Fashionable names

My first great grandson arrived on Saturday morning. His name is Freddie, I LOVE that!

My mother born 1919 was Charlotte Lavinia and I’m shocked at how popular Charlotte has become. My aunt was Minna and I’ve literally never met another one. I’m Rosalind and I’ve met a couple of these in my teaching career. It’s never been popular though.

Susan was a name popular in 1965 - and no other year. Jane Austen wrote a story called 'Lady Susan' when she was young and Susanna is Mozart's heroine in 'The Marriage of Figaro'.

Susan also reminds me of scatty heroine in wonderful Jane Shaw books. My favourite was ‘Breton Adventure’ and I bought it on the internet a few years ago for just around £5 when I had a sudden urge to read it again.

My name has been in the maternal family line for many generations, but my cousin and I seem to be the last to bear it as all the younger family members have ignored it. There is a sprinkle of "Letitia" around. I was given four forenames, so I can take my pick and, particularly when very young, played with different personas to go with the different names. My son is Laurence after an uncle Lorenzo. Note the "u", not "w".
For a girl I like Catriona and Catherine. I did not know any Susan until I was in my early 20s, and somehow thought it was more popular in the south of the country.
My gran named her children Ivy, Lily, Edith, Nellie, Doris and twin Elliot, Betty, (another Edith as the first one died), Joe, Walter and William, The last of these was born in 1921, but all have names popular today except maybe Walter.

To Dee1012, My Christian names are Jacqueline Maria and I’m married to David! I feel a bit sorry for little boys called Sid, and a little girl I met called Demi. Someone I know called their child Mazey, obviously not understanding that it is an adjective in Thomas Hardy’s novels meaning confused of mind. Demi’s mother didn’t know it was short for Demetria, either, so do you think parents should do a bit more research before they choose names for their offspring?

I think many names that we like or dislike are because we have known people with that name that we strongly liked or disliked. When I was at school I was bullied by a Linda and hated the name as a result. When I had my own children I had a good friend with children the same age that I met through toddler group. She was called Linda and I overcame my dislike for the name but sadly the name is back on my 'dislike list' due to a bullying boss at work!

I hated my own name as I considered it old-fashioned so I changed it when I went to university. I do like traditional names and struggle with modern names which seem to have been 'made up' in recent years but love the revival of some names once considered old-fashioned.

My very young DGS has been given 3, all old fashioned as such, but the one everyone comments on is Barrington. I must admit I feel sorry for him learning to write his name 33 letters all together :/

Lilyflower

Susan was a name popular in 1965 - and no other year. Jane Austen wrote a story called 'Lady Susan' when she was young and Susanna is Mozart's heroine in 'The Marriage of Figaro'.

I was born in 1954 and Susan was one of the most common names amongst my classmates so it must have been fairly popular earlier than 1965 in the NW of England.

I'm a Susan - don't mind being called Sue, but absolutely hate being called Suzie and Suzanne (sorry any Suzanne's but it's not my name). Also have a sister-in-law and a cousin by marriage called Susan.

I like to see some of the older names coming back.

Lilyflower

Susan was a name popular in 1965 - and no other year. Jane Austen wrote a story called 'Lady Susan' when she was young and Susanna is Mozart's heroine in 'The Marriage of Figaro'.

It did seem to be popular in the early 1970s but I can't remember why.

Our youngest grandson is Henry, which we love, and his best friend is Arthur. When we hear their names together, I always think they sound like 2 elderly gentlemen sitting on a park bench. Don't like made up names, and I don't think my mother's name Gladys will ever come back in fashion

My Mom wanted to call me Zoe, which I love, but had family opposition, so in the late 40s, she retaliated in naming me after a Hugh Walpole novel she had just read. Still not a common name in those days, although it has been since. My middle name I hate, as it is very unusual and a prime target in my school days for salacious jokes from the boys. I never told Mom, as she would have been so hurt that I suffered such tormenting, but it did keep me focused when I chose my son's name, short, traditional and always popular.

Both my boys have unusual Welsh names so family and friends were horrified when I told them my plans. Now they can't imagine the boys being called anything else and their names make them memorable. I never had to ring the school and give full details, the moment I said their Christian names, they knew who I was talking about. People who've met them but lost touch have managed to track them down easily and their names are always a conversation starter which breaks the ice. I'm so glad I didn't give in to the naysayers.

