Top 100 registered girls names from year 1921, Office of National Statistics, England and Wales.

[HeadPain]

Top 100 registered girls names from the year 1921, Office of National Statistics, England and Wales.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=-qUNo3tgI4I

Well it's supposed to be 100 but I only wrote down 99 somehow, and have got Lilian down twice, I think each was a different spelling. The video is by SJ Strum, YouTube channel m.youtube.com/user/TheSJLjungstrom

Since it's 2021 soon, I thought I'd post this about names from 1921, and ask, if you feel like answering any of these at all:

1. which names you already liked.

2. any you didn't already like but do like when hearing it.

3. any that you think could have a revival, that you don't immediately like but do a little bit, and thinking "hmm I might like that...it's a bit odd/old sounding but not one of those kind that are immediately thought 'cool'", need to think about it further, let it settle into your mind/get used to it, possibly.

4. any a "guilty pleasure" for lack of better term, or something you like but even maybe embarrassed about liking, or one that's so "ugly" you like it, you know what I mean?

5. also can include names you wouldn't choose/like for your own child, but might suggest/like for someone else's or

6. in imaginary fantasyland/if you were braver with no worries about anyone else (not even the child's feelings about it, lol).

1. Margaret
2. Mary
3. Joan
4. Joyce
5. Dorothy
6. Kathleen
7. Doris
8. Irene
9. Elizabeth

10. Eileen 11. Betty 12. Jean 13. Marjorie 14. Gladys 15. Doreen 16. Vera 17. Elsie 18. Barbara 19. Winifred 20. Edna 21. Audrey 22. Edith 23. Florence 24. Phyllis 25. Lillian 26. Hilda 27. Olive 28. Annie 29. Violet 30. Alice 31. Patricia 32. Ivy 33. Muriel 34. Iris 35. Evelyn 36. Peggy 37. Catherine 38. Ethel 39. Beryl 40. Gwendolin 41. Ellen 42. Sylvia 43. Sheila 44. Rose 45. Constance 46. Frances 47. Lily 48. Freda 49. Marion 50. Nancy 51. Grace 52. Beatrice 53. Sarah 54. Agnes 55. Ruth 56. May 57. Nora 58. Brenda 59. Jessie 60. Pamela 61. Ann 62. Helen 63. Marie 64. Mabel 65. Eva 66. Maria 67. Ruby 68. Nellie 69. Hazel 70. Emily 71. Josephine 72. Daphne 73. Jane 74. Ada 75. Pauline 76. Enid 77. Gertrude 78. Rita 79. June 80. Stella 81. Norah 82. Mavis 83. Thelma 84. Mildred 85. Bridget 86. Monica 87. Daisy 88. Eleanor 89. Lilian 90. Alma 91. Lucy 92. Dora 93. Christine 94. Maureen 95. Janet 96. Rosemary 97. Hannah 98. Sybil 99. Amy 100. I obviously missed one along the way... If you do watch the video and spot which one you can let me know, lol.

What's striking about the list is how many of these names are now running around school playgrounds as the height of fashion!

The other interesting thing is the fall of Margaret. This was a chart-topper for decades until Thatcher came along. I hardly ever hear it now, unless it belongs to a senior citizen, and they often prefer Meg or Maggie. Or a famous writer (Atwood, Forster, Drabble).

As for lost classics, I've always loved Irene (No 8). So elegant. Sylvia (42) is probably due a revival, likewise Winifred for its cute nickname. But I'd wager Beryl, Gladys, Gertrude and Doreen won't be back for a long time.

Really interesting. That falls roughly in the middle of when my two grandmothers were born. I’d always imagined one (Joan) was more unusual than the other (Sarah), but according to that list, for the time, not so. Off that list, if I were naming another DD now, I think I’d possibly consider Freda.

What a lovely list @HeadPain , Thankyou.

I can see both Sylvia and Alma (and possiby Freda?) making a real comeback soon as their sounds are so simliar to names in the current top 20. I'm suprised to see names like Pamela, Monica and Stella on there - for some reason I tend to think of them as slightly more contemporary sounding (popular say 50 years ago rather than 100), so thats interesting.

I think eventually "true" classics like Jane, Margaret, Helen, Ann, Frances etc will make a comeback - there are too many great namesakes and relatives to honour for them not to. But I'd be very suprised if names like Mildred and Gertrude ever do - the sounds are a bit off putting!

This is really interesting. DD is Greta, so of a similar style/period I think (and obviously a diminutive of Margaret).

I like quite a few of these and agree that plenty are due a revival, or have already made a comeback - Iris, Alice, Daphne and Hazel were on our list and since having DD I’ve also fallen in love with Sylvia and Freda (though spelt Frida). Mabel is the one that stands out at the moment - little Mabels everywhere here in north London!

I believe there is meant to be a ‘100 year rule’ when it comes to baby names so it makes sense that lots of these are finding favour again (not Mavis or Thelma though!)

I really like Vera, Iris, Sylvia, Hazel, and Josephine. Jean and Jane have also grown on me lately. I wouldn't be surprised at hearing someone call their new baby Freda either, and actually know a couple of Bridget/Brigid's under 5.

There are many diminutives and variations of Margaret that are still fairly popular today (Meg, Megan, Maggie, Greta, Rita, Margot), so I think it's inevitable that it'll make a comeback at some point.

Mildred can stay in 1921 though!

Both my DD names are on there, and much higher ranked than they are now.

I'm surprised Brenda is so high. I associate that more with people born in the 1940-1950s

I can see a lot of these coming back, especially Irene, Audrey, Sylvia, Vera, Freda, Dorothy, Jean, Peggy and Alma.

