1960s top names

[pandavark]

i was just looking at a list of the usa's most popular girls names for the 1960's. They're really normal names and i know lots of people with these names, but I dont think anyone would give their baby those names now. I wonder will they become fashionable again. Would you use these names? do you know any babies with these names? Here's some examples:

karen
susan
kimberley
patricia
donna
michelle
cynthia
sandra
deborah
pamela
b renda
angela
barbara
sharon
teresa
denise
tina
carol
tracy
stacey
sonya
sheila

We were going to call dd Cynthia (love the name, love it love it love it), but when she was born, she really wasn't a Cynthia, we knew as soon as we looked at her. We have given her a lovely name (not on the list), which she currently hates but gasps with relief when I remind her what she could have been called

What about Joanne? Is that more 70's? Loads of those in my school.

my name is in there - early 70's baby. they may well come back but I just can't imagine my future grandchild being named after me. It would just seem strange.

I was born in 1970 and everyone in my class was called Joanne, Joanna, Angela, Andrea, Melanie and Lisa. What about those boys' names - will Stephen, Simon and Adrian ever return?

my name is in there and i was born in 84! There were loads with same name in my year at school!

my name is amanda jane and i was born in the 60,s
i was in tesco the other day and the cashiers name badge was mandi i said it it really amanda she said yes
amanda jane
theres loads of us............
apparantly it was going to be sally anne

i was born in 1964 - when i was at school there were LOADs of Nicolas!! Absolutely loads. And Sharons. But perhaps that says more about my Essex upbringing. Also Julie and Jackie. i actually find Julie quite nice now.

hmm, i was born in 69 and i went to school with quite a few of these names, but I also knew:

Jackie, Jacqui and Jacq, even a Jaqi (with a heart over the i)
Cheryl
Michaela
Andrea (3 of them)
Suzanne
Maxine
Kim (2)

Wouldn't use any of these names myself, either.

Ooh yes, forgot about Nicola. And Karen and Helen and Amanda. And everyone's middle name was either Jane or Louise!

Oh yes! Andrea and Karen! we had loads of those too.

and Clare / Claire

Well, I was born in 1966 and my name is on the list and most of the others were people I went to school with. I also knew a lot of Nicolas, Julies, Sarahs and Wendy. I don't think, with the exception of Sarah, any of them would be used today.

I have to say that Sheila, Brenda, Cynthia and Barbar are much older ladies than me. More like the mothers of 60's children. There was one Brenda and one Barbara in my year at secondary school (of about 350 children) and even then we thought their names old fashioned.

Niecie, were lots of your friends' mothers called Anne?

Not that I remember Sugarskyhigh, although my cousin's mum was called Anne. My cousin is 48 now I think so born in 1960.

A friend of mine had a much older sister (10 or 12 yrs older) who was called Anne.

Can't think of any more.

What about Christine, Diane, Catherine, Anita, Maureen. Knew all those on the list and I was born mid 60s.

Oh yes, loads of Catherines

What about Gail and Alison?

How about Marie /maria there were a few of those at my school
I know a young Maxine ,Julie, Maria and Christina.From the boys list know heaps of stephens -still quite popular round here.

I was born in '67. There were 5 Helens in my class at school - most of the others were Alisons, Nicolas or Louises

Well I'm a 1979er and there were loads of Nicolas around when I was at school (mostly Niki or Nikki - by the time we were old enough to change spellings for coll-factor it was the late 80s). And everyone still had Louise as a middle name!
Lots of mums called Anne too - my mum went to school with three in one class! Those names seemed to have stuck around for a while.

i am 67

Claire
Rachel
Penny
Jane
Karen
Catherine
Kate
Natasha
Miranda
Noel
Nicola
Bethany
Eleri
Lucy
Laura
Paula
Caroline
Katrina
Anna
Nicola
Sally
Serena
Miriam
Sarah

that was my year at school

1965 Essex girl here too - my name is on the list but as already said Nicola and Amanda (Mandy definately missing) and no there is no way I would inflict my name on anybody else. I'm now in NZ and there are at least 3 other Mum's with my name in a very small school.

Samantha

Samantha, Melanie, Stephanie, Andrea, Melissa and Caroline have all been on the top 100 US baby lists in the past five years. And Alice/Alison.

Can anyone remember what exactly made the names in the original poster's lists popular in the first place? This is what interests me the most, the reason for the popularity.

I believe that the name Sharon became very, popular because of the beautiful actress Alexandra Bastedo's character in the Champions. She spoke with a clear, well spoken English accent and looked incredibly stylish in it! Who can blame parents for wanting to aspire to that. Grace Kelly played Tracy Samantha Lord in High Society in 1956 so it was already brewing in the social conscience. By the time the Fat Slags 'Sharon and Tracey' from the Viz magazine came about, the descent was well and truly established.

Sometimes what's perceived as 'common' and popular become confused. Was Sharon ever the no.1 name? I don't think so but Sarah was in the 70's wasn't it? Nobody thinks of such a popular name as being common however. Intriguing.

How about Valerie?The only one I know of now is Julian Clary's dog!

I meant to say 'becomes confused'