Names so old it’s cute again

[Artsybaby]

Personally I like elegant names like Genevieve, also Mary, that never stopped being popular.

Does anyone know any names that used to be considered “old lady names” but are coming back.

my husband is French and he likes Monette after his grandmother

Abigail's Party is what springs to mind when I hear Beverley. 'Do you like Demis Roussos, Ange?' etc. Alison Steadman was magnificent in that.

Alison was a very popular name for girls of my age (i.e. born early 60s). Any signs of a revival for it now that my generation are becoming grandparents?

To be fair, Nigella Lawson, daughter of Nigel Lawson , is the only Nigella I've ever heard of. I'm not a great gardener but I gather it's a flower, and the seeds are used in cooking.

I agree, never liked the name Marjorie (or Margery, or Marge). It's the j sound in the middle that I don't take to, I think. I am marginally less averse to Maggie, Margo/Margot and Peggy. Odd really, as I like many names that start with j. Possibly there's an unconscious association with margarine going back to my childhood. Now there's a word you don't hear these days. Totally supplanted by 'spread'. A triumph of marketing.

Monette is gorgeous.

Mietta
Queenie
Philomena
Mary
Clare
Rebecca
Kitty
Jean
Sally
Dawn

Hilda
Gloria
Jean / Jeanie
Joan / Joanie / Joni
Peggy
Gwen
Dorothy
Vera
Enid
Freda / Frida
Joy
Alma
June

I know a little Frida. It suits her! Also ran into a little Margaret on holiday. I like both.

I've recently come across a little Ida, but I don't think any of you will guess how we're supposed to be pronounce it. It blew my mind.

That reminds me... there used to be a Gloria in my DR'S ballet class. She would be about 20 now.

Love Alma.

Vivian

The girls in Despicable Me are called Agnes, Margo and Edith and the first film was released in 2010!

I'll never understand the renewed popularity of Elsie and Mabel (or worse, Mable) - I think they're awful. I'd put them with Effie, Enid, Beulah, Bertha, Hortense, Agatha.

I like Ada, Emmeline, Matilda, Joan.

It's all cyclical, though. I remember being confused by an old book I read as a child where a group of girls felt sorry for a young Emily for having such an old-fashioned name. I think the rest had names from the Susan, Jean, Barbara generation, which felt far older to me than Emily!

Wonder if Victoria will make a come back or is it ruined by the diminutive ‘Vicky’ which has been unfortunately got negative associations due to the Vicky Pollard character. Also Karen unfortunately may take a long time to get over it’s own negative connotations?

It’s tread carefully with Ophelie. Ophelia ids having a renaissance and it will only be a matter of time until people look for near alternatives to seem original.

I agree: some just sound too ugly to come back and for me I think Brenda is one, as well as Hilda and Bertha (birther ...)

I think Monette is quite sweet but prefer Manon.

I actually think Ophelie is a good call.

I rather like Ophelia, but the "I feel ya" thing I think is a real issue. Ophelie keeps the prettiness but avoids that - and, to some degree, the tragic feel of Ophelia.

Emily is much older and more classic - and so much nicer! Think back to Emily Bronte and Emilia etc in Shakespeare.

The Susans etc were "of an era!" To me the "of an era" names are not really justified a come-back in the same way. They came; they went.

How? You must tell!

I agree that Margaret is a good and now neglected classic. I think Peggy can be quite cute too.

I agree in that I hear "Margarine" for marge. I remember dinner ladies from my childhood who actually called it marge.

Susan is quite unusual, though, in being a very old name which had always been one of the top ten but then had a huge surge in popularity after the war, followed by a big reaction to it. I suppose Margaret has had a similar arc because of Mrs Thatcher.

I would pronounce Ida something like Eye Dah. Eedah? Ayedah?

Oh was it?

I had no idea of that. I have only ever come across it as a post-war name and had no earlier reference points for it at all.

Idd-Uh?

ETA or eye- eee-duh (like Aida)?

I can't guess: to me it's just Eye-duh.

Possibly more common in earlier times as Susanna/Susannah, but I think they were treated as much the same name. Biblical in origin.

Yes, of course. I never link Susan with them, but I guess it does come from there.

Genevieve is lovely but I imagine a lot of people would have to ask how to spell it.

I think a lot of old lady names are popular at the moment. I know babies names Mabel, Agnes, Beryl, Hazel. All terrible names imo, but some old lady names aren't.

I like 'Mary' and considered it for my own daughter but it does have a Catholic vibe to it.

Love Edith, I know a Margaret who gets Peggy or pegs and I actually love it 🤣