOfBeyond]

I think that a couple of names mentioned here could come back with different pronunciations. Deirdre was pronounced “Deir-dree” in Coronation Street but I knew a Flemish “Deir-dra” (much nicer in my opinion). Pamela - generally pronounced “Pam-la” in the UK but I met a Costa Rican “Pam-ella”. Both spelled the same.

[LivingInTheBackOfBeyond]

Posted too soon - I believe that’s also similar to the Irish pronunciation of Deirdre?

[LivingInTheBackOfBeyond]

I think that Margaret is definitely due a revival, and shortened to Peggy too. Peggy is not the most obvious shortening but it fits in with the current girls’ names that are being revived.