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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.

Sara1954 Sun 19-Jan-25 08:54:53

There were five Susan’s in my class, three Elizabeths.
a couple of Helens, a couple of Janes, but only one Sara, for some reason I always thought I’d like to be called Anita, a woman up the road called her baby Anita, and I thought it was a beautiful name.

Autumncolours Sun 19-Jan-25 08:53:48

This is very interesting. Names can date you and they can also be linked to class in UK. My mother was named out of her generation, after her mother’s friend, which meant people sometimes thought she was older than she was. She hated it and also thought it was ‘a housemaid’s name’! Her dream was to be called Margaret.

Nell82 Sun 19-Jan-25 08:53:45

Some from school in North East Scotland -

Fiona, Heather, Morag, Isobel, Kirstie, Sheona

Callum, Hamish, Alasdair, Stuart, Archie, Iain

eddiecat78 Sun 19-Jan-25 08:44:59

Gingerrice

Ha! When I was at secondary school 6 of us in one class had my name .....but I never hear it now. At u3a I am the only one now
But I would "out" myself if I revealed it.

Ginger rice I'm now wondering if I was in your class as there were 6 girls with my name too! It was an all girls grammar and in my year there were only about 5 different names

Gingerrice Sun 19-Jan-25 08:38:14

Ha! When I was at secondary school 6 of us in one class had my name .....but I never hear it now. At u3a I am the only one now
But I would "out" myself if I revealed it.

GrannyIvy Sun 19-Jan-25 08:34:58

Girls were Linda, Susan, Carol, Helen

Boys - David, Andrew, Christopher, Michael.

Didn’t like my name and not many about then or now …..

Greyduster Sun 19-Jan-25 08:20:51

Susan, Christine, Linda, Pauline, Julie, Janet, Jean, Eileen, Anne, Lynn and Gillian were popular. We did have a Rosemary, an Angela and a Florence who were thought to be exotic. I would have loved to be any of the above, but I am Suzanne, which I hated with a passion and after I left school refused to let anyone use it again. Boys were Robert, Paul, David, Ian, Christopher, Martin, Roger, Peter and Graham for the most part. I spend a couple of afternoons in a school and am amazed at the variety of unusual names that children have these days - I’ve no idea where parents get them from.

Aveline Sun 19-Jan-25 08:19:45

So many Annes, Anns, Janes and Susans. Along, of course with a sprinkling of Elizabeths and Margarets.
Boys were Davids, Andrews and Alistairs.

Grandma70s Sun 19-Jan-25 08:00:02

Calendargirl

MissAdventure

I quite fancied being called Clover.
Was that Katy's little sister in the "What Katy did" books?

Yes, Clover Carr.

I had a cat called Clover, named after Clover Carr, because she had a sweet nature like Katy’s sister.

Sparklefizz Sun 19-Jan-25 07:59:45

I am lucky in that my name was popular when I was a child (3 in my class at school) but is still reasonably fashionable now due to several film stars having this name, so people can't necessarily guess my age from name alone.

There were several Susans, Elizabeths, Carols and Christines, and Davids, Peters, Pauls and Michaels at school.

luluaugust Sun 19-Jan-25 07:42:32

Jill, Jennifer, Gillian,Diane, Elizabeth, Sandra, Madeleine, Hazel, Heather,Marion.
David, Andrew,Keith,Martin, Tony,Christopher

Louella12 Sun 19-Jan-25 07:32:29

Dearie me. Ignore!

I knew a Jane Louise, Clare Louise and Nicola Louise. No idea why Louise was so often used as a middle name.

Louella12 Sun 19-Jan-25 07:30:37

I knew a Jag r df

Bellasnana Sun 19-Jan-25 07:29:01

From a junior school photo: Two Rachels, two Heathers, Lyn, Sally, Tracy, Catherine, Elizabeth, Rosalind, Fiona, Caroline, Hilary, Celia and Karen.

Senior school: Two Janes, two Susans, Kim, Catherine, Katherine, Kathryn, Deborah, Heather, Kim, Vivian, Angela, Kay, Margaret, Penelope, two Hilarys, Jennifer, Philippa, Fiona.

