Names that shouldn’t be considered classics?

[Thatgirl1990]

I’ve been having a debate about the name Emily. Emily is so early 2000s and dated now I worry it’s the Karen of 2040 especially because not many kids are being named it now.I get really confused why people call it a “classic” it was practically unheard of until it became the top name in America. For example emily doesn’t fit into the bracket of timeless names Elizabeth, Hannah, Sarah. Emily reminds me of a blonde mean girl in a American film. Does anyone else agree?

Emily will be linked to a certain generation in the future. I do agree with you there because of its massive popularity.
But I disagree that it’s not classic as it’s an old name. I’d put Emily in the same bracket as Lucy, Isabel and Molly. Old names that have been massively revived in the last couple of decades so they seem very modern when actually they’re old

I take it you've not heard of Emily Bronte?!

Wtf. I really dislike Emily fwiw, but yes it's a classic!

Sarah is also linked with a generation.
An elderly Sarah I know hated her name growing up as it was old fashioned.

I would say Emily is a classic. I also wouldn’t consider it early 2000s or dated my 5 year old has 2 Emilys in his class I also know 2 babes called Emily.

Names come and go. Except John and William which dominated (in England) for boys for centuries.

My mum’s second name choice was Emily for me 55 years ago, named after her grandmother. It’s always been kicking around as a name.

There are still loads of baby girls being named Emily. It was popular in Victorian times and then it was popular from the 80s and 90s onwards again (not "unheard of" till popular in America - I grew up with loads of Emilys).

It's not like Karen, which was not used in this country before the 20th century.

A better analogy might be Margaret, which has been used for centuries, but was extremely popular for a long time in the first half of this century, therefore is now seen as an old lady name - but (dare I say) a better class of old lady name than Brenda or Gladys.

I know a fair few Emily's, all ranging from age 2 to 25. I personally wouldn't say it's unheard of or just a certain generation at all

By classic I might admit Emily as it has a fair history as a name in English speaking countries.
Eden as an example is old word but a but not a classic given name. Nor is Jezebel which is an old known name but rarely given over the centuries.

I don’t think Emily is dated at all- I think it is classic but maybe that’s because I know a 74 year old, a 28 year old, a teen and a 6 year old Emily- clearly popular. I don’t really associate it with a cool girl name either.

I wouldn’t say Sarah is classic IMO, I’d say it’s dated in that the Sarahs I know/heard of are all mid 40s 🤷🏼‍♀️

Online states Emily become popular in the UK in the 18th century

Quick have a google search

I would put Emily, Sarah and Hannah all together in a 1990s bracket.

For example emily doesn’t fit into the bracket of timeless names Elizabeth, Hannah, Sarah. Emily reminds me of a blonde mean girl in a American film. Does anyone else agree?

Definitely not. There's plenty of Emilys in 19th C literature etc, apart from the obvious example of Emily Brontë.
Maybe peoples view on names depends on their cultural references - their own combination of classical/biblical/literary/films or whatever.

Looks like it is very similar to Sarah here, but with longer lasting popularity at the current peak. It’s been popular across different centuries too. And more long lived popularity than Hannah.

I’m American so maybe it’s different over here. If your from England you may have different perceptions of names than me🤷🏻‍♀️

Emily Dickinson, 19th century poet, American.

Emily is more of a classic than Sarah (which is decidedly dated)

Are Samanthas still being born?

Throughout my whole school time, there were always at least six or seven Samanthas in my year (90s-00s) - now I never hear of babies being named Samantha.

I wouldn't class it as "classic" but apparently it was recorded in the early 1600s being used as a name. I just think of it as quite a 90s name.

If u look on America’s name list from 1800s Emily barely cracked the top 100 we are looking at two different things. It is different where I live maybe

@ISaidDontLickTheBin see to me, Sarah is a classic because it’s biblical

I know some Sarah's in their 20s. I think Chloe is more dated than Emily or Sarah

Classic does not equal timeless. I don’t think Emily is timeless, but it is a classic. It hasn’t had Karen levels of trend swings IMO. I put it in with Jessica and Abigail, classics which are not timeless and were popular in 90’s. Though you say you are American and this is a predominately UK based board, so your experience might be different.

There are several prominent 19th century Emilys on this list.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_(given_name)

You have provided excellent distraction during a boring meeting. Thank you.

Emily absolutely is a classic name. Just because it might go in and out of favour doesn’t change that. Classic vs. timeless is a good way of looking at it. If a name becomes too much of its time then I suppose it could end up no longer being considered timeless at least in relative terms, so let’s say in the 30-50 years after its explosive popularity.