My grandson goes to nursery with a little girl called Hortensia, not a name you hear very often these days. I've always been drawn towards biblical and Dickensian names.

I'd like to see some of the older and regional names being used again: Matthew, Luke, Gideon, Joel, Dickon, Dorcas, Hannah, Amy, Elspeth, Padraig, Charity, Seth, Finn or Finigan, Ptolemy, Ellen/Ellena, Morag, and of course Susan/Susannah, Christine, Geraldine and Jacqueline.

An elderly aunt of ours was called Agatha I do not like that name. A girl in school was called Lavinia and there was not too many of them around.
I often hear my neighbour calling her grand-daughter sounds
odd for her to call her Chardonnay.

About names....when I was young a lot of surnames are now Christian names
Taylor, Harrison, Mason, Elliot, Fletcher, Riley, Carter, Harvey, any more?

My sister, born in 1949, is a Susan (Sue). I was born a few years later and there were always a few Susans in my class, along with Lindas, Pats, Jeans, Julies, etc.

Victorian names like Charlotte and Emily were coming back into popularity when I was a young woman, and I remember we were amused when a neighbour called her baby Oscar. We thought "poor little kid." Now the country is awash with Oscars, Alfies, Berties, etc.

My mum was born in 1920 and some of the names of her era are becoming popular, including her name, Molly. I haven't encountered many children called Hilda, Doris, Keith or Ken yet.

I'm not sure whether it's too early for my generation's names to be revived. Maybe they will, and we'll see lots of little Davids, Michaels and Johns. I think that some time has to pass before names that one generation thinks a bit ordinary are considered charming by new parents.

Witzend. The whiskery old great aunts are now the Julie’s Maureen's, Margaret’s Jennifer’s Susan’s and Linda’s ha ha ha! And the adorable little cuties, are now the Alfie’s, Arthur’s, Ada’s, Lily’s Ethel’s and Edith’s! Takes some getting your head round. I am happy with my name Helen, as it seems to be timeless, but hate my second name Margaret, especially as it now reminds me of that horrible Thatcher woman.

Witzend

IMO a lot of names such as Jane, John, Mary and Susan, will be making a comeback in the not too distant. I love John!

Look what’s happened to a lot of the names that many of my era connected with whiskery old great-aunts - Mabel, Florence, Edith, etc, - a dd’s friend named a recent baby Ada. To me I’m afraid to say it conjured up someone in a pinny with curlers in her hair, very likely with a fag hanging out of her mouth, too.
Younger parents won’t have those associations.

Except for the really timeless classics, IMO most of them have their popular eras, followed by decades in the wilderness, but eventually resurrected again.
How about Linda? So popular among my generation, ditto Christine, but you so rarely - if ever - hear of any baby called those names now.

There is a very famous, talented lady named Ada.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_Lovelace

I like the name Donna which was never really that popular I also like Ava and Evie

I do wish Grandparents would keep their own thoughts as to their GCs names it is only up to the parents be it a classic family name or a modern name it is no ones business only the childs parents.
When my DGD was born 3rd DGD was born 3 yrs ago I was not over the top with the name she was going to be called and I kept my thoughts to myself there was no way I was going to upset my DIL with my thoughts the little one would not now suit any other name and she is a joy,I had never heard of the name before but now I hear many little girls called it .

What are peoples views on how many given names should a child be given?

Congratulations emjaebe
We have a newborn GS called Charlie.

If Charlie had been a girl Dd and SIL had decided on the name Harriet. I didn’t tell them but I really don’t like the name.
Apologies to any lovely Harriets but when I hear it , I get a picture in my mind of a frankfurter with arms and legs and a big red smiling mouth.?

My daughter has Susan as a middle name - which she dislikes - but it is her paternal grandmas name! I like it it reminds me of Little friend Susan in Milly Molly Mandy!

DD's first name is Lilybeth after The Queen as she was born just after Princess Diana died. she was going to be Lily as we wanted an English name but thought The Queen got an unfair time of it in the aftermath!

I think Phillip is going to make a comeback after Eugenie put it in for her son. Susan and David were the most popular names for years. Much like Jack and Amelia have been of late.

I can't believe Freddie is so popular much as i love Mr Mercury. I just can't imagine people calling their kids Roger or Brian but i am sure it will happen!