Slightly 1970s, slightly upper crust suggestions

[rosiechristmas]

Hello

I am due in October, we don't know what we're having. We have a 4 year old Penelope and what I like about Penelope is the sort of 1970s Penelope Keith, Penelope Pitstop, Thelwell's Penelope, Penelope Mortimer vibe. (not the Kardashian connection which I was completely oblivious to until the midwife let me know at delivery!!)

I'm looking for a fairly classic name that has just a hint of upper crust, but not a Fenella or Araminta that would sound incongruous in most settings.

I like grown up names with cute nicknames.

Below are my current lists - a couple of these I can't get past DH so they are on the list more to show the style we are after.

We are planning not to name the babe until they are here and see what fits so looking for some more suggestions to add to the field from you clever ladies please!!!

On my list for girls is:

Susanna nn Suzie, Annie
Caroline nn Carrie
Jemima nn Mima
Josephine nn Josie

Boys:

Robin nn Bobby
Frances nn Fran
Jesse nn Jess (a bit of a wildcard this one I guess)

Thanks so much!

I also love Camilla nn Cami!

Philippa
Christina
Fiona

You might want to change the spelling of Frances (female) to Francis (male)
Popular names of the period 1970s

Name	Number	         Name	    Number

1 Michael 707,377 Jennifer 581,730
2 Christopher 475,454 Amy 268,993
3 Jason 462,752 Melissa 253,265
4 David 445,751 Michelle 249,135
5 James 444,749 Kimberly 229,095
6 John 402,650 Lisa 228,686
7 Robert 397,254 Angela 225,261
8 Brian 322,705 Heather 203,908
9 William 283,412 Stephanie 160,464
10 Matthew 277,758 Nicole 144,669

Jemima is a lovely match I think.

Beatrice nn Bea

Felicity nn Fliss

Tabitha nn Tabby

Annabelle nn Annie

Lilliana nn Lily

Rosalind nn Rosie

What nickname do you use for Penelope - Penny I assume? Gorgeous name!

Michael and Christopher are good shouts for a boy of that era.

Antonia, Julia, Verity...

I thought Caroline instantly, and then Camilla!

Julia
Belinda
Lucinda
Felicity

Felix
Oscar
Jasper
Jonathan

I think it is Francis for a boy isn't it, Frances for a girl? I might be wrong

Felicity
ETA: someone beat me to it 😄

Sarah, Gemma, Nicola, Pamela, Annabelle, Samantha.

Peter, Robert, Steven, Michael, Liam. Lots of boys names tbh.

Felicity
Abigail
Sophie
Lydia

Yes Pamela, that is due a resurgence.

Roberta
Francesca
Elizabeth
Louisa
Philippa
Katherine

Suzette?
Clara?

For boys, it’d be Francis but you could use Frances as a first name.

Adrian, Simon, Nigel Julian and Dominic and Gregory are a few I can think of - Si, Nige, Ju/Jules, Dom and Greg. Cassian, Warwick (know 2 brothers called both, Cass is nickname for first).

For girls you could do Juliet - Ju/Jules, Tara, Georgina (George/Gina), Tanya (Tan), Vanessa (Nessa).

The above are partly taken from a list of 70s baby names but also people I know as I’m a 70s baby too.

Jacqueline
Felicity
Julia
Joanna
Margot
Philipa

Felicity immediately came to mind

Clarissa
Helena
Caroline
Venetia
Letitia
Larissa
Lucinda
Philippa
Georgina or Georgiana
Leonora
Theresa
Verity
Valerie
Belinda

My mum’s best friend is called Pen, short for Penelope.

I’m a 70s baby and have never heard of Felix or Felicity as names of that era. Most of my private school (secondary) friends had relatively normal names. Maybe they weren’t upper class enough! Did have a friend called Roberta (Italian parents).

Did have a friend called Fuschia until her parents joined some hippy Indian cult leader and it got changed.

Agatha

I love Susanna, it´s my name and very 1970s, you see very few young Susanas. I was chaffed when I picked up my daughter from nursery and there was a little Susana.

Ohh thank you - some really wonderful suggestions here!

I realised on posting that I am looking for adult 70s names - not really the names of babies born in the 1970s - I know those tend towards Karen, Michelle, Kimberley etc!

Felicity
Tabitha
Elizabeth.
Hannah
Veronica
Rose
Rosalind
Eleanor
Georgina

My favourite has always been Charlotte nn Charlie. I really liked Charlotte Rampling in the 70s.

Posh boys in my 1970s class were Crispin, Tristram, Timothy, Vincent, Darrell and Lancelot.

All the girls were mostly Tracy, Sarah or Claire 😂😂 but we also had an Audrey, Melanie, Sian, Christina and Dawn.

Penelope and

Christopher, Richard, Vincent, Julian. Philip. Raymond. Marcus. Matthew,

Georgina. Christina. Sarah. Harriet. Catherine. Victoria. Amanda. Constance. Alexandra. Cynthia. Rachel. Deborah. Caroline. Antonia. Stephanie. Francesca. Natalia. Virginia. Elizabeth

Going for the real The Good Life vibe! I do like Felicity as a name.

Kimberly listed earlier. Makes me hear the name said like in Victoria Wood sketch. Sorry to any Kimberlys.

Claire - very mid 70's judging by how many (of us) in my class. It didn't seem in the least bit posh growing up, but it's very often a rich/posh person's character in films/tv. Makes me smile. Bit shit for cutsey nicknames though.

Yes she is usually Penny. Sometimes Popsy, sometimes Pen. I love a nickname!

Annabelle is super pretty and fits the bill. Also love Rosalind but I am a Rosie!!