Children's Names

So true. I would add Jean and Enid. Some of the names that were frequently used when I was young are coming back, though. My granddaughter (6) has friends called Margaret and Ann as well as names none of my contemporaries had, like Charlotte, Florence, Emily, Edith and Elsie. I think there's a Muriel as well.

Once I can see past the ‘old lady’ quality of Ada - I had a great aunt called that - I think it’s a pretty name.

Ada is a pretty name.

My student doctor daughter has an 'old school' name. It's always a talking point when she's speaking to elderly patients. They tell her it's beautiful and that it's what their mother/granny/aunt was called and that it's years since they came across anyone with the name.

Your grandma wasn't an old lady when she was given her name!

Yes, agree how the 'demographic' associated with a name changes over time- as a 1962 child, my schoolmates were all Julies, Lindas, Sharons, Jackies...all of which once signified 'young person' but now sound really middle-aged/ old!

I am waiting for Margaret to come back into fashion but fear that dear old Maggie Thatcher has put an end to that! (It is now spelt Margret by some!!!!!! Thanks to phonics I suppose.)

I haven’t met anyone with my name who is under about 60.

LullyDully, I mentioned in my earlier post that my six year old granddaughter has a friend called Margaret. I think it’s on its way back. Nice name.

Pamela, another lovely name. I wouldn't be surprised if that comes back as well.

My granddaughter is called Alice. That would have been very unusual when I or my children were young, but now there are Alices everywhere. I like it.

My 4yr old GD is Elyza. She's got friends at school named Elsie, Arthur and Ena.

I suppose all those "old" names come around again.

My name puts me firmly in the period 1947 - 1953.

Names of the grandchildren’s friend are very interesting and sometimes a little difficult to understand. New names like River, Savanna, Atlanta, Phoenix, Beau, Sky and a horde of European and Asian names fill their chatter.

I wonder when the Patricia, Phyllis, Brenda, Susan, Sheila type names will come back. We refer to Victorian names. maybe our names will be described as Elizabethan.

My name definitely puts me as a child of the 1950's. I don't think it will ever come back into fashion. My dad wanted to call me Alma and now my OH's granddaughter is called Alma !
I would much rather see children given old fashioned names than some of the dreadful ones you hear of these days.

I love these older names coming back we have an Evie, Elsie, Florence, Louis and Samuel so much better than some I hear my teenage GD mention about her friends names.

Not to make this all about girl's names, I've just asked my daughter what old men are called. In my day old men were called Cyril, Cecil, Arthur, Alfred etc. My daughter's reply was Alan, Kevin, Colin, Keith, Victor.

My name was one of those "old fashioned names" when I was a child. Nobody I knew was called Stella , except for someone's elderly aunt or great-grandmother.

Then Paul McCartney called his daughter Stella, and Antonio Banderas, then suddenly my name was being bandied around in every nursery in the land ! I often hear my name called out in playgrounds when I'm with my grandchildren, so it's obviously still in vogue.

I even have some perfume with my name engraved on the bottle, courtesy of Stella McCartney !

I think it happens just as names are dying out, people think 'I want to remember my great-aunt / great-grandfather' etc. and use their names.
I am very interested in different naming traditions from different cultures, and within different families. In my own family, we never name a child 'for' anyone, thinking it might become a burden, or even a problem!
I did however, follow the wise advice to always use a 2 syllable name (as it's most easily shouted!)

Stella1949 -

I had a school friend called Stella, born like me in 1940. It was very unusual then, but I didn't think of it as old fashioned. I thought it was a gorgeous name, especially because it means ‘star’.

I love the name Stella, too.
Its beautiful!

Stella1949.......I love your name. I named one of my cats Stella, and she was a very pretty, petite, cute girl. I had her for 17 years

My lovely Stella

I don't think that my name will ever be fashionable again. There is a cartoon series on Netflix that my DGC like, and the heroine is Hilda. They think it's good that she has the same name as Granny! ??

Hilda is back in fashion I hear. A TV actress has called her new daughter Hilda [

I wonder when the Patricia, Phyllis, Brenda, Susan, Sheila type names will come back.
Didn't Frank Lampard and wife Christine call their new daughter Patricia?
Susan - I've always liked that name

Lynne59 what a lovely cat ! I'm so glad she has my name .