Old names

Oh yes, definitely. Not long ago, I saw a website where you could see how many babies had been given your name. Mine? None whatsoever. Anyone I know with the same name is roughly of the same 'vintage' as me.

But hasn't that always been so? How many Gertrudes are there today? When I was born (mid 1940s) No one would call a girl Ethel or Edith, there were almost no boys called Albert or Aubrey, or Frederick, not to mention Emily, Amelia.

Yet all those names are not uncommon nowadays. What goes around, comes around.

My name has never been popular. I have only ever met 2 other women with my name.
I was named after a great aunt. I somehow think it will never make a comeback.

One of my names is Katherine, though it is not the name I am known by. My DIL is also called Katherine, spelt the same way. It seems to be a name that doesn’t go out of fashion.

Names from my youth that aren’t much used nowadays are Valerie, Judith, Anne, Margaret (although I do know of a child called Margaret), Brenda, Janet, Patricia, Rosemary - I could go on and on. Boys’ names don’t seem to change so much. There are still young boys named Edward, James, Stephen, or David. But I don’t know of any called Derek, John, Donald or Eric.

Names popular in my grandparents’ generation but unpopular in that of my parents or mine are now popular again - for example Charlotte, Emily, Harriet. When I was a child in the 1940s, my best friend was called Harriet, which was very unusual then. Now there are Harriets all over the place!

My name once so common that 5 girls in my class shared it is non existent now.

My 10yr old DGD was given an old fashioned name after her gt gt grandmother and there are several in her school.

When today's Ediths, Lilies, Eves, Agneses etc become parents, they'll be naming their daughters Linda, Pamela, Jennifer, Anne, Margaret, Susan etc!

I did prefer the Saints' names we chose for our sons to the boys' names which are popular now, they're probably named after footballers.

I never met one person with my name until I was thirteen, and not many thereafter. However now it is getting quite common.

My.mum loved the name I have and was about to name my older sister that when my dad protested so she became a different acceptabe name and years later, I received the name he didnt like. He never called me by that name.

Well Simon Cowels young son is called Eric *

One of my grandmothers was Pheodora glad I wasn’t called after her I have a great grandad Moses Providence and a great great grandma Zebadiah

When my youngest voluterered in a school in Africa there were some wonderful names one chap was Ringostar there was an Innocent and the best one I thought was Nomore

My GGGF was named Peter Birthright.

I have never liked my name, but I now think it would make a good ‘second’ name.

It’s one syllable, and quite attractive in that context.

None of my offspring thought of that, however, when they named our GD’s.

Names that will never make a comeback, I think….

Gladys, Doris, Ena, Bertha, Ethel, Gertrude, Winifred, Phyllis.

No doubt many of you will come on and say, ‘Oh, my GD is called…..’

I transcribe census and BMD records to go online and come across some unusual names, but also often see multiple families with 4/5/6 children who all have the same names as those in neighbouring houses. I often think it must of been very confusing for schools and when someone wanted to call young William/James or Emily/Sarah etc in from the street!

I don't come across many people with my name and in school days I only ever knew of one other. But one of my sons friends mum shares it and the young lad who is about to put a new heating system in for us has his mum with same name. I haven't heard it given to a youngster either.

One of my young friends has a niece named Ada.
I last knew an Ada when I was a child, many, many years ago.

My paternal granny was Ada utbb

In my grandparents generation there was a Daisy May Jack Phylis Arthur Belle Winefred Nora Wynn, Gladys Susan William. Daisy Jack and May seem to have come back.

BlueBelle

Well Simon Cowels young son is called Eric *

One of my grandmothers was Pheodora glad I wasn’t called after her I have a great grandad Moses Providence and a great great grandma Zebadiah

When my youngest voluterered in a school in Africa there were some wonderful names one chap was Ringostar there was an Innocent and the best one I thought was Nomore

At a hotel in Lagos (Nigeria) the waiter serving our table had a name badge saying ‘Mortality’, poor chap!

Some of the ‘old lady’, ‘old man’ names do make me cringe and feel sorry for the poor little babies. But then the parents don’t have my memories of dried-up, whiskery old great-aunts, nor of bristly old great-uncles in ancient tweedy jackets smelling of pipe smoke, and often a knitted tie with the remains of his breakfast egg on it.

Grandma70s

One of my names is Katherine, though it is not the name I am known by. My DIL is also called Katherine, spelt the same way. It seems to be a name that doesn’t go out of fashion.

Names from my youth that aren’t much used nowadays are Valerie, Judith, Anne, Margaret (although I do know of a child called Margaret), Brenda, Janet, Patricia, Rosemary - I could go on and on. Boys’ names don’t seem to change so much. There are still young boys named Edward, James, Stephen, or David. But I don’t know of any called Derek, John, Donald or Eric.

Names popular in my grandparents’ generation but unpopular in that of my parents or mine are now popular again - for example Charlotte, Emily, Harriet. When I was a child in the 1940s, my best friend was called Harriet, which was very unusual then. Now there are Harriets all over the place!

Especially Donald 🤣

They’re coming back, though, the old names. We have got a great grandson named Frederick, Freddie for short. Never thought to hear that one again. I like the biblical names like Aaron, Leah etc - we’ve got them in different parts of the family , they never seem to date.

Yes, and in time so will all the names we have and so on ad infinitum.

Of course names come and go. What shocked me was being autocorrected on my iPad.

My friend’s little GD is Ada.

Sorry, I think it’s an awful name to saddle a child with.

Another is called Cora. And Edie.

They are ‘hard sounding’ names.

👎

My opinion only, of course.

My given name has never been common.