How dated is Colin?

[insidejobb]

We are trying to choose a name for our first baby which will be a boy. We are almost set on Colin and have made the mistake of telling other people. Most of them have asked whether we are having a baby or an 80 year old man and making comments about how dated it is. One of my friends even said "who looks at a baby and think it looks like a Colin?"

I like to think it's a very traditional and timeless name and I know comments could be worse but they still get to me.

What are your thoughts on it?

It's awful, I'm sorry.
It's along the same lines as Keith/Wayne/Brian.

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

Not a very strong name

Fitzwilliam?

@insidejobb

There's a difference between giving your opinion and being straight up rude like some people saying my child is going to be a greasy weirdo and a perv because he's named Colin.

No definitely not saying your child would turn out that way! It’s more like...if you were writing a novel and there was a character with that name, that would be the assumptions it would carry. I’m sorry that it’s rude but unfortunately it’s what a lot of others people will think too—but you’ve have both ends of the spectrum here, (some) people saying they love it and people being brutally honest about what your friends aren’t mean enough to say to your face.

—but you’ve have both ends of the spectrum here, (some) people saying they love it and people being brutally honest about what your friends aren’t mean enough to say to your face.
I think this is the very point of a (brutally honest) anonymous names forum. It’s one of the few places to get genuinely honest and sometimes rude opinions.
If I’d decided 100% on a name I’d ask my friends only because I know they would try and be nice. If I wanted to know what people actually think I’d ask online.

For what it’s worth, I don’t like Colin but there are plenty of names that I think are far worse. I don’t think just because a name is old it is necessarily timeless. You do get faddy names in the past too and not all names come back. I wouldn’t put Colin in the classic / timeless category. Names I would say are classic and fairly unpopular now but almost certainly due a comeback are names like John, Matthew, Christopher and NOT Colin, Nigel, Keith etc. That said, I’d name a child Colin over Kai of Alfie any day.

I wasn't so long ago we all baulked at the idea of Arthur and Alfie and Reg, frankie, Archie as being Old mans names. When I was a kid, the only people I knew with these names were old men.

It's not the same. Alfie, Frankie, Archie etc all have a cutesy feel that suit babies. People name their babies frankie but I doubt anyone now names them Frank, which Colin is more on a par with, although Colin is still more bland. Folk name their child Reggie as they think it's a bit edgy/gangster as well as the cute factor - there's nothing edgy or gangster about Colin (autocorrect just put that as colon when I wrote it ). I very much doubt it will make its way around again. Many names don't.

I have to agree with @midnightstar66 I can’t see Colin making a splash again. I think the problem is it’s just too closely associated with a specific mid-late 20th century generation, like Karen/Kevin/Gareth/Frank/Greg which have now become stock characters. It’s different with older names that don’t have such strong preconceptions associated with them.

@TheWaif

Oh come off it... Have you ever met an interesting Colin? Even when it was more in use it was awful. Why not fucking Nigel or Kevin.. it's verging on cruel.

I'll let my brother know you think he's dull and pervy when after Covid he goes back to his lifestyle of travelling the world with his wife on the money he made in a successful career.

It's not my favourite name but it's not awful, it's better than the endless Jayden/Brayden/Kayden made up names. I like Colin better than Clive too

Colin Firth......just putting it out there

It's not my favourite name but it's not awful, it's better than the endless Jayden/Brayden/Kayden made up names. I like Colin better than Clive too

Thankfully it's not a case of either or though and millions of other names are available!

The thing is that to some Colin is an outdated name but to kids and babies it won't be - it will be something different and any prejudices against the name will come from adults.

Name your baby what you want to OP

An alternative could be Colm.

Really funny, I just heard that there were no babies named Colin in the UK last year!

There was talk at work to start a Save the Colins fund

If you like it, go for it x

Poor kid

Following someone's comment on how there are no babies named Colin I actually went to check the statistics as I hadn't and it made me curious. There were only 30 babies named Colin in 2019 and only 3 were given the name Clive

Sorry op but very old fashioned and dated.

OP, in the kindest way possible please don’t name your baby Colin. I have frequently heard jokes about names like this for babies now & fear he may get the brunt at school.

Baby Keith
Baby Gary
Baby Colin

It’s falls into this category... 50 year old man names.

There’s a reason there were only 30 in 2019 & quite honestly I’m shocked there were that many.

Timeless classics I think Jack, George, William, Alexander... I just do not think Colin.

I know 6 Franks under the age of 8 (for the pp who said no one uses that name any more).

My BF’s 6YO is Francis.

Look, a generation ago, names like Alfie and Archie were unthinkable, however much people might be trying to argue otherwise.

Names evolve.

They just do. Colin and its ilk will have their time again. The OP is just significantly ahead of the curve.

Good for her.

@RaeRaeMama

I'm 29 and my friend is 28 btw I've seen some other people indicate their age. I suspect the older you are the less you'll like it haha

I'm 40 and like it.

OP - my nephew has a made-up trendy name that certainly wouldn't have been my choice. I never commented on it, but did raise my eyebrows to myself.

However, my nephew is a delight and I never think twice about his name now. It suits him. People will get used to whatever name you choose and love your son.

@SmellsLikeWineIGuess

My BF’s 6YO is Francis.

Look, a generation ago, names like Alfie and Archie were unthinkable, however much people might be trying to argue otherwise.

Names evolve.

They just do. Colin and its ilk will have their time again. The OP is just significantly ahead of the curve.

Good for her.

I know an Archie my age (50).

Names that are very old fashioned come back - they have a historic feel to them. Names that were popular recently like Colin but were, even then, geeky names, won’t come back for a long time.

OP is not ahead of the curve on Colin - there is no curve, it’s a flatline.

We have a hamster called Clive.

@IamnotwhouthinkIam

Are you in England/Wales? I'm not sure about Ireland/Scotland (where Colin originates from as a variation of Nicholas, so it might be more well used there), but I think in E & W it is seen as more of a "dad" name (eg. for men 40/50 plus) like Alan, Martin etc. This isn't necessarily a bad thing as it means he will likely be the only one in his class/year whilst still having a nice sounding, well-known name, but if you want a more "classic" sounding name I'd go for Nicholas and use the nn Col/Cole.

I think these dates are slightly off. I'm in my forties (seventies child) and Colin was not a popular name for my generation at all. It wasn't even common amongst my parents' generation. It's definitely not a 'timeless' name in the sense of being a name that gives no clue to the age of the holder - such as Sarah or James.

As far as names grow, it's okay.

You can use this website that charts the popularity of a name:

www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/livebirths/articles/babynamessince1904howhasyoursperformed/2016-09-02

A 'timeless' name will have a fairly flat trajectory. Colin has a hump in the forties and had died out by the eighties.

My 2 year old DS middle name is Colin after my late grandad. I really like it.