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Popular names when you went to school

(228 Posts)
Babs03 Sat 18-Jan-25 22:13:00

When I went to school there were a lot of Lorraines, Gillians, Angelas, Patricias, and Susans. There were also a lot of Philips, Tonys, Pauls, Dereks, Roys, and Stephens.
Which names were popular when you were at school.

NotSpaghetti Sun 19-Jan-25 10:43:28

MissAdventure

My girl insisted her new best friend at playschool was called "HappyGal" smile

Was she an Abigail?

Tenko Sun 19-Jan-25 10:43:46

Fidelity2

All the above names seem OK to me .You don't get many Sidney or Cyril these days. I had an aunt Noah! Can't
think where that came from.It seems more like an old mans name,not a womans.
Then you get a nice name like Elizabeth and it gets shortened to Lizzy! Christine shortened to Chrisy

Sidney is quite popular as a girls name these days .

Allira Sun 19-Jan-25 10:45:20

MissAdventure

Nicola is still a nice name.
I've never considered knickerless as associated with it.
Unlike "some people" grin

I still like it but yes, that did come to DH's mind.
As Witzend said ^Though what that says about his wayward teen years I really don’t want to know^…

NotSpaghetti Sun 19-Jan-25 10:49:44

Sago

Bernadette, Theresa, Mary, Jane, Catherine,Clare, Paul, Joseph, Vincent, Benedict, Peter, Christopher and a very exotic Theodora!

It was a Catholic school.

I recognise all these from my school too!
Same reason...

MissAdventure Sun 19-Jan-25 10:50:04

I'm thinking about my mums friends names, now.
Joycie (Joyce) joanie (Joan) while my mum was Jeanie (Jean) smile
Dolly, Carole...

Allira Sun 19-Jan-25 10:51:39

A couple of the girls with the more unusual names in our school were not British, one was Greek, another American because her father was posted to an airbase nearby.

Elusivebutterfly Sun 19-Jan-25 10:52:05

There were four Susan's in my class all through school so always considered that the most popular name, with Linda also popular.
I always wanted a normal name like that instead of the unusual one I have.

Witzend Sun 19-Jan-25 10:53:17

I particularly remember a Penelope, one of the new intake in the kindergarten (as it was called) year below me.

Her name was on a label next to her cloakroom peg, and I thought what a weird name Peen-lope was. 😂
It was a while before I actually heard anyone say it!

MissAdventure Sun 19-Jan-25 10:53:59

I knew a couple of Gays.

Allira Sun 19-Jan-25 10:55:04

MissAdventure

I knew a couple of Gays.

We had a Gaynor at our school.

Allira Sun 19-Jan-25 10:56:15

Witzend

I particularly remember a Penelope, one of the new intake in the kindergarten (as it was called) year below me.

Her name was on a label next to her cloakroom peg, and I thought what a weird name Peen-lope was. 😂
It was a while before I actually heard anyone say it!

I wanted to call one of our DD Penelope but Penelope Pitstop was popular on TV at the time.

MissAdventure Sun 19-Jan-25 10:56:40

Tracey was very popular.
I also knew a Terri, which I was quite taken with.

Babs03 Sun 19-Jan-25 10:57:34

Had a friend at school called Gaye, just the one, imagine that name became tricky as she got older. As in ‘are you Gaye?’
Btw is totally lighthearted no offence meant
🫢

MissAdventure Sun 19-Jan-25 10:59:28

My mum told me my name was almost Mona, as a reference to what a miserable child I was.

I was never sure if she was serious.

Tenko Sun 19-Jan-25 11:00:18

I was born in 1958 and had lots of Jane’s, Jennys, Susan’s and Anne’s . Plus Jackie’s , Elaine’s , Julie’s , Wendy’s and Elizabeth’s .
With the boys , it was John , David , Steven or with a ph . Paul , Peter . Tim, Richard , Christopher, Mathew .
My DS born 1990 was named after my dad , grandad and great grandad . When he started nursery there were 3 of them and 4 in his class in primary school. I didn’t realise it was such a popular name .
My DD also has a popular name which has lasted through many decades .
I was at school with a Nova , she hated the name and felt she was expected to be extroverted and exotic , which she wasn’t , so I was always wary of very unusual names .

JamesandJon33 Sun 19-Jan-25 11:00:26

We had a Gay at college, but no one thought anything about it .

Allira Sun 19-Jan-25 11:01:16

I was nearly called Muriel 😯

You're terrible, Muriel!

Allira Sun 19-Jan-25 11:02:11

MissAdventure

My mum told me my name was almost Mona, as a reference to what a miserable child I was.

I was never sure if she was serious.

My mother called me Calamity Jane.

MissAdventure Sun 19-Jan-25 11:05:01

I think Nova is an excellent name, but it must have been pretty "out there" when it was given, compared to now.

Grammaretto Sun 19-Jan-25 11:06:22

I went to 9 schools no I wasn't expelled in 2 countries.
In NZ there were a few Maori names and Scots and Irish and a few unisex names.

So we had a Ngairi, Shona, Aine, Kirsty, Lesley, Gretchen, Robin, Lindsey, Alasdair, Niall.

I loved naming my pets and dolls!

Babs03 Sun 19-Jan-25 11:12:39

Is a boy at our grandson’s nursery called Ernest and a little girl called Edith. A neighbour’s daughter and SiL have called their little girl Ada.
Certainly a blast from the past these days.

MissAdventure Sun 19-Jan-25 11:13:29

We used to sing a song about a girl called Kirsty Moore at school, at some point.

Little Kirsty Moore was a sickly babe, and t,was feared she'd not live looong!
So they did a little spell, for to make the babby well, and it seems it was a bit too strong!!

Aldom Sun 19-Jan-25 11:18:22

Annette, Ann, Avril, Christine, Christabel, Cynthia, Carol, Deborah, Diane, Doreen, Estelle, Fiona, Geraldine, Gillian, Hazel, Heather, Inez, Jean, June, Judith, Judy, Janet, Janice, Joyce, Jennifer, Lillian, Linda, Lois, Marlene, Mary, Margaret, Marylyn, Maureen, Moira, Myra, Norma, Pamela, Pauline, Patricia, Philomena, Renee, Rita, Roberta, Rosemary, Sandra, Sheila, Una, Virginia, Vivienne, Wendy, Yvonne.

The boys were the usual John, Michael, Geoffrey etc., the most unusual boys name at school was Crispian.

I've enjoyed trawling through my book of names, using it as memory jogger. Lovely to remember the children of my childhood.

Aldom Sun 19-Jan-25 11:21:33

Crispian was a twin, his sister was Christabel.

MissAdventure Sun 19-Jan-25 11:24:35

Oh, that sounds strange to me.
Twins called Natalie and Natasha, I've known.