Children's Names

lemongrove and they will be cared for by Elsies, Evelyns, Rubys, Violets, Archies, Freds and Normans!

lemongrove . Alan Bennett is brilliant.

There’s an Alan Bennett story about a man going into a care home, where the jolly owner says ‘Welcome! You’re our very first Kevin!’
It made me think that, in the future care homes and nursing homes will be full of Kylies, Jacks, Waynes, Madonnas etc.

My mother had a friend called Mona and from a young age I used to wonder why she was called 'moaner'.

There were 4 Susans and 3 Janes in my class at school.
My grandmothers were Gladys and Mona. Not likely to be many little girls with either of those names around.

I know a small Betsy a Sadie and a Lizzie . All these names make me think of downstairs maids.

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

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

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

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! ??

My lovely Stella

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

I love the name Stella, too.
Its beautiful!

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 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!)

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 !

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.

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.

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.

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 puts me firmly in the period 1947 - 1953.

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.

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.

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

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.)