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What names will be seen as dated in 10-20 years time?

67 replies

Foreverdancing · 23/08/2025 11:58

Or is it unlikely names will date like previous generations as there is a wider variety of name choices?

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DemBonesDemBones · 25/08/2025 11:39

Isla, Luna, Evie, Maisie

CrashThere · 25/08/2025 13:14

In a lot of ways, does it really matter tho?
Yes, because the name will put you in an age bracket.
My contemporaries have names like Karen, Lynsey (various spellings), Kelly, Michelle etc.

Limonades · 25/08/2025 23:01

And very popular names don’t really serve their purpose in identifying people. We have 3 Evies and 2 Alfies in our Scout group - that can get very confusing!

MirandaBlu · 26/08/2025 00:35

ohyesiseethatnow · 24/08/2025 19:14

Isla and Rory are Scottish names, which is part of the English speaking world.

In Scotland there are Isla’s and Rory’s of every age. They are not faddy baby names there and are unlikely to die out.

Yes, I'm aware, being Scottish. But for a long time they were used mainly in Scotland and not widely used throughout the English-speaking world (let's face it, while the population of England swamps that of Scotland, the real game changer is probably when names become very popular in much larger countries like the USA).

MirandaBlu · 26/08/2025 00:38

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 24/08/2025 19:17

Lyra and Luna are both tied to a specific literary reference.

Yes, that's why I put them in the group of names that seem to have come out of nowhere or seem to tie to a specific cultural or literary message. Sorry, that sentence might have been a bit convoluted/unclear.

appledoors · 26/08/2025 00:39

Arlo
Albie
Ottilie
Luna
Aurora
Ezra
Margot
Maeve
Oakley

ChocolateCinderToffee · 26/08/2025 01:06

Evie, Ava, Ellie, Emmy, Lily etc.

MsGoodenough · 26/08/2025 01:24

All names date. That's why it's pretty easy to guess a person's age by their first name.

AnHourToAnywhere · 26/08/2025 01:37

Aria
Ophelia
Ottilie
Aurora

Luca
Albie
Teddy
Freddie
Arlo
Alfie
Rowan
Ezra
Oakley
Sonny
Jaxon

PandaBingo · 26/08/2025 01:45

Saffron
Lucia
Sage
Atticus

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 26/08/2025 06:21

MirandaBlu · 26/08/2025 00:38

Yes, that's why I put them in the group of names that seem to have come out of nowhere or seem to tie to a specific cultural or literary message. Sorry, that sentence might have been a bit convoluted/unclear.

Oh yes I see what you mean now.

Limonades · 26/08/2025 12:35

MsGoodenough · 26/08/2025 01:24

All names date. That's why it's pretty easy to guess a person's age by their first name.

No, names that are less popular but regularly used, say 20-30 births a year, don’t tend to date. They are never fashionable either.

Pigsinblankets13 · 26/08/2025 13:08

mathanxiety · 24/08/2025 20:00

Amelie
Amelia
Emilia
Millie
Mila
Mia
Willow
Ava
Maeve
Evie
Eloise
Ellie
Maya
Mae/ May
Esmae/ Esme/ Esmay
Verity

The O names - Arlo, Theo, Noah, Enzo
All the -son names: Harrison, Jameson, Greyson, etc
All the occupation /surname names - Hunter, Piper, Thatcher, Sawyer, Parker, Cooper, etc.
All the -ayden names.
All the cutesy old man names ending in -ie.
And good riddance, say I.

Olivia has been extremely popular for several decades now and is showing no sign whatsoever of losing its cachet. It's well on its way to classic status imo.
The very popular Grace will also stick around.

I think Hugo will always be around, though not as popular as currently. I think there will always be Penelopes too.

Edited

You've listed my name there and I'm in my early 30s 😂 so hasn't dated has it...

muffintop83 · 26/08/2025 13:22

MsGoodenough · 26/08/2025 01:24

All names date. That's why it's pretty easy to guess a person's age by their first name.

Not really true for the likes of James, George or Jack. Could be an old man. Could be a new baby.

The same can’t really be said for Jayden or Arlo.

CrashThere · 26/08/2025 13:29

@Pigsinblankets13 but the name was probably quite unusual when you were born.

My name was popular about 65 years before I was born, and is popular now.
It was dated when I was young and I was just about the only one.

ThunderousSkies · 26/08/2025 13:31

theunbreakablecleopatrajones · 23/08/2025 12:39

No, these will be back in a decade or two - early 20th names like Jean and June so it won’t be long before mid century names come through - baby Malcolms and Pamelas aren’t far off. Once upon a time no one could have imagined little Alberts and Ediths but there are now thousands of them.

I'm dying for the return of baby Bernards and Malcolms. I find it literally impossible to imagine a Malcolm in a babygro cutting a tooth, because Malcolms are late-middle-aged golf bores in slacks and v-necks.

I agree with @ohyesiseethatnow on the fact that 'datedness' is culturally-relative. Maeve/Méabh/Medbh, Rory/Ruairí and Aoife won't date in Ireland because they're classics not associated with any particular period -- they may in England. (But @Gowlett is right that Fiadh definitely will in Ireland.)

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 26/08/2025 13:38

ThunderousSkies · 26/08/2025 13:31

I'm dying for the return of baby Bernards and Malcolms. I find it literally impossible to imagine a Malcolm in a babygro cutting a tooth, because Malcolms are late-middle-aged golf bores in slacks and v-necks.

I agree with @ohyesiseethatnow on the fact that 'datedness' is culturally-relative. Maeve/Méabh/Medbh, Rory/Ruairí and Aoife won't date in Ireland because they're classics not associated with any particular period -- they may in England. (But @Gowlett is right that Fiadh definitely will in Ireland.)

This is true.

A lot of French girls' names which are currently popular in the UK are very dated in France. Florence is an old lady name. Isabelle is a woman in her 50s or 60s. Sylvie is the equivalent of Janet. Amelie and Elodie are millennials.

Meanwhile, in France the two most popular names are Jade and Louise, with Sarah, Diane, Suzanne, Joy and Judith all in the top 100.

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