Barbara

[bixley]

WDYT? Is it ok or laughable? What nns, (not Babs or Barbie!)

OK, can someone explain why Mabel and Edie and Ivy and other grim old-lady names are popular, but Barbara and Maureen are unthinkable?? NB I can't stand any of them, personally, but am genuinely baffled at why they become popular.

Barbara Bush the daughter is quite attractive and young!

There are very few Mabel's and Ivy's etc still alive, therefore you are less likely to meet them and form opinions on the name based on personal experience.
There are lots of Maureen's, BArbara's and Valerie's etc who are peoples mothers, Aunts, Batty old cat lady next door and therefore people are prejudiced against those names because of unpleasant associations.

Mabel and edith are the generation before Barbara, Maureen and Joan so currently enjoying a revival.

Barbara will have to wait 10/15yrs for it's revival, but it will come.

Bixley is just ahead of the game.

I love Mabel by the way.

and Babette is way cool.(not that I really know anything about coolness though you should know).

i taught a barbara nn barbie.
her sis was daphne.

they are both lovely and suit their names.

Swoon at Daphne, that's now on the list!
thanks

It's dreadful.

Daphne!!!

yay!

err....I know lots of Barbaras I consider my contemporaries
(old, mad, cat lady emoticon)

I like it but it is my sister's name and she is pretty much the loveliest person on earth.
I expect if I posted my family's names there would be huge amounts of sniggering

No, not cool.
Might be though if celebs start using it as someone else suggested.

x

No no no!!

Once a celeb has named thier child it, it would be very uncool to name your child it.

Following celebs very uncool (repeat as a mantra).

Coolness is being the first to do it. where everyone goes 'oh no, that looks/sounds crap I'd never wear/say/do that' when first seen and then 1 year later everyone is doing/wearing/saying that, but cool person has moved on.

Barbara could be cool if you can carry it off.

Babette is definitively cool though imo.

No

Definite NO to Barbara - it's my elder sister's name and is hideous. She gets called Barb or Barbie for short.

Love, love, love Mabel. Very upset yeserday when I learnt there is a pet on Blue Peter called Mabel. Grrrr. Also have a secret Daphne fetish. Imo they are both much prettier than Martha or Edith but far fewer toddler Mabels and Daphnes running around.

Haven't quite got round to Barbara but I honestly don't think it is that bad. It wouldn't make my head spin if I met a baby Barbara. I would think it was quite cute and a little quirky.

Hey back off! My Nan is called Barbara and she is a bloddy legend of her time.

barack Obarbara

Barbara is a mum's name, and my mums!!

It's my MIL's name. 'nuff said.

Barbara is Janet and Maureen's trendy sister. She has a husband called Brian. (or Derek, or Keith)

Just no. In the early 70s a Barbara joined my primary school class, and it was a granny-name then.

you might like to look at this thread for more ideas.

I am a Barbara I have always hated my name and never forgiven my mum (also Barbara) calling me it. As a little girl, it was an old woman's name. People assume you're boring and square just cos of the name. Now I'm approaching 40, it's seen as a middle aged name, and I guess still people think of me as being old boring & fuddy duddy.

None of the shortenings are nice - Babs, Barb, Barbie

Now my sis has had a baby I'm Aunty Barbara That is old That is my mum.

I can't say how much I hate the name. Do not do it please.

I told my dh recently I wanted to change my name. He thinks I'm being ridiculous or weird. I'll show him this thread so he can see what I mean.

Oh, and sometimes I get called Brenda by mistake. Lovely

Belinda is nice. and Caroline.

See? that other thread demonstrates that those wanting to be ahaed of the games are abdoning the now incrasingly popular old lady chic (Edith mabel etc) and the cutesy/ pretty/pretty (Poppy, Kitty, Ellie etc) and trawling the middle aged for currently unused gems.

mary and jane are good. Classic and undersued currently.

May I suggest Dilys? A bit more old lady than middle aged, but was on our list.

Margaret also good. Margo even better.

But still LOVE Babatte.

It's not because it's outdated that I don't like it, it's just not very nice. I like Valerie and Belinda though.

no sorry it's awful. It probably will come back into fashion in a few years but I just couldn't do it