While it’s certainly an era of fluid or dainty girl names, it seems like some clunkier girl names are quietly catching on or already fully back in swing, like [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f], [name_f]Margot[/name_f], [name_f]Esther[/name_f], [name_f]Ruth[/name_f], and [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f]. So if you were to dust off your crystal ball, what other similar names, if any, do you think will make their way back up the charts?
Some examples (but not limited to) include:
[name_f]Gladys[/name_f]
[name_f]Harriet[/name_f]
[name_f]Henrietta[/name_f]
[name_f]Augusta[/name_f]
[name_f]Agnes[/name_f]
[name_f]Ingrid[/name_f]
[name_f]Gretchen[/name_f]
[name_f]Sybil[/name_f]
[name_f]Edna[/name_f]
[name_f]Ethel[/name_f]
[name_f]Agatha[/name_f]
[name_f]Myrtle[/name_f]
[name_f]Thelma[/name_f]
[name_f]Martha[/name_f]
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I love [name_f]Harriet[/name_f], and I think it’s not as clunky sounding as the others. That might come back.
I know a 20-something [name_f]Gretchen[/name_f], so… maybe that one too?
[name_f]Henrietta[/name_f] and [name_f]Augusta[/name_f] might come back because [name_m]Henry[/name_m] and [name_m]August[/name_m] are popular.
[name_f]Myrtle[/name_f] might come back because it’s a nature name and again, not as clunky sounding.
Some I think will never, or at least not anytime soon, come back are [name_f]Gladys[/name_f], [name_f]Agatha[/name_f], [name_f]Ethel[/name_f] and [name_f]Thelma[/name_f].
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I’ve met quite a number of young Harriets, along with a few Marthas and Henriettas - and an [name_f]Agatha[/name_f]! I can see [name_f]Augusta[/name_f], [name_f]Ingrid[/name_f], [name_f]Agnes[/name_f], [name_f]Myrtle[/name_f] and [name_f]Ethel[/name_f] coming back into style
I’m thinking these ones might be coming back:
[name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f]
[name_f]Doris[/name_f]
[name_f]Muriel[/name_f]
[name_f]Trudie[/name_f]
[name_f]Beulah[/name_f]
[name_f]Loretta[/name_f]
[name_f]Marjorie[/name_f] ‘Jorie’
[name_f]Roberta[/name_f] ‘Birdie’ ‘Bertie’ ‘Bobbie’
[name_f]Verna[/name_f]
[name_f]Marion[/name_f]
[name_f]Hilda[/name_f]
[name_f]Millicent[/name_f]
[name_f]Cornelia[/name_f]
[name_f]Mairead[/name_f]
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[name_f]Matilda[/name_f] (although that’s already coming back), [name_f]Frances[/name_f], [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f], [name_f]Beverly[/name_f], [name_f]Winifred[/name_f], [name_f]Imogen[/name_f], [name_f]Bernadette[/name_f], [name_f]Elaine[/name_f], [name_f]Zelda[/name_f], [name_f]Edith[/name_f]
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I’m not ready for it but probably [name_f]Maud[/name_f] (I just don’t like it…sorry…)
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[name_f]Bianca[/name_f]
[name_f]Linda[/name_f]
[name_f]Gloria[/name_f]
[name_f]Arlene[/name_f]
[name_f]Christine[/name_f]
[name_f]Trisha[/name_f]
[name_f]Edna[/name_f]
[name_f]Donna[/name_f]
[name_f]Jacqueline[/name_f]
[name_f]Magda[/name_f]
[name_f]Shona[/name_f]
[name_f]Ines[/name_f]
[name_f]Philomena[/name_f]
[name_f]Blanca[/name_f]
[name_f]Sharon[/name_f]
[name_f]Ingrid[/name_f]
[name_f]Corissa[/name_f]
[name_f]Simone[/name_f]
[name_f]Wanda[/name_f]
[name_f]Vanessa[/name_f]
[name_f]Janice[/name_f]
[name_f]Gertie[/name_f]
[name_f]Wendy[/name_f]
[name_f]Dawn[/name_f]
[name_f]Sally[/name_f]
[name_f]Heather[/name_f]
[name_f]Deborah[/name_f]
[name_f]Benita[/name_f]
[name_f]Nancy[/name_f]
[name_f]Hillary[/name_f]
[name_f]Cynthia[/name_f]
[name_f]Darla[/name_f]
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I think names like [name_f]Heather[/name_f], [name_f]Cynthia[/name_f], [name_f]Deborah[/name_f], [name_f]Dawn[/name_f], [name_f]Sharon[/name_f], [name_f]Linda[/name_f], [name_f]Janice[/name_f] (anything where the last round of popularity puts most those babies in their 50s-70s, therefore still alive and many of them disliked figures to new parents like an aunt/stepmother/former boss) still have a while to wait until they really come back.
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[name_f]My[/name_f] aunt and great aunt are on the list! I think names tend to be considered “dated” when people who are starting families know older adults with the name, but become “fresh” again once most of the people with it have died or are 90+ years old (so people who are starting families will either have no personal associations with the name outside of how it sounds, or neutral-positive personal associations like “that’s my great grandma’s name” rather than the more negative associations that can form around people they knew into their adult life)
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Sorry for any repeats!
