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

Girls names, are these a bit too "old lady"?

142 replies

Pickledegg · 20/03/2008 22:11

Florence
Clara
Elsie
Celia / Cecelia
Mabel

This is my shortlist of girls names. I love them (obviously!), but some people have said they're a bit too "old lady".

What do you think?

Any you particularly like /object to?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
cheesesarnie · 20/03/2008 22:57

love flossie!

and iris

Original poster
Pickledegg · 20/03/2008 23:08

I like Flossie! Yes Florence reminds me of Magic roundabout too, but in a good way

I like Freda and Flora too, but not as much as others.

Elsa is nice, I think its a German name though(????), I've not heard of anyone with the name here. Not that thats a bad thing, but might be more confusing. Correct me if Im wrong!

OP posts:
itsahardknocklife · 20/03/2008 23:11

I like Florence. That was my number 1 choice if we had a girl, but DH didn't like it. Luckily we had a boy and had decided on that name!
How about Elsie or Elise instead of Elsa?

Original poster
Pickledegg · 20/03/2008 23:14

SoMuchToBits - some lovely names there.

Margaret Melita is v glamarous! And Nana is v v old fashioned!

OP posts:
brimfull · 20/03/2008 23:18

I'm a geriatric nurse and we have loads of ladies with these names.
They are such lovely names that suit someone of any age.
Am nursing a 95 yr old Clara and a 90 yr old Florrie atm.

buzzybee · 20/03/2008 23:19

I went to school with a Florence and DD had a Florence in her creche who had the nickname Flossie, which I love! So not old lady to me.

My baby is Beatrix / Trixie.

Original poster
Pickledegg · 20/03/2008 23:28

Yes I like Florence, shortened to Flossie.
I'm a bit worried it will get shortened to Flo though. Flo sounds terrible with a lancashire accent!

OP posts:
buzzybee · 20/03/2008 23:36

I don't think it will - not if you don't use it. Flossie is such a lovely flowing sound, I can't see why anyone would want to use Flo!

My name is Linda and my mum told me later she liked Lyn better - which is bizarre because I don't ever remember her using it and I can't imagine using it myself now!

Janni · 20/03/2008 23:40

I really like Esme, Clara and Evie.

I'm pretty sure that 'Cecilie' is the usual spelling of that name.

tensmum · 20/03/2008 23:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

JodieG1 · 20/03/2008 23:54

My dd's middle name is Florence, named after my nan that died. She was a lovely woman and I felt she was a mother to me. I love it.

Lizzer · 21/03/2008 00:25

Pickledegg, i love all those names! Particularly Cecelia and Florence but ALL of them are lovely, you can't go wrong IMO

MrsJohnCusack · 21/03/2008 00:42

I LOVE old lady names
(except Edna - that's NEVER coming back)

AbbeyA · 21/03/2008 08:59

I can't believe that Elsie is making a come back-my great aunt Elsie always hated it and was called by a nick name, never Elsie! I also know a lady in her 80's called Freda and she has always hated it-so much so that when she started school she invented a second name for herself-the teacher had to query it with her mother! Ethel is another name I can't believe people would want, the one I knew was always known as Eth-horrible IMO! However, I seem to at odds with a lot of people as I dislike the current trend for Ruby.

hoxtonchick · 21/03/2008 09:02

oh i like this thread as you all like my dd's name (florence). UN-shortened. though i suspect she might become flo when she writes her name!

castille · 21/03/2008 09:05

I like them all except Mabel, and I prefer Cecily (def spelt this way) to Celia/Cecilia. Clara was top of our list for DC3 (but he is a boy!). Elsie was my grandmother's name, I think it's sweet.

On the same theme I also love Constance, Clementine and Madeleine.

msappropriate · 21/03/2008 09:06

I really really like Elsie, Celia, Cecilia, (and Celeste and Cecily) they were on my short list. The others are ok too.

Was it Fern Brittan whose daughter is Winifred? I taught 2 5 yr old winifreds about 5 yrs, they were cousins and it was same family.

In my names books the top 50 girls names of 2002 were so similar to the top 50 girls names of 1900. Old ladies names now very common!

msappropriate · 21/03/2008 09:09

janni, Cecily is the spelling in "The Importance of being Earnest" and that was written in 1894

cece · 21/03/2008 09:11

All lovely names

shabster · 21/03/2008 09:14

I really love the name Martha which seems to be making a big comback in our area. I also have a crazy, funny friend called Martha which makes me like it even more.

AbbeyA · 21/03/2008 09:15

On the positive side- I think that Martha is lovely.

Anna8888 · 21/03/2008 09:16

Florence is too popular and I don't like it much.

Clara is very pretty.

Elsie - ugly. Evokes an underservant.

Celia is boring, Cecilia is gorgeous

Mabel - same as Elsie

belgo · 21/03/2008 09:17

I only like Clara and Cecelia too. Elsie is ok.

nooonit · 21/03/2008 09:19

Our DD2 is Elsa, now 9 wks! Everyone we have told has liked it (or at least have said so to us!) I've always liked the Joy Adamson "Born Free" lion story and the lion in that is called Elsa. DD2 made a dramatic noisy strong entrance into the world so it just seemed right!

Anna8888 · 21/03/2008 09:22

I know a little Elsa too - very pretty. It suits the little girl I know too - she is very tall and has a lot of presence.

Swipe left for the next trending thread