Of course a lot of the names on the list are already back.

I've always loved Mary, Audrey, Florence, Annie, Violet, Alice, Nancy and Hazel

I went to school with a Patricia in the early 80's and was struck then but what an old fashioned name she had.

Definitely can't see Edna, Ethel, Muriel or Mildred making a comeback. Mildred always makes me think of mildew.....
Margaret

1. Mary
2. Joan
3. Joyce
4. Dorothy
5. Kathleen
6. Doris
7. Irene
8. Elizabeth

10. Eileen 11. Betty 12. Jean 13. Marjorie 14. Gladys 15. Doreen 16. Vera 17. Elsie 18. Barbara 19. Winifred 20. Edna 21. Audrey 22. Edith 23. Florence 24. Phyllis 25. Lillian 26. Hilda 27. Olive 28. Annie 29. Violet 30. Alice 31. Patricia 32. Ivy 33. Muriel 34. Iris 35. Evelyn 36. Peggy 37. Catherine 38. Ethel 39. Beryl 40. Gwendolin 41. Ellen 42. Sylvia 43. Sheila 44. Rose 45. Constance 46. Frances 47. Lily 48. Freda 49. Marion 50. Nancy 51. Grace 52. Beatrice 53. Sarah 54. Agnes 55. Ruth 56. May 57. Nora 58. Brenda 59. Jessie 60. Pamela 61. Ann 62. Helen 63. Marie 64. Mabel 65. Eva 66. Maria 67. Ruby 68. Nellie 69. Hazel 70. Emily 71. Josephine 72. Daphne 73. Jane 74. Ada 75. Pauline 76. Enid 77. Gertrude 78. Rita 79. June 80. Stella 81. Norah 82. Mavis 83. Thelma 84. Mildred 85. Bridget 86. Monica 87. Daisy 88. Eleanor 89. Lilian 90. Alma 91. Lucy 92. Dora 93. Christine 94. Maureen 95. Janet 96. Rosemary 97. Hannah 98. Sybil 99. Amy

Really surprised at Janet in the Top 100! I see that as a 60s name like Gary. I struggle to imagine a 100 year old Janet.

I wouldn’t use Kathleen but I’ve always loved the way it sounds. It is the “een” names that don’t seem to be coming back with perhaps the exception of Josephine. Irene, Pauleen, Maureen, Doreen... just sound dated rather than vintage.

I'm surrounded by little Sylvias/Sylvies, Olives, Mabels, Almas and Noras, but I've never met a little Jean or Pauline. I'm not sure we'll ever be ready for Mildred to come back around.

OK, so already liked:

Violet, Ivy, Iris, Rose, Evelyn, Grace, May, Eva, Hazel, Ruby, Maria, Ada, June, Alice, Daisy. Eva and Ruby I am kind of going away from though.

Some that I like after watching the video:

Vera, Edith, Lillian, Sarah, Nora/Norah, Emily, Eleanor, Irene, Doreen, Rosemary. You know, I think I really like Vera and Edith. And Thelma!

I think Hannah is one of those timeless names that I overlooked.

Never thought I'd like Eileen, but that YouTuber says it in a way that makes me like it! same for Irene, and Doreen. I like them. I'll have to change my accent to hers.

I think I like Joan, Joanie, Margaret, Jean (for middle?), Marjorie. Marjorie, yep I like it!

I think I might like Mavis, more of a not sure. Have to think about it.

Constance I like but then it makes me think of incontinence and worry that others would be thinking that/target for bullies, (I'm so sorry everyone!) I wish it didnt, because I like it.

I can't decide if I like Mildred or if I think it's bad. The "dred" puts me off and is it a disliked character in a book/film? I feel like there's a bad association with something. I think it's more the dislike side, but I kinda like it, maybe this is a "guilty pleasure"?? Might be concerned about judgments, so maybe if I was braver. I don't know.

I know someone who just called their baby girl Sylvia. Which I found bizarre honestly. I heard that others were choosing that name, I don't know how that's happened, a TV show or something?

I forgot to put Josephine on my likes

I'm surprised by how many of those names are very common now. I like quite a lot of them. Like a poster upthread , I didn't think Janet was that old. I really like Sylvia, I had a great aunt Sylvia and a great aunt Edith.

There's supposed to be a hundred year cycle on names in the modern era, with many names being really fashionable once again after a century.

So it will be interesting to see what the popular names of the 2040s will be.

All of my great aunts were born 1916-1921. All there names bar one are on that list and the one who's not on there their middle name is.

I want to know if you had 8 girls in a room nowadays how many of their names would be on the top 100 list ?

That's a really interesting list, thanks for posting - as pp have said, so many of these names are still very much in use. Ones I particularly like are Sylvia, Florence, Violet , Alice, Iris, Rose, May and Nora(h). I think there are quite a few on the list that we won't see again in large numbers for quite some time e.g. Joan, Jean, Joyce, Kathleen, Irene, Doreen, Phillys, Barbara and Gladys. I've noticed Dorothy (Dot / Dotty), Hazel and Freda (or Frida) pop up on quite few lists recently, so I wouldn't be surprised to see more of them around. Ones I think are due a revival - Vera and Sybil, which having heard them again, I really quite like. The others I think might be worth watching are Rita, Ethel and Sheila - none of them are really my taste, but I can see them catching on - simple, two syllable, quite nice sounding if you put the 'old lady' vibes to one side. Ethel in particular sounds quite ethereal to me - very pretty.

I know a girl under one with the middle name Ethel.