I’ve been joking recently that by the time we have kids, all of the good names will be taken, so I’m going to start pulling from the old lady/outdated name bucket and make them fresh again!
In that vein, I’ve thought of some names that may be due a comeback, but I’d love some other opinions and suggestions!
Some that are, imo, definitely ready for a comeback - if they are not coming back already - are [name_f]Ada[/name_f], [name_f]Ellen[/name_f], and [name_f]Florence[/name_f]. I’d even put [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] in that category. I know two or three younger kids with the name [name_f]Ellen[/name_f], so I wouldn’t find it weird it all to hear that name on a baby. [name_f]Ada[/name_f] and [name_f]Florence[/name_f] have honestly never come across as outdated to me. Vintage, yes, but in a “cool/cute” way (if that makes sense:)). I think [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] is adorable, especially with the nn [name_f]Dot[/name_f].
[name_f]Estelle[/name_f], [name_f]Sallie[/name_f], and [name_f]Leona[/name_f] are sort of in the middle for me…I personally think they probably need a bit more time before they are ready for a comeback. But, I also wouldn’t be surprised to see them being used more. Especially [name_f]Estelle[/name_f], considering the popularity of [name_f]Stella[/name_f].
[name_f]Martha[/name_f], [name_f]Gloria[/name_f], [name_f]Carole[/name_f], [name_f]Loretta[/name_f] (though I do know of a six or seven year old with this name) and [name_f]Jennie[/name_f] do seem very outdated to me.
I have a soft spot for [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] and [name_f]Gloria[/name_f]. Was [name_f]Gloria[/name_f] in “Because of [name_u]Winn[/name_u]-[name_f]Dixie[/name_f]”? I’ve never known people with these names personally so I don’t see them as “old lady” but as film/lit names.
[name_f]Estelle[/name_f] is very pretty to me, and modern with the -elle ending. I like [name_f]Estella[/name_f] a little more though, I don’t think she’s a granny at all.
[name_f]Sallie[/name_f], again, I grew up hearing characters named. And it rhymes with my name, which two decades later is still pretty popular for little girls. Comeback=Totally ready.
[name_f]Martha[/name_f], [name_f]Susannah[/name_f], [name_f]Esther[/name_f], [name_f]Florence[/name_f], [name_f]Ada[/name_f], [name_f]Helen[/name_f], and [name_f]Estelle[/name_f] are all coming back to varying degrees already and sound pretty fashionable to my ear.
[name_f]Sallie[/name_f], [name_f]Loretta[/name_f], and [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] I also like, although they’re maybe not on the radar as much as the others I mentioned yet.
I hope [name_f]Ethel[/name_f] never comes back. I just don’t see the appeal at all.
I considered Martha, Gloria, Esther, Susannah, and Leona for my daughter, born last January. They are all still on my list of potential girl names. I also love Helen, Reva, Dorothy, and Estelle. I am so into these!
For the most part, I’d be delighted to meet a child with any of these. The only one I don’t like is Mavis. Never liked it, never will, but that’s a personal thing, nothing against its old lady appeal.
[name_f]Susannah[/name_f], [name_f]Loretta[/name_f], [name_f]Esther[/name_f], [name_f]Florence[/name_f], [name_f]Ada[/name_f], and [name_f]Helen[/name_f] don’t seem old-ladyish at all to me. I know at least one person with each name under the age of 30 (some of them are below the age of 10). [name_f]Helen[/name_f] is especially cute [name_f]IMO[/name_f].
[name_f]Jennie[/name_f] doesn’t seem old-ladyish, but it does seem dated (to the 1980s/90s). I know literally dozens of Jennies my age (millenial) so the name is very tiresome to me.
I could totally see [name_f]Sallie[/name_f], [name_f]Leona[/name_f], [name_f]Ellen[/name_f], and [name_f]Estelle[/name_f] working on a child.
[name_f]Martha[/name_f], [name_f]Carole[/name_f] (I think of [name_f]Carole[/name_f] [name_m]King[/name_m]), [name_f]Reva[/name_f] (reminds me of [name_f]Reba[/name_f]), and [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] (can’t shake [name_u]Golden[/name_u] Girls association) feel unsalvagable to me, at least for this generation. Maybe in a few more generations they’ll sound fresh again.
[name_f]Ethel[/name_f], [name_f]Mavis[/name_f], and [name_f]Gloria[/name_f] do sound old-ladyish to me, but I could be persuaded that any of those could work on the right child.
Other suggestions in this vein that would be cute on a child: Ida, Harriet, Elsa (thanks to Frozen), Ruth, Eleanor, Daphne.
I adore [name_f]Ada[/name_f]!! I definitely think [name_f]Martha[/name_f], [name_f]Esther[/name_f], [name_f]Sally[/name_f]/[name_f]Sallie[/name_f] and [name_f]Jenny[/name_f] are wearable. [name_f]Susannah[/name_f] is also gorgeous :).
Thank you for your feedback! Lately, [name_f]Martha[/name_f] and [name_f]Gloria[/name_f] have really been standing out to me - probably because I adore the [name_u]Christmas[/name_u] season and love the story [name_f]Martha[/name_f] from the [name_m]New[/name_m] Testament and the wonderful meaning of [name_f]Gloria[/name_f]. [name_f]Reva[/name_f] ([name_f]Ree[/name_f]-va) is my grandmother’s name and I’ve never met anyone else who shares it, and I think it’s got a cool edge with the “v”, sort of like [name_f]Nova[/name_f].
I adore [name_f]Lucille[/name_f] and [name_f]Francine[/name_f]! I want to love