I had an unusual (at the time) name which I hated because it made me stand out and I just wanted to blend in with everyone else. I was 17 before I met another with the same name but it’s become extremely popular over the years and I don’t mind it now.

Calendargirl Sun 19-Jan-25 07:28:25

Primary school, late 50’s.

Two Elaine’s, Christine, Penelope, Dawn, Diana, Diane, Heather, Sandra.

Roger, Christopher, Philip, Timothy, Graham, Maurice, Paul.

Then Grammar School, early 60’s.

Two Marilyn’s, Angela, Rosemary, Dinah, Patricia, Jane, Shirley, Susan, Christine, Ruth, Julie.

John, Stephen, Frederick, Anthony, Richard, Sean, Dale.

Obviously more, but these come to mind.

Have always disliked my name, old fashioned but not fashionably old, if that makes sense, more suited to a couple of decades before!

My own son was given a biblical name which would never have been used for my generation, but there were about four with that name when he started school.

Calendargirl Sun 19-Jan-25 07:17:30

MissAdventure

I quite fancied being called Clover.
Was that Katy's little sister in the "What Katy did" books?

Yes, Clover Carr.

baubles Sun 19-Jan-25 06:54:12

Some of my school mates were Susan, SallyAnn, Joan, Jean, June, Heather, Anne, Alison, Marion, Linda, Roslyn, Christine, Margaret, and an Agnes who reversed it to Senga.

Boys names that I remember were Ronald, David, Peter, Adam, James, Allan, Robert, Tom, Ewan, Grahame, and a Lancelot who’s name was never shortened to Lance.

JamesandJon33 Sun 19-Jan-25 06:48:31

Janet, Christine, Muriel, Pauline, Olive, Enid, Susan (3) Gisela, and me. Won’t tell you my name but I never met another until I was nineteen. Much more common now

Boys, ..Royston, Trafford, Ian, Michael. Stuart, and Robert. Though the boys ,in grammar school, were addresses by their surnames , so we usually knew them as that.

travelsafar Sun 19-Jan-25 06:36:08

There was a Felicity in my class and somehow she matched her name. I can see her now, very tiny and delicate looking, with masses of very dark hair that she worn tied up. She had the palest skin and dark eyes and was very pretty. She was lovely person too and friends to everyone. 😊

whywhywhy Sun 19-Jan-25 04:08:30

Elizabeth, Patricia, Margaret, Barbara, Janet, Eleanor, Lilian, Anne, Mary and Maureen.

John, Paul, Michael, David, Derek, Keith, Alan, Kenneth and Peter.

Marmight Sun 19-Jan-25 01:56:33

Pamela, Margaret, Gillian, Jennifer x2, Judith, Marilyn, Marion, Penny, Jacqueline, Cordelia, Poppy, Madeline, Christine

David x2, Martin x2, Robert, Robin, Bruce (he was from the US) Trevor, Peter, Christopher, James, Rodney x2

My name is included. I hate it. I’d rather have been known by my second name Sara. Too late now!!

Granmarderby10 Sun 19-Jan-25 01:03:41

Penny, Dawn, Gillian, Caroline, Karen, Rachael, Anne, Catherine, Elaine, Marjory, Sharon, Alison., Christine, Nichola. Gail.

Anthony, 3x Tony, 2 x John, Graham, Ross, Philip, Trevor, Theo, Mark, Terry, Darren, Simon, Nicholas. Geoffrey

These were all in Primary school, both infants and juniors.
I can barely recall more than a few from my massive comprehensive school. 🤷🏼‍♀️

welbeck Sun 19-Jan-25 00:38:42

Sidney is quite a popular name for children now.

GrannySomerset Sun 19-Jan-25 00:18:06

In my girls’ grammar school class in 1953 we had Jean, Raynor,Margaret, Rona, Pauline, Anne, Julie, Susan, Alvina, Christine, Judith, Elizabeth, Janice, Joyce, Jennifer, Ailsa, Marion, Josephine, Joan, Barbara, Patricia, Anita, Sheila, Linda, Rita, Janet, Theresa, Gwyneth, Nita. Quite a range! Amazingly I can still remember them all and picture them too.

MissAdventure Sun 19-Jan-25 00:05:14

I quite fancied being called Clover.
Was that Katy's little sister in the "What Katy did" books?