Jillian, Melanie, Lindsay... can you see past the 'datedness?

[MaggieMaeve]

that's it really. as mentioned on another thread, everybody is looking for a pretty but unusual name. That holy grail to quote Bellissima!

No, but there has to a brave soul somewhere who starts the revival!

Not keen on the Jillian and Melanie's but we had Lindsay on our list for if Ds was a girl.

Not those particular names but :

Elaine
Anita
Jaqueline
Emma
Joanna (but not Joanne)
Christina (but not Christine)
Clare/Claire

I heard my (sixties) name called out by a mother the other day - daughter was about eight - I turned round in shock as no child is EVER called that these days.

What I meant about holy grails is that they are impossible to find. I fear that the seeker of something unusual is bound to be disappointed, as fashion, likemindedness and even MN ensure that your 'original' name never is. There's a good discussion on this in Steven Pinker's latest book. Personally I went for family names, but then DD1's (Eleanor) has been described as 'boring' on here. Tant pis as they say.

No - but I think that Hilary, Christina, Sarah, Claire and Elaine may be in for a revival.

I'm coming round to Melanie... the probelm wih these names is they often make me think of friends of my mum/neighbours/aunties etc when I was growing up. Though I guess we all got over the names that sound like our grandmas thing with the current revival, so maybe they are due for a comeback! I was at a playgroup the other day and the leader commented it was more like an old people's home - Arthur, George, Ivy, Florence, Ted, Polly

It's funny, I like Tess and someone on here commented it was a real 60s name, which I wouldn't have thought of, I was thinking more Tess of the D'Urbervilles...

I love Gillian- or Gilly/Gill as a nickname. Although as my aunt is called it, I have come to an agreement with my cousin whereby I can use our Grannie?s name and he can use his mum?s! Melanie sounds so 70s, although if you try and think about it without thinking of the datedness of it, it has a pretty sound to it. I have a friend called Elaine, in her 20s. They will all come around in the end- I?m sure we?ll all have grandchildren called Janet, Brian and Susan! In fact this is probably why my mum doesn?t like our chosen name, Martha, as it probably sounds exactly the same to her!

Melanie is nice.

Gillian is frumpy, and I can't see the appeal in Lindsay at all.

I know a Lindsay in her early 20s, also a good few Emmas, Sarahs, Jacquelines and Tesses under 15. And one Christina, age 7ish.

I like Jillian! I also like Susan, Jean and Angela.
I am soooooo surprised that Angela is not more popular because it is so lovely!

Melanie and Lindsay are defo not for me though!

I think a lot of 60s/70s names are really pretty.

Louise, Melanie (although I do know teenage Melanies), Claire/Clare, Deborah, Jacqueline (not so much Jackie, though), Alison, Sarah, Stephanie, Amanda, Lisa etc. Even Tracey has a pretty sound to it if you think about it. And particularly Julie which I think is lovely and sounds much softer than Julia.

Much nicer than some of the old lady names that are popular at the moment.

It just needs a brave person to start the revival.

If history is anything to go by, our children are likely to call their children these sort of names. They will be "Granny/old man chic".

My sister is a LYNSEY and her name has never felt dated and always sounded light and sweet....i like it

I like Lyndsay / Lindsay. Don't really like Jillian, Melanie just makes me think of the spice girls!

Melanie is lovely. It would have been on my list, but it would sound ridiculous with surname.

Not mad about the other two, though.

I wanted to b put Jillian on our list but DH vetoed it. Lovely

I quite understand the desire for "pretty but unusual names". However, I don't think Lindsay or Gillian were ever pretty! Melanie is prettier than either of those two.

Sarah is a very pretty name.

I never liked Lyndsay/ Gillian but Sarah/ Louise/ Claire (70s names) are v pretty and are always around at some level.

I have a couple of friends called Melanie and have always rather liked it

Louise is having quite a comeback in France. See here

I prefer the spelling Gillian to Jillian, and the only Gillian I know is my friend's sister. She's c. 27 or so, I think, and decidedly not frumpy! If my Mum had had another baby girl after my sister she would have been called Gillian Frances.

I do like Jill, not Gillian/Jillian though, don't like the Gill spelling either. Jill is the only one that doesn't feel dowdy.

not keen on Melanie and Lindsay, both feel tired and quite dull, though I suppose on a little girl they might be lent a new aspect. I do like the similar-but-not-dated Melody, though I suppose that's not everyone's taste.

What about Stephanie? I like Elaine too (as suggested above).

I personally can't see past the datedness. I went to school with several Melanies so for me to name a dd this would be weird.

Gillian is my MIL and tbh I don't think it's a particularly attractive name.

Lyndsay is ok but I don't like the unisex aspect.

I agree that our granchildren will probably have a 70's/80's name. The best of the bunch for me are:

Amanda
Christina
Jennifer
Michelle
Tanya
Samantha
Claire
Helen
Karen
Sharon

Quite like Melanie and Lindsay not too bad but not Gillian/Jillian.