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Names in fashion

(137 Posts)
DoraMarr Mon 03-Sept-18 01:54:05

When I was a girl in the 50s and 60s our grandmas and aunties were all called names like Doris, Sheila, Elsie and Betty. We thought Molly, Lily, Emily and Rosie were quaintly Victorian. Now lots of little girls are called Molly etc because they have come back into fashion. I wonder when our grandmothers’ and aunts’names will come back? And what about those 50s and 60s names like Pauline, Christine and Barbara?

Saggi Tue 04-Sept-18 16:07:57

I was born in 1950 and I'm a Sheila... Three more in my class at school...three Linda's ....three johns .... I hope non of these come back. I hate my name.... but worse I hate ' Sheeeell'

britnan Tue 04-Sept-18 17:15:33

There were lots of Susans and Lindas at school. Some Carols, Rosemarys, Paulines, Marions, Patricias too. My lovely Mum's name Ivy seems to be back in fashion but not her middle name - Gertrude.

BBbevan Tue 04-Sept-18 17:40:12

When we had to have French names for French lessons at school, we were given the nearest to our given name. There was no French equivalent to mine so I was given Marthe . I was mortified as it seemed then, an old lady's name.
My best friend was Olive. Not heard a lot now

Conni7 Tue 04-Sept-18 18:20:02

Names at school: Margaret, Maureen, Patricia, Sheila, Edna, Evelyn, Jacqueline, Valerie, Mary (several), Marie, Brenda, Susan, Denise, Jane, Christine, Anne, Irene, Joan, Pauline. There were a lot of Keiths, Davids, Pauls, and Williams around as well.

dirgni Tue 04-Sept-18 18:39:06

I know a little Ada and Mabel.

MissAdventure Tue 04-Sept-18 18:43:04

When I was at school the names were, Russel, Neil, Mark (Marc) Jason, John, David, Graham, and... Sydney!

Daddima Tue 04-Sept-18 18:47:34

Incidentally, only one of the Lindas in my class was actually called Linda. The others were two Elizabeths and two Agneses.

varian Tue 04-Sept-18 19:53:49

There are also couples names which you can virtually age folk by -Ernest and Mabel (1920s), Frank and Joyce (1930s), Peter and Jenny(1940s), Mike and Sue (1950s), John and Debbie (1960s), Paul and Vicky (1970s), Jason and Tracey(1980s), Simon and Kylie(1990s), Jack and Lilly(2000s).

I'm sure you can all think of other examples.

Jalima1108 Tue 04-Sept-18 20:37:42

My Mabel was a bit earlier than 1920s, so perhaps my Granny was ahead of her time when she named her children!

What about the boys' names from the 1940s?
Brian, Denis, Terence, Kenneth, Tony, Ronald, Donald, Raymond, Gerald, Norman, Bernard, Barry Trevor etc?

I don't like any of them very much (sorry to all the 70 something males out there).

Patsy70 Tue 04-Sept-18 21:08:19

My Mum and Grandmother were Ada Mary, my aunties were Sophie, Charlotte, Doris, Maude, Theresa. My Dad was Bertram and uncles Walter, Frederick, George & Joseph. My sisters are Jean & Christine. My children are Paul Nicholas & Dawn Patricia and nephews Martin, Simon, Andrew, Paul, Matthew, nieces Emma & Elizabeth. My granddaughters are Madeline, Megan, Gabrielle & Matilda, grandsons Liam John and Alexander Stephen.

yearofthetiger Tue 04-Sept-18 21:14:40

Yes,I know someone under 60 called Patricia, but she is 56!

oldbatty Tue 04-Sept-18 21:17:00

I can remember a Susan. Oh how I longed for that name. The height if fashion.

Nanna58 Tue 04-Sept-18 21:32:36

I’m a Debbie, there we’re loads of us when I was at school in the 60’s, also Sandra’s and Linda’s- there was a girl named Penelope, how we all envied her!

petra Tue 04-Sept-18 21:38:58

Gabriella
grin I knew that didn't look right when i posted it, but couldn't work out why. Now I know why: it was tooooo early in the morning.
I'm always in admiration of people who can engage their brains that early.
Note to self: don't post before 10? grin

Marieeliz Tue 04-Sept-18 21:50:47

You don't hear of many David's now and I think it is a nice name. John is not popular either. My ggrandmother was a Gertrude, terrible name. I have Elizabeth as my second name as my Mum and gran helps when tracing your family tree.

PECS Tue 04-Sept-18 22:07:02

Hugh, Graham, Gregory, Trevor.. not too many of them under 50! Or Vera, Eileen , Joyce, Doreen...

My DGS2 is Stanley,
DGD 2 Connie

GreenGran78 Tue 04-Sept-18 22:36:22

Paperbackbutterfly I am so thrilled to hear that your great-niece has been named Brenda (even if only as a second name). I am a 79 year old Brenda, and have never met a namesake who was younger than about 65. According to my parents they couldn't decide on a name, and let my aunt choose for them. I have always felt rather miffed about that!
Talking of strange names, my friend's GD was named Pebbles. Granny was NOT amused!
The oddest name I have come across was an American child called ABCDE, which was, apparently, pronounced 'ab-suh-dee.'

BBbevan Wed 05-Sept-18 04:23:14

We had 2 children at school , SX and KC . ( not Essex and Kaycee) definitely just 2 capital letters

Witzend Wed 05-Sept-18 07:24:21

I know young parents don't have the same associations, but to me so many of the old names conjure up withered, whiskery old great aunts! I can't understand the likes of Mabel being popular again, and I think they'll seem very dated in a few decades - the same as e.g. Linda and Christine from my era.
A Granny of mine - born pre 1900 - was Phoebe - she loathed it, and would have been very bemused to find that it's become popular again - largely down to Phoebe in Friends, I expect.

My other was Rose, which doesn't seem to have dated at all.

Witzend Wed 05-Sept-18 07:33:17

BTW I can see some of the really traditional, non-dating names - John, David, Elizabeth, etc. - making a comeback soon. Any of those is probably a real rarity in any reception class at the moment, but once a trend starts...

harrigran Wed 05-Sept-18 11:43:06

Correct Rosina, Austrian automobile entrepreneur Emil Jellinek created the trademark Mercedes in 1902 using his daughter's name.

Anniebach Wed 05-Sept-18 12:31:38

When I was in school - Megan, Bethan, Muriel, Bronny (Bronwen), Carwen, Delyth. Irwyn, and a Maxine , she came from England and we thought it so film studio

Jalima1108 Wed 05-Sept-18 14:07:03

Gabriella
There was a Gabriella at my school too, in the year below me. She was Greek.

Jalima1108 Wed 05-Sept-18 14:10:25

I have a cousin named whose Christian names are Aston Martin.
Gabriella isn't there a cricketer named Jack Russell? (woof)

Jalima1108 Wed 05-Sept-18 14:12:34

gulligrann
I'm Elaine, and I've always disliked it.
I know at least three Elaines and I like it - better than most names from our era anyway.
Presuming you are the same era as me - you could be must younger.