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Names in fashion

(136 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?

kittylester Mon 03-Sept-18 06:15:18

My nan's name was Edith and I see a little girl with the same name on her way to school most days. I also know of a Florence which was the name of my favourite great aunt (my nan's sister) She also had sisters called Enid and Berths - I haven't heard those lately. The other sister was called Elizabeth which is also the name of our middle daughter. Her brothers were George and Jack - quite common now!

Maggiemaybe Mon 03-Sept-18 06:47:33

They’re already back! There are Elsies, Enids, Evelyns and Ediths amongst my DGSs’ friends. So many Es! The next phase might be here already. David Mitchell and Victoria C-M named their little girl Barbara.

Maggiemaybe Mon 03-Sept-18 06:49:24

Boys’ names too, of course. My DGS3’s best friend is Arnold. He’s just turned 3.

OldMeg Mon 03-Sept-18 07:24:23

I know a young Mabel.

NannyJan53 Mon 03-Sept-18 07:33:49

One of my granddaughters is Edith (My Nans name) and a Molly (the name my Nan was called even though she was Edith), I also have an Amelia which seems to be coming back.

My Mums middle name is Ruth, but have yet to see that making a comeback!

Greyduster Mon 03-Sept-18 07:49:37

There was a May and a Dora in my GS’s class, and also Stanley.

travelsafar Mon 03-Sept-18 08:14:52

I know of a Joshua, Lizzie and an Evie

grannyqueenie Mon 03-Sept-18 08:15:53

It’s funny how some old names come back and others don’t seem to. Haven’t heard of a Brenda or a Brian foe example, but at the toddler group I help at we’ve recently had a Horatio.....you don’t get many of them to the pound!

Charleygirl Mon 03-Sept-18 08:33:51

My paternal grandmother was Isabella, my mother's name was Agnes but she was known as Molly throughout her life.

I have one nephew called Airell which is unusual, another is Dorian- the remaining children in that family have normal names with different spelling eg Rebekkah.

DoraMarr Mon 03-Sept-18 08:52:18

I was thinking more of those names popular in the 50s and 60s, the names of my school friends. As an Infants teacher I knew lots of children called Molly and Lily etc because those Victorian/Edwardian names seem to have been popular for a long time now, but I never taught a Pauline, Christine, Barbara, Wendy, Sandra or Susan. These were the names of my best friends at school. They were popular throughout that period, but they seem to have disappeared now, much like Gary, Mark and Alan for boys. I wonder what makes a name popular again?

Teetime Mon 03-Sept-18 08:55:20

I do hope Doris - my mothers name doesn't come back - poor child that gets that.

ninathenana Mon 03-Sept-18 09:49:37

Your right DoraMarr I had class mates with those names too, unheard of now.
Quiet a few of the older names are adapted though. Ella used to be short for Elenor, Libby- Elizabeth I know a little girl called Suzi but you don't hear Susan.
I don't want to give my mum's name but until about 5-6 yrs ago she was the only person I'd ever known with the name. It's now very popular for little girls.

Maggiemaybe Mon 03-Sept-18 12:04:05

I do know of a couple of baby Maggies. They're not Margarets though. grin

Maggiemaybe Mon 03-Sept-18 12:25:37

And Reception age children called Annie and Chrissie. And a Jeff. They could all have been in my class.

JackyB Mon 03-Sept-18 12:40:10

Here in Germany the fashions are very different. I get a lot of unbelieving looks because my name is associated with 20-somethings chav types.

Doris, however, is a common name, at least among people of my age, and has no unpleasant connotations.

They have only just caught on to Old Testament names in recent years and there are now classes full of Joshuas and Hannahs. Jessica is also popular now - that was my grandmother's name!

My mother and all her contemporaries (born in the early 20th century) had names of flowers: Violet, Daisy, Ivy, Iris, Poppy, etc.

It's nice that some variety is getting into names. We had 4 Lindas in our year, there were 4 Susans in the year below us and 4 Christines in the year above, and it was only a tiny school! The boys were all called Stephen or John. A little more originality, without having to go totally out of the ordinary, would have been a good thing!

travelsafar Mon 03-Sept-18 13:33:16

Charleygirl my mum was called Phyllis but she too was called Molly.

GrannyGravy13 Mon 03-Sept-18 13:52:39

We have an Albie, Violet-Florence, Elsie and Frieda in the family. And know of Stanley, Isabella and Eva.

annodomini Mon 03-Sept-18 14:03:24

My DM was Ethel Mary, but never known by any other name than Molly. I suspect that Ethel is a name that is unlikely to be revived.

Cold Mon 03-Sept-18 15:01:20

I do hope Doris - my mothers name doesn't come back - poor child that gets that.

My good friend's 1 year old granddaughter is called Doris

In my daughters' school classes in Sweden there were plenty of girls called Ida, Frida, Wilma, Matilda, Agnes, Alva, Beatrice and Vera as well as boys called Dennis, Oscar, Felix, Walter, Axel, Kevin and Erik.

SueDonim Mon 03-Sept-18 15:30:44

Someone had a new baby boy in our village so when I saw them out and about I went over to congratulate them. I asked what he was called and nearly fell over when they replied 'Roy'.

Most of my friends grandchildren are fairly normal names, although there is one Phoenix and one Wulfric amongst them to ring the changes!

gillybob Mon 03-Sept-18 15:43:11

I love the name Mabel , OldMeg My DD loved it for when she had her baby girl recently but it clashed with her partners surname.

They settled on Evie instead which I love.

I do hope no poor child ever gets saddled with my awful name. Gilleeeeeannnn . YUK !

Auntieflo Mon 03-Sept-18 15:51:46

We had 5 Jacquelines in our class. Not heard of that coming back.

SueDonim Mon 03-Sept-18 16:07:23

Other names from my school days are Alison, Karen, Susan, Amanda & Helen.

Boys were Paul, Kevin, Steven, Neil etc.

Gagagran Mon 03-Sept-18 16:25:08

There were five Carols in my form at High School and there are five in the choir I now sing in.