Sometimes when picking a name we find that the name may not seem like they would age well. I was wondering what are some names people think do and don’t age well?
Names that don’t age well are a bit of a tricky category, because my first thought is trendy names, but given enough time we’ll start seeing grandma Mackenzies and grandpa Jadens, and it will be normal. I think cutesy names like [name_f]Bambi[/name_f] and overly misspelled names like Mikinzie or whatever will age poorly though.
Names that age well are a pretty broad category though. Anything that’s classic, like [name_u]James[/name_u] or [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], or even more vintage like [name_m]Henry[/name_m] or [name_f]Marilyn[/name_f], are easy to see on adults or seniors.
I agree with pp re: oddly spelled names/modern/trendy that will become familiar as these kids age.
Additionally I often worry about really cutesy names not aging well; names that sound good on a small child but might raise an eyebrow on an adult. Like [name_f]Kitty[/name_f], [name_f]Poppy[/name_f], [name_f]Molly[/name_f] etc. Which is why I shy away from [name_f]Posey[/name_f] and [name_f]Poppy[/name_f]… even though I think they’re darling.
I think [name_u]Piper[/name_u] is an example of a name that doesn’t age well. It’s super popular, especially on Nameberry… but personally I cannot even imagine it on someone over the age of 5. And, yes, I watched [name_u]Orange[/name_u] Is The [name_m]New[/name_m] [name_m]Black[/name_m]. Yes, I thought it was ridiculous that an adult was named [name_u]Piper[/name_u]. It’s just SO cutesy… like the pp said, I consider it with [name_f]Posey[/name_f]/[name_f]Poppy[/name_f]/[name_f]Kitty[/name_f]/etc. yet it’s still really popular.
The cutesy thing is the reason I oppose nicknames as firsts. [name_f]Kitty[/name_f] is adorable for a young girl, but she’d probably rather be [name_f]Katherine[/name_f] when she grows up! (Or at least have the option in a professional work environment. I still think cutesy names are fine as nicknames for adults.)
I think the names will “age” as the people age and it won’t be a big deal when they’re old.
I have difficult seeing [name_f]Chloe[/name_f] and [name_f]Hannah[/name_f] on an adult. I can see them on seniors and on children, but not on someone of working age.
There a quite a few NNs I don’t think age well. For example: [name_u]Robbie[/name_u]. I know an adult [name_u]Robbie[/name_u] who is mercilessly teased behind his back for going by a child’s name. Same for names like [name_m]Timmy[/name_m], [name_m]Benny[/name_m], [name_f]Millie[/name_f], [name_f]Poppy[/name_f], etc…although I think boys with nn ish names have it worse.