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Original poster

Does anyone else have a name that, when given, was way ahead of its time?

138 replies

RolyPolyBatFacedGirl · 28/12/2023 20:06

I'm in my early 50s and my parents called me Lily Grace Surname

Now I know there's loads of Lily's and Graces's going way back when , but people are genuinely surprised when I meet up with them for meetings in person after emails (work related of course!) and I'm not 19!

I was an absolute anomaly in the 70s with all my friends who were Sarah, Louise , Claire and Julie

Anyone else?

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Nanalisa60 · 28/12/2023 20:15

Lisa was very unusual in 1960 , common as muck by the 1970,s , apparently a dying name now. I have never meet a Lisa older then me.

EmilyRose1970s · 28/12/2023 20:16

Name changed for this thread as no way do I want anyone figuring me out from previous posts. But I was born in the ,1970s and my name is Emily Rose Surname. Extremely common in recent years but caused a lot of teasing when people found out my middle name at primary school. I was the only Emily in my year at High school of around 300. There were multiple Claires, Louises, Emma's etc

whirlyhead · 28/12/2023 20:20

I was born in the 60s and my parents gave me a very english and I think old fashioned name that I have encountered in books (and films), but I have never met anyone in real life with the same first name.

i really dislike the bloody name too.

samestyle · 28/12/2023 20:22

You are very lucky, I'm envious as I'm stuck in the 80s with mine 😂

DisplayPurposesOnly · 28/12/2023 20:24

A few years ago I met a Barbara who was in her 20s. I definitely expected someone older 😆 There was a lovely story to why her parents named her that.

Mywhoopdeedoo · 28/12/2023 20:27

I know a Mia in her late 40’s

Echobelly · 28/12/2023 20:29

My mum says that when she named my brother Alexander in the early 1970s it wasn't very common, but got much more so afterwards.

minipie · 28/12/2023 20:29

I was born in 1980

My name became very popular in the early 1990s

Sadly, this does not cause me to be mistaken for 10 years younger 🤔

Riverlee · 28/12/2023 20:31

It’s funny you mention Lily and Grace. A friend name her two children this in mid -late nineties. They were considered really old and unusual names then. Ten years plus years later, ‘Granny chic’ name trend had hit.

anybloodyname · 28/12/2023 20:39

I work with a 37 year old Teddy ! He's the only one I know who's not in nappies , do love the name but now know of at least 4 from last few years

Username123343 · 28/12/2023 20:43

My name is bloody stupid in any era

Wanttosleepproperlyplease · 28/12/2023 20:44

DH is an Oscar in his 30s.

Thousands of them in primary schools up and down the country now but quite “out there” in the 80s and 90s.

Dmsandfloatydress · 28/12/2023 20:48

I had an uncle called Stacey born in 1960 when the girls were called Tracey. Not great

1stTimeMama · 28/12/2023 20:50

I was born in the early 80's and was the only one i with my name in the whole of both my primary and secondary school. I ived in a city as well, so not like a small village where it could've been likely to happen. In fact, at primary there was one other a couple of years above me, but they were male.

Crushed23 · 28/12/2023 20:51

DisplayPurposesOnly · 28/12/2023 20:24

A few years ago I met a Barbara who was in her 20s. I definitely expected someone older 😆 There was a lovely story to why her parents named her that.

Victoria Coren Mitchell’s 8 year-old daughter is called Barbara.

I think it will make a comeback.

Blinkityblonk · 28/12/2023 20:53

I have a name that at the time was very old-fashioned and unusual, and then went top 10 and everyone was called it for about 20 years, but now it's died down to the occasional name, so people expect me to be from that middle era age. I don't mind, I think it's a nice name anyhow, and so it's fine that it dates me to a certain extent (it's not Rachel but it's along those lines).

DinaofCloud9 · 28/12/2023 20:53

My friend is a Nancy which is unusual for a 46 year old.

SilverSimca · 28/12/2023 20:53

My sister was Erin in the 1970s when there were hardly any Erins in England, or certainly none we knew of (we are not an Irish or American family). She could never get anything with her name on. In the 2010s there were two Erins in DS’s class alone.

Blinkityblonk · 28/12/2023 20:54

In other words, you can't predict which names are going to be suddenly popular, so all those worried about unique names are trying to outrun something outside their control!

AmeliaEarhart · 28/12/2023 20:55

I went to school with a Poppy who was born in the late 70s, so quite unusual then. I also met a Kai who was born in the early 80s. His mum was Scandinavian and we all thought it was cool and Viking-like.

Mywhoopdeedoo · 28/12/2023 20:56

Crushed23 · 28/12/2023 20:51

Victoria Coren Mitchell’s 8 year-old daughter is called Barbara.

I think it will make a comeback.

Show quote history

Their other daughter is called June

Riverlee · 28/12/2023 21:13

DinaofCloud9 · 28/12/2023 20:53

My friend is a Nancy which is unusual for a 46 year old.

Nancy Boy was a slur for effeminate or homosexual, although this seems to have dropped out of common parlance now. I guess that’s why the name wasn’t used much.

MyLeftKnee · 28/12/2023 21:14

I know a 16 year old Craig, only one I know under 30

LakeTiticaca · 28/12/2023 21:18

Nancy is coming into fashion again now. I knew a little girl called Nancy about 40 years ago and it seemed really old fashioned back then.
There was a boy in my class in the 60s called Beverley 🙄

doggiedoodah · 28/12/2023 21:21

I have an adult Esme . We didn’t meet another Esme for at least 20years !