'Dated' names

[ConstanceL]

I often see on threads that people say don't use such and such name as it won't date well. But does it really matter if names are of their time? My (real) name was popular in the 80s, but not any more. But when I was little it was a popular name for little girls, and now I am heading towards middle age it is a name that many late 30s women have.

We are thinking about names for our next DC and I really like the name Aurelia, but I searched threads and a few people said 'it won't date well'. So I guess my question is, does that really matter? I've never had a problem with my 'dated' name - has anyone else?

Margaret is back in.

Margot, Maggie, Peggy, Daisy are forms of Margaret.

Princess Marg was named when she wasn't in direct line to the throne. Her grandfather was the king, and her father was 2nd in line, and wasn't expecting to be king one day

She also had the current go to girl's middle name

You could argue that Margaret is back, it might be my personal dislike of getting in the way there. But for a name to be 'back in' it has to first go out, showing it is not timeless name and does date. I went to school with a Margaret and it was considered hideously old fashioned then, which to be fair was 15-20 years ago.

She was never in line to the throne but your previous criteria was "kings and queens and their children" - she is the daughter of a King. As the only other sibling of Elizabeth she would have been considered very important to succession at the point of her birth - incase some tragedy ended Elizabeths life early, or she chose abdicated. She would not have been classes as a 'minor' royal.

She was a fairly minor royal at her birth - her father was the younger son and in 1930 it was still fully expected that the line would go through the Prince of Wales, later Edward VIII. She was the equivalent of Beatrice or Eugenie in modern terms.

@SummaLuvin, she was the daughter of a king but when she was named she wasn't.

She was the daughter of the king's 2nd eldest son. Margaret was 5 her uncle became king. George VI didn't become king until December 1936, when Margaret was 6.

Margaret was very popular for decades, and names drop out of favour when people know many with the name. There weren't many Margarets my age because everyone seemed to have a mum or nan or aunt with he name.

I had two aunts called Margaret but they went by different nicknames, and lots of girls at school had Margaret as a middle name.

I had a dog called Peggy

Margaret was the top girl's name for decades, and only dropped out of the top 100 in the 1960s

Fair enough. I forgot about the abdication meaning she wasn’t direct line. But also worth remembering what we consider major and minor royals now differs greatly to 90 years ago. The royal family has had to trim the edges to fit what is acceptable to modern day Britain, historically a larger amount of core royals was fine.

I’m not suggesting Margaret hadn’t been popular, simply that it isn’t timeless, which you seem to agree with. I just don’t think the royal family can be used as an example of timeless names as there are too many “except for”, the queen children alone have a 1 of 4 timeless hit rate, 2 of 4 if you include Charles as timeless (it’s on the edge for me).

Names I can’t see ever being used again as they’re just too dated:

Lorraine
Beverley
Denise
Deborah
Yvonne

Nigel
Derek
Gary
Wayne
Dean

@Canceltheham

Names I can’t see ever being used again as they’re just too dated:

Lorraine
Beverley
Denise
Deborah
Yvonne

Nigel
Derek
Gary
Wayne
Dean

I have a soft spot for Debbie!

Deborah will come back I think.

I am in my 50s and remember thinking that the boy at school that changed his name/used his middle name from Charlie to Ian was very sensible. I couldn't imagine that name on a 10 yr old.
We do live in more diverse societies now so there are more names to chose from.

@Canceltheham

Names I can’t see ever being used again as they’re just too dated:

Lorraine
Beverley
Denise
Deborah
Yvonne

Nigel
Derek
Gary
Wayne
Dean

The brother of one of DC's nursery friends is called Dean! He must be around 5 or 6. One of the parents is Australian, so maybe it's still popular there.

@Canceltheham

Names I can’t see ever being used again as they’re just too dated:

Lorraine
Beverley
Denise
Deborah
Yvonne

Nigel
Derek
Gary
Wayne
Dean

“ever being used again”

Maybe in the foreseeable future but “ever again” is extreme 😂
My parents see names like Violet as so old fashioned and are surprised they’re back in popularity. So you never know how such names will sound to future generations.

Mine isn’t dated in the strictest sense as it’s Biblical but there are just so many women with my name that it just sounds unimaginative and boring. I don’t mind too much as I was named after my maternal great grandmother who my late DM adored.

I’m one of the Emma/Sarah/Rachel/Helens of the 70s and 80s but since don’t feel our names have dated badly. They are less popular now but not jarring..

I’m one too but born in 1960 and I do know a few more recent ones too so I agree they’re harder to pin down datewise.

My name probably ages me but it wasn't incredibly popular although I knew a fair few mums with it when my DCs were at primary school. It's now touted on here as a lovely name. I was teased about it at school & hated it (I quite like it now, although not its "full" version). My mum was born in 1930 & I've recently seen people gushing over her name. Use whatever name you like (Aurelia is beautiful).

Interesting.
Names that other children sniggered at when I was at school include Charles, Arthur and Fred.
I think boys names date more as there is less choice. Gary, Nigel, Neil all dated.
Girls names tend to come back into fashion more.

DD is 18 and there was a girl in her year called Mildred, probably the most 'old fashioned' name I came across in DCs peers. DS had a friend called Simon, which is very much of my generation. I was born in the 70's and my name was very popular then, but it's spelled differently which can be a pain as my spelling is actually another name (DM didn't realise!)

Maybe in the foreseeable future but “ever again” is extreme 😂

I think I meant ‘popular ever again’

I would love to meet a baby Bev

@PartyOnKale

Deborah will come back I think.

Deborah is lovely. Don’t like the shortened version Debbie

I am so intrigued by what some people's names are on this thread! :)

Honestly, it's all just a matter of taste. There are loads of names mentioned on here that I think are totally fine, but other people have said they might never come back! Dean for example.....to me that is a totally standard and normal name which could easily be used today. Don't think it's dated at all.

I like the name Dean. I know a nice one

Not what you asked but I love Aurelie more than Aurelia, seems more friendly/soft/ pleasant somehow. I imagine Aurelia as a posh, spoilt Heiress in Agatha Christie books but Aurelie as a French-style ingenue (is that how to spell it?) which definitely seems cooler to me.

Helen, Louise and Susan feel dated but Helena, Louisa and Susanna don’t as much.

My name is very 90s in the UK, but is more classic in Europe, luckily that's where I live now!

@Canceltheham

Maybe in the foreseeable future but “ever again” is extreme 😂

I think I meant ‘popular ever again’

I would love to meet a baby Bev

I absolutely love the name Beverly...I think it's really glam!