Ethel?

[Falcone]

What are your thoughts on the name Ethel?
Is it too old fashioned?

Yes

Old fashioned in that very trendy chic way. Pro Ethel.

Really awful.

It’s awful OP.

Awful on a baby in 2020 I mean. Perfectly fine & normal on an old lady.

Not for me

What about Gwendolyn?

Ethel is the ugliest name.

Gwendolyn is much nicer, of the two.

Gosh don’t agree at all, don’t mind Ethel, find Gwendolyn pretty awful. Reminds me of the woman from Wallace & Gromit - was she a Gwendolyn?

Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann have daughters called Maude and Iris - do you like either of those?

Here (London) Ethel would always be Effuw. Nice when pronounced correctly, not nice when mangled.

Both awful, sorry.

I Love it

I know a couple of little Ethels and actually, it's fine. At first I was surprised but it's grown on me.

I like Doris and Dorothy too.

I've surprised myself in saying I really like Ethel! And I'm in my late 50s with great aunts (RIP) called Ethel. And Maude. And Iris!

I like Elsie (that was my granma's name) and Edith but I'm not so taken with Ethel, it could be a grower though!

Gwendolyn? I’ve only seen it spelt Gwendoline before.

Either way, no, not at all nice for a baby or child.

Gwen on its own is better if you must.

Yes Gwendolyn, it was my great grandmothers name

How about Edith?

I think it will come back into fashion very soon. And then it will be very fashionable for a short time, then very dated.

Other great-granny names are doing the same thing. Take a look at Ivy. As pp said it’s trendy-chic, which in my old mind means your dd will be instantly recognisable as a baby of the early 2020s. There is also a risk of it becoming so trendy it’s popular.

I like Ethel
I like Effie too and if I had another girl would prob call her Effie but I'm done now hahahaha

Not keen on Ethel .
Gwenllian or Gwenanne is nice, I kow a few ( both shortened to Gwen and Gwenny though!)

Yes, love it.

Ethel is one of those vintage names that should stay vintage, along with Doris.

Gwendolyn is better.

Gwendolyn is much much nicer

I love it! Dh vetoed it for dd unfortunately.