Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

Traditional names that used to be normal but couldn't be used now!

250 replies

CoalCraft · 16/07/2021 15:16

So I was thinking of that old film Meet the Parents and was inspired to look for first names that historically were seen as normal or classic but absolutely could not be used today... At least not without raising many eyebrows!!

Of course the Meet the Parents example is Gaylord... A real name of Norman origin meaning "joyful" (yes I googled it nerd ), but one that wouldn't be top of many parents' shortlists today Grin

Anyone have other examples? Smile

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
marchez · 16/07/2021 19:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

VienneseWhirligig · 16/07/2021 19:09

I used to be friends with a boy called Dickon Harding. It went right over my head at 11 Grin

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 16/07/2021 20:28

Seems like I'm horrendously outdated with my US Kermit knowledge as well as my UK Fred(die) knowledge, then!!

As PP said, though, you do meet quite a lot of Gurmits - I think that's quite a common Asian name.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 16/07/2021 20:32

I used to be friends with a boy called Dickon Harding. It went right over my head at 11

I've never forgotten on a MN 'funniest names you've ever encountered' thread (I think it might be in Classics) when somebody had met a man called Everard Cox Grin

Standrewsschool · 16/07/2021 20:37

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll

I did once meet an elderly lady who told me that her real bc name was Alison, but she had always been known by everybody as Twinnie - because she was a twin.

Leaving aside the issue of a serious lack of imagination on the part of the adults when she was young, I wonder how you'd decide which twin to refer to as Twinnie and which one to just use their normal name?!

From experience, both twins get called at Twinnie.
EmRata95 · 16/07/2021 20:39

I'm in the North East and Mary definitely= fanny

Snoopsnoggysnog · 16/07/2021 21:24

Barbara is awful!!

I know an 11 yo Myra. Her parents are not from the UK but she was born here.

CrouchEndTiger12 · 16/07/2021 22:54

@Snoopsnoggysnog

Barbara is awful!!

I know an 11 yo Myra. Her parents are not from the UK but she was born here.

I know 2 Barbara's. One Polish and one Hungarian. Youngish in 30s.

It's fine. But then it isn't abstract for me as I know people with the name. I've heard worse

negomi90 · 16/07/2021 22:59

Isis used to be a nice girls name, not traditional but still a nice name which can never be used again.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 16/07/2021 23:15

From experience, both twins get called at Twinnie.

Insane. Why not just give a single child an actual name, but instead call them 'Girl', 'Boy' or 'Child' their whole life?!

"My name is actually Jeanette, but everybody just calls me 'Person' - because I AM a person!!!!!!!!"

GreyhoundG1rl · 16/07/2021 23:19

From experience, both twins get called at Twinnie.
How does that even work, when your name is literally what indentifies you? When you even look the same as the person also being called Twinnie you must wonder if you actually exist as a separate entity at all.

GreyhoundG1rl · 16/07/2021 23:21

Identifies...

irresistibleoverwhelm · 16/07/2021 23:48

I had a book as a child with a main character called Lettice! Always thought it was v pretty.

Also know a Fanny (it's unremarkable in France), and a Barbara. And in fact I do actually know a small child called Gaylord. It's a family name and the child is American. I don't know if it's less likely to be a slang term there!

ShowOfHands · 16/07/2021 23:53

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll

I used to be friends with a boy called Dickon Harding. It went right over my head at 11

I've never forgotten on a MN 'funniest names you've ever encountered' thread (I think it might be in Classics) when somebody had met a man called Everard Cox Grin

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll My Granddad was called Everard which probably does look funny written down but it's not pronounced as it's written.
GreyhoundG1rl · 17/07/2021 00:02

My Granddad was called Everard which probably does look funny written down but it's not pronounced as it's written.
How is it pronounced? Is it not Ever-ard?

hennybeans · 17/07/2021 00:03

My grandma's name was Birdie. I quite like it.
I also know a 30 year old Isis.

Lalliella · 17/07/2021 00:29

There’s a well-known local character near where DH used to live called Everard Dick. Google it, he’s real. However, I believe that reports he has a sister called Ophelia are fake news!

L0bstersLass · 17/07/2021 00:33

@ShowOfHands
My Granddad was called Everard which probably does look funny written down but it's not pronounced as it's written

You can't say that and walk off! How is it pronounced?

ShowOfHands · 17/07/2021 00:46

It's pronounced Ev'rud.

GreyhoundG1rl · 17/07/2021 00:48

@ShowOfHands

It's pronounced Ev'rud.
He may have pronounced it like that, but it's usually Ever-ard. Maybe his accent?
Pallisers · 17/07/2021 01:08

I do actually know a small child called Gaylord. It's a family name and the child is American. I don't know if it's less likely to be a slang term there!

Gay is just as slang in US (think it is where the term originated) as UK. I cannot imagine any small child being given the name Gaylord by loving parents. Maybe they presumed he would spend his life in private schools where it would be accepted (and never thought abou his adult life) but I doubt it - as in every adult/child/parent encountering him whatever school he is in will at best say" oh my goodness Gaylord, how unusual" and at worst ... well you can imagine.

You can get away with some names in america is you have a family connection. So you could call your child Kermit (although you'd be a dick to do so) if he was the great great great grandchild of Teddy Roosevelt. And even then ...

I can't imagine giving a small boy this name and expecting him to navigate any school system without knowing you have given him a handicap.

Honestly calling your child Gaylord is like A Boy Named Sue.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 17/07/2021 02:42

I do actually know a small child called Gaylord. It's a family name

Ah, the old MN favourite - the family name. No matter how awkward, horrible-sounding, inappropriate, outdated, wrong sex a name is, if it's a family name, you're expected to completely overlook all of the obvious problems, think of how deeply upset Great (x6) Grandad Gaylord or Great (x8) Aunt Timothy would have been if they knew that the family name chain that they (or their direct descendent) had been broken BY YOU - and saddle your child with an awful name that will dog them for their whole life, and continue through the generations, making it more and more difficult with every new one that is born.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 17/07/2021 02:43

*making it more and more difficult with every new one that is born.

More and more difficult to break with every new generation that complies.

1forAll74 · 17/07/2021 03:35

I lived in street many years ago, and there was an old lady neighbour, and her name was Mrs. Fanny Shufflebottom..

lovablequalities · 17/07/2021 03:52

A lot of this depends where you live. In my area Colin, Mary and Donald are very common names among all age groups.

I taught a Bottom once but the family changed their name to something else starting with B. Think it was too tiresome putting up with the sniggers.

I know of a Hereward which is not a name you see very often.

Swipe left for the next trending thread