[name_f]Ailsa[/name_f]
[name_f]Beulah[/name_f]
[name_f]Gretchen[/name_f]
[name_f]Ingrid[/name_f]
[name_f]Muriel[/name_f]
[name_f]Trudie[/name_f]
[name_f]Ursula[/name_f]
[name_f]Greta[/name_f]
[name_f]Guinevere[/name_f]
[name_f]Hilda[/name_f]
[name_f]Tilda[/name_f]
[name_f]Honor[/name_f]
[name_f]Ida[/name_f]
[name_f]Imelda[/name_f]
[name_f]Lois[/name_f]
[name_f]Marietta[/name_f] / [name_f]Etta[/name_f]
[name_f]Enid[/name_f]
[name_f]Margaret[/name_f]
[name_f]Maude[/name_f]
[name_f]Magali[/name_f] (dated in [name_f]France[/name_f], I believe)
[name_f]Ottoline[/name_f]
[name_f]Prue[/name_f]
[name_f]Thomasin[/name_f]
[name_f]Adeliza[/name_f]
[name_f]Frida[/name_f] / [name_f]Elfrida[/name_f]
[name_f]Edith[/name_f] / [name_f]Edie[/name_f]
[name_f]Olive[/name_f]
[name_f]Gretel[/name_f]
[name_f]Thora[/name_f]
[name_f]Selma[/name_f]
[name_f]Ramona[/name_f]
[name_f]Rhoda[/name_f]
[name_f]Roberta[/name_f]
[name_f]Philomena[/name_f]
[name_f]Wilhelmina[/name_f] / [name_f]Wilma[/name_f]
[name_f]Alma[/name_f]
[name_f]Mavis[/name_f]
[name_f]Vera[/name_f]
Would love to see [name_f]Edwina[/name_f] come back but I don’t think it will due to that -wiener sound. [name_f]Edina[/name_f] might be more likely but I don’t think it will come back in a big way. There are plenty of others I think were never that popular to begin with, a little niche so I don’t think they’ll ever return in a significant way, and plenty of others I think kind of fit into this category but are a little musical / fluid sounding for me to think of as ‘clunky’ for eg [name_f]Gloria[/name_f].
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Oh, forgot [name_f]Martha[/name_f] which is fairly popular already. I don’t think we’ll ever see the likes of [name_f]Bertha[/name_f], [name_f]Mildred[/name_f], [name_f]Gertrude[/name_f], [name_f]Doris[/name_f], [name_f]Beryl[/name_f] return in a big way. [name_f]Millicent[/name_f] might have a chance.
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I’ve got a clunky name, [name_f]Judith[/name_f]. It was a pretty odd name to have when I grew up, and it still is for someone in my age bracket. I don’t really see it getting too popular again even though names like [name_f]Edith[/name_f] and [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] have gained some traction.
I agree with all of the ones on your list, with the exception maybe of [name_f]Gladys[/name_f].
Others:
[name_f]Angeleta[/name_f]
[name_f]Angeline[/name_f]
[name_f]Ann[/name_f]
[name_f]Araminta[/name_f]
[name_f]Belle[/name_f]
[name_f]Bessie[/name_f]
[name_f]Billie[/name_f]
[name_f]Della[/name_f]
[name_f]Dora[/name_f]
[name_f]Dorothy[/name_f]
[name_f]Frances[/name_f]
[name_f]Gertrude[/name_f]
[name_f]Helen[/name_f]
[name_f]Ida[/name_f]
[name_f]Jean[/name_f]
[name_f]Judith[/name_f]
[name_m]Lee[/name_m]
[name_f]Lou[/name_f]
[name_f]Lucinda[/name_f]
[name_f]Mamie[/name_f]
[name_f]Margaret[/name_f]
[name_f]Marjorie[/name_f]
[name_f]Marie[/name_f]
[name_f]Marlene[/name_f]
[name_f]May[/name_f]
[name_f]Medora[/name_f]
[name_f]Melinda[/name_f]
[name_f]Opal[/name_f]
[name_f]Rosa[/name_f]
[name_f]Rosetta[/name_f]
[name_f]Susan[/name_f]
[name_f]Vada[/name_f]
[name_f]Wanda[/name_f]
[name_f]Wilma[/name_f]
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I’m really hoping that -ine / -ene names (Pauline, [name_f]Charlene[/name_f], [name_f]Christine[/name_f], [name_f]Darlene[/name_f], [name_f]Nadine[/name_f], [name_f]Jeanine[/name_f], [name_f]Angeline[/name_f], [name_f]Marlene[/name_f], etc) come back. They’re still a little clunky and unfresh, but I can see them catching on and being revived in about 10 years or so. There are already a couple starting to feel fresh again (Josephine and [name_f]Maxine[/name_f] come to mind, and [name_f]Delphine[/name_f] seems to have been more popular anecdotally in naming circles recently) and I’m just waiting patiently until some of these have their turn also!
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