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Original poster

What do you think of Hilda?

128 replies

giltrose · 10/03/2010 14:10

What do you think of Hilda? The longer forms I've been looking at (Brunhilde) I now think are too much with no German connections.

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Cortina · 12/03/2010 16:17

I love Zelda, I know one and she's uber cool and in her 30s.

Wasn't Zelda Scott Fitzgerald's wife?

Tawny75 · 12/03/2010 16:19

I like older names too but IMHO Hilda should just die out

campion · 12/03/2010 18:08

My headmistress was called Hilda. Hated the woman and,thus,the name.

Think she probably has died out by now, Tawny75.I suppose I should be respectfully

It's a rubbish name, anyway. I knew a Golden Retriever called Hilda. ( Didn't suit it!)

seeker · 12/03/2010 22:18

Not Hilda Annersley, surely, campion?

sheilatakeabow · 12/03/2010 22:22

My nan was called Hilda. She looked like Noddy Holder. The name suited her. She was lovely though

imahappycamper · 12/03/2010 22:30

I know two best friends, Edna and Hilda, in their 80s. Neither wear curlers though. Maybe it needs a but longer before it gets a revival.

imahappycamper · 12/03/2010 22:31

I know two best friends, Edna and Hilda, in their 80s. Neither wear curlers though. Maybe it needs a bit longer before it gets a revival.

Remotew · 12/03/2010 23:03

If Hilda ever comes back in fashion I will eat my headscarf complete with the curlers. Then again I wouldn't have thought that Stanley would ever be cool again for a boy but I love it now. Was really embarassed by it in the 70's as it was my DF's name, wished he was called Gary or something back then.

LyraSilvertongue · 12/03/2010 23:18

It's funny but Hilda just sounds wrong wrong wrong but Tilda (as in Swinton) sounds perfectly acceptable.
I think it's less about the way the name sounds than the connotations, ie old lady/Hilda Ogden.

Remotew · 12/03/2010 23:21

Tilda, sounds great. My friend was Edith in the 70's hated it but was known as Edie, now it's back in vogue.

Tobim · 12/03/2010 23:53

Hilda: it's not good, but still not as bad as Enid (my grandmother's name). How can you look at a beautiful new baby and think of naming her Enid?

campion · 13/03/2010 10:31

No,not Hilda Annersley, Seeker ( Who she?).
I'll keep her surname a mystery.
She deffo wasn't a curlers and cobbles sort - more's the pity!

mummamango · 13/03/2010 14:02

More old lady names...
Gladys
Ivy
Ethel
Maud
Winn
Betty
Violet
Jean
Marge

mummamango · 13/03/2010 14:04

Tilda is short for Matilda surely?
Alma's nice too. Also loving Edna!
Hilarious

FlumpetMum · 13/03/2010 14:43

Surely there is a little 3 year old, dressed fully in Boden, called Hilda out there?

MrsCadwallader · 13/03/2010 16:09

When I first saw the thread title I thought Nooooooooo!!! but reading through the thread, and the more I say 'Hilda' to myself (in my head. I'm not sitting here saying 'Hilda' out loud over and over again - just to make that clear) the more I like it.

It's a grower! If you like it, then go for it

jabberwocky · 13/03/2010 16:34

No, I just can't see it. But I do like the idea of Hilde as pronounced "Hildy". That's cute.

MerryMarigold · 13/03/2010 20:05

I agree with someone on page 1 who said it sounds like it's trying too hard...old-lady chic without being obviously trendy...naaah. Go for something which either sounds nice or has sentimental value (if you had a lovely great aunt Hilda then I think it would be ok)

Surprise · 13/03/2010 22:17

I think it sounds very harsh and not very pretty. I'll give you my favourite....

Rita.

Love it. Would definitely call another daughter this, except I'm not having any more!

ravenAK · 13/03/2010 22:26

I'm another who has a Mathilda, partly as a nod to FIL's mother who was Hilda.

'Strong in battle' suits her remarkably well...

GnocchiGnocchiWhosThere · 14/03/2010 00:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

meaniebrown · 14/03/2010 02:42

I think of the classic Cary Grant/Rosalind Russell movie, His Girl Friday. Russell plays Hildegard "Hildy" Johnson. She's a very likable character, so for me Hilde (esp the nn Hildy) has positive associations. If you like it, go for it.

Redheadgal · 14/03/2010 17:39

As a Hilary I can honestly say I hated it as a child; as an adult, however, I love being a 'Hil'. It's really different. 'Hilly' was also a nice nn when I was little.

bacon · 14/03/2010 17:46

No more hideous than some of these modern names that I here. Even the spellings annoy me I saw Daisy spelt Dayse recently...Why?

I had Gwladys, Queenie and Pearl as my options - had a boy - Eben.

Why not? we always think of other people even characters in TV but surely Kylie was a trend after TV and most people would cringe now.

I kept all my options secret as everyone has an opinion and didnt want people to influence me.

MrsCadwallader · 14/03/2010 18:16

Just as an aside - when my parents named me (in 1973) my grandmother had a complete headfit that they'd given me such an awful frumpy old lady name.

Now, on this board, there is a thread asking people's opinions on my name - the one that in 1973 was SO old-fashioned and awful. On that thread, my name has been described as 'a bit 'meh'', bland, girly, borderline tarty, pretty but a bit wet, and sort of common to the point of 'couldn't you think of anything more interesting?'.

All I'm saying is, today's hideously frumpy and old-fashioned will be tomorrow's over-popular, and the next day's boring and 'meh'.