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

[CoalCraft]

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

Anyone have other examples?

Granville.
Forever ruined by OAH but I met a young Granville a few years ago (Wakefield Rhubarb Festival ) and it so suited him.
Garfield is another.

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll - The only trips my DB went on were the illegal variety, with adventures into shady drug dens... (I went NC years ago.). My uncle was an accountant, I'm sorry to report.

What could possibly be wrong with Mabel?

I would use Mary I think, despite a minority of people using it to mean vulva.

@woodfort

What could possibly be wrong with Mabel?

I would use Mary I think, despite a minority of people using it to mean vulva.

It's an old granny name.

When I was a child my elderly neighbour was embarrassed it was her middle name as it was so old.

Mabel is old that is.

I know a cat called Mabel.

@eddiemairswife

I know a cat called Mabel.

It's an excellent name for a cat.

Alexa. Siri. Isis.

Mabels are all over the playgrounds where I am.

Also Hazels, Sybils, Sylvias.

I knew someone whose middle names were Edith and Harriet. She was embarrassed too because she perceived then as "old" and weird (given that every other girl had Jane or Louise she was right that they were unusual).
But now they are super popular.
Names come in and out of fashion and Mabel has been back in fashion for at least 7 years

I didn't know Edith was considered a 'granny' name - it was on our shortlist for DD. I've since gone off it a bit, but not because it's 'old'.

Names do go in cycles. Generally by the time most people with a particular name are great grandparents that name is coming back into fashion. We'll be seeing lots of Sharons, Traceys and Ians in the next 20 years or so I expect, whereas I think Gaylord, Gaynor and Dick may have to wait a looooooot longer.

Edith, along with Elsie, Gladys and the like, were already considered as granny names in the 70's. Although I think Edith always held a certain cachet because of Piaf.

@Justilou1

I went to school with a girl called Hamble. Her parents had gone out of their way to try and resurrect old names. She changed it to Anna.

Hamble was the name of one of the dolls on Play School in the 60's. I never knew it was a real name.

I've just googled Hamble from Playschool.
"Later dropped and replaced by Poppy" Haha! Wonder why?

I was talking to dd1 yesterday about names and wondering why Myra is unusable but Rose isn't. My lovely ex MIL is called Myra and told us in no uncertain terms not to give it to any daughters (not that we were going to).
I was at university with a chap whose middle name was Gaylord. We found out when exam lists were published that quite a few of us had unusual middle names. I was very grateful that the traditional name in my family is Elizabeth! There was also the unfortunate girl whose initials were PV (we were at medical school).

I think very few names are truly unusable. They may be uncommon at the moment but you get used to them. I know a little Maggie, Dennis, Alfred, Olive none of which would have been used in my generation or my daughters' (early 2000s).

@GreyhoundG1rl

I've just googled Hamble from Playschool. "Later dropped and replaced by Poppy" Haha! Wonder why?

Sadly Hamble as a 60s doll got into the whole psychedelic drug scene. Jemima, Big Ted, and Little Ted were also into it but never got bust by a Sunday People reporter setting up a drugs deal with them. Hamble did. In her 80's autobiography, Drugs and Me through the Round Window" she commented on the irony of being replaced by a doll called Poppy. Hamble is now a yoga teacher in East Grinstead. Poppy married Big Ted and they run a llama farm in Lanarkshire.

@PrincessMyshkin

Isis was popular for a while, can't see that working these days.

I doubt Myra will come back in the UK, not for years. It's too distinctive.

It's my mum's name 😬

Sadly Hamble as a 60s doll got into the whole psychedelic drug scene. Jemima, Big Ted, and Little Ted were also into it but never got bust by a Sunday People reporter setting up a drugs deal with them. Hamble did
In her 80's autobiography, Drugs and Me through the Round Window" she commented on the irony of being replaced by a doll called Poppy.
Hamble is now a yoga teacher in East Grinstead.
Poppy married Big Ted and they run a llama farm in Lanarkshire.
😂
They have that look about them, the utter reprobates.
The pictures are terrifying. Was one of them Humpty Dumpty?!

Humpty, please, not Humpty Dumpty.

I always picked the arched window. My brother took the round one and my Mum goodnaturedly settled for the square window as that was all that was left. (Brother and I were probably in our teens at this point. )

@WorriedWishingWell I was just going to ask about Hamble! I'm glad she's doing well!

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

Humpty, please, not Humpty Dumpty.

I always picked the arched window. My brother took the round one and my Mum goodnaturedly settled for the square window as that was all that was left. (Brother and I were probably in our teens at this point. )

I always chose the arched window too. I bloody hated humpty though. Smug fucker!

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

Humpty, please, not Humpty Dumpty.

I always picked the arched window. My brother took the round one and my Mum goodnaturedly settled for the square window as that was all that was left. (Brother and I were probably in our teens at this point. )

Sorry 😂. He's shaped suspiciously like good old Humpty Dumpty (ugly sod).

We all know what happened to Humpty

I live in outside of UK. Lots of European immigrants here. I know quite a few fannys. Few are French and short for Stephanie but few just called Fanny including DH's dearly departed favourite auntie. We had a short but decisive conversation when I had dd and I made it clear that Fanny would not appear in appear in her name even as a middle name.
As an aside one of the kids teacher's was called Gooly and another Nunny... that was a difficult term for us all

God, Gooly is really beyond dreadful, isn't it? 🤦‍♀️