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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

What do you think?

36 replies

Plum34 · 14/12/2020 08:26

Please help us narrow the list down, we seem to like classic/old fashioned names, can you put them in order of your favourite to least favourite?
Do you think any of these are faddy/ will quickly date? That's not what we want.
Thankyou

Alice

Eleanor
Anna
Isobel
Florence
Dorothy
Edith
Beatrice

OP posts:
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Rainbowqueeen · 14/12/2020 08:32

I would consider Anna Alice and Eleanor the least faddy and also my favourites.

Not keen on Isabel, the rest are ok

dementedma · 14/12/2020 08:33

Ooh, we have similar taste. Anna and Beatrice are my favourites.

TeaBanditTeej · 14/12/2020 08:34

@Plum34

Please help us narrow the list down, we seem to like classic/old fashioned names, can you put them in order of your favourite to least favourite? Do you think any of these are faddy/ will quickly date? That's not what we want. Thankyou

Alice

Eleanor
Anna
Isobel
Florence
Dorothy
Edith
Beatrice

They are lovely names... il put them in order from favourite to least favourite

Isobel (izzy)
Dorothy (dotty)
Eleanor (Ellie)
Alice
Florence
Anna
Beatrice
Edith

Not so much of a fan of the last 2 names, they are obviously personal opinions
But wow congratulations 💜

Spidey66 · 14/12/2020 08:35

Eleanor's my all time favourite girls name.

Not keen on Dorothy and Beatrice but the rest are nice.

Plastichearts · 14/12/2020 08:37

Not keen on Dorothy or Edith. Eleanor very popular here. I like the other names.

Longdistance · 14/12/2020 08:39

My two dds names are the first two on your list.
What about Clara? Grin
Recently, a work colleague called her dd Agnes. I wish I’d used that as we had a family friend with that name and she was lovely.

happystory · 14/12/2020 08:39

My favourites are
Edith
Anna
Florence

Caramel81 · 14/12/2020 08:40

I like Alice. Isobel, Anna and Eleanor. Not keen on the other 4 at all.
Alice is the nicest and a beautiful classic name

ApolloandDaphne · 14/12/2020 08:43

These three are my top favourites
Anna
Alice
Florence
These next three are okay
Beatrice
Isobel
Eleanor
Don't like these last two at all
Dorothy
Edith

OrangeGinLemonFanta · 14/12/2020 08:46

Dorothy, Edith and Beatrice are very fashionable, borderline faddy, imo. Part of the trend for 'old lady' names. Anna and Isobel are the most timeless, there's Annas and Isobels of every age.

Firebird83 · 14/12/2020 08:55

Anna is lovely

Buntyjones · 14/12/2020 08:56

Isobel and Florence hands down!

toastofthetown · 14/12/2020 08:59

Alice
Anna
Isobel
Eleanor
Florence
Beatrice
Dorothy
Edith

Would be my order of preference. Names that date tend to be names that have risen very quickly. The Darkgreener website is fantastic for visualising this, so for example for Dorothy it has risen very quickly, and will end up falling in popularity when the next name trend comes in.

Names that don’t date generally are either very rare names, which fall outside of name trends, or very classic names which have always been around for all ages like Charles or Elizabeth. I would avoid the vintage name trend if you want a name that won’t trend. Twenty years ago they would have been widely seen as too dated to use, and in another twenty years the same will apply to them.

Cam2020 · 14/12/2020 09:08

I love Eleanor and Alice and like Anna and Isobel.

Don't like Beatrice, Dorothy or Edith much.

Original poster
Plum34 · 14/12/2020 12:46

Thankyou, that was very helpful. We've narrowed our list down to Anna, Alice, Eleanor and Isobel, these seem to be the most timeless after looking at darkgreener names website.

OP posts:
micc · 14/12/2020 21:02

I'm an Isobel! With that spelling, she will have to spell her name everywhere she goes just as a warning Haha! It's also quite common now. My favourite was Beatrice, but I also think Alice is such a sweet classic name.

whiteflower84 · 14/12/2020 21:05

I have an Isobel! Not keen when people call her Izzy though.

I love Eleanor (Nell)

DramaAlpaca · 14/12/2020 22:02

From your shortened list my favourites in order are:

Alice
Anna
Isobel/Isabel
Eleanor

I think you are quite right about those four being the most timeless.

Britannah · 14/12/2020 22:36

Florence
Alice
Beatrice
Isobel
Eleanor
Edith
Anna
Dorothy

YoniAndGuy · 14/12/2020 22:41

Drop Isobel - it should be timeless, and kind of is, but it has been so horrifically popular the last decade that it's just too much. There's also the spelling thing - Isobel, Isabelle, Isabella - the playgrounds are awash with Izzys and Bellas.

Same for Eleanor. It's lovely, BUT she will be Ellie and there are a billion Ellies absolutely everywhere.

Alice I don't particularly like, it seems prim to me, and slightly boring - I put it with Emily.

Anna is perfect.

IamnotwhouthinkIam · 15/12/2020 01:37
  1. Alice - ultimate traditional Engish name, never out of fashion, just prefer other choices.
  2. Eleanor - classic and great namesakes but very popular (along with Ellie)
  3. Anna - beautiful, elegant classic, simple and international too- use it!
  4. Isobel - gorgeous but will have spelling issues because of soundalike Isabel/le)
  5. Florence - a bit old lady trend but made cool via the singer and has a nice sound
7/8. Dorothy - very old lady trend, will date 7/8. Edith - as above
  1. Beatrice - slight old lady but very useable because of Dante and Shakespeare refs, plus cute nn Bee!
LiteratureMichigan · 15/12/2020 01:46

Eleanor isn't faddy it's a classic BUT but but IMO it is tooo trendy atm to use.

Can we all agree to calm down on the El names for girls for a bit?

Ella, Elsie, Eloise, Elodie, Elly, Ellie, Elinor, Eleanor, Eliza, Elizabeth.

Then there are the E names. It wouldn't surprise me if we have tonnes of Emilias and Elivias next.

On namenerds on Reddit the top selected baby girl name for 2 consecutive years particularly with US moms has been Eleanor.

I would go with Anna, Alice or Florence.

Gardeniaofdelights · 15/12/2020 01:47

Dorothy
Alice
Beatrice
Florence
Isobel
Eleanor
Anna
Edith

Absolutely lovely names OP!

IamnotwhouthinkIam · 15/12/2020 01:50

Oh and if the thing that most worries you is the name dating, then I'd stick with Anna (first choice) or Alice (2nd choice as currently more popular) - they are fairly timeless (although the only true timeless name for girls is Elizabeth - Sarah, Maria, Catherine, Alice and Ann/a have always been fairly well used). Eleanor and Isobel are very classic but have gone through more popularity surges, partly because of their soundalike variations.

SE13Mummy · 15/12/2020 01:55

A lovely collection of names. My order would be:

Alice
Edith
Beatrice
Florence
Anna

Eleanor
Dorothy
Isobel

I love the name Eleanor but it's a spelling nightmare. I've spent the past 40 ish years having to spell my first name and it's tiresome. It's not even a name that has lots of variations. Dorothy and Isobel I'd avoid because I prefer names with definite endings. I realise Anna doesn't fit into that and goes against my dislike of girls names that begin and end with a vowel but it somehow feels stronger than many of those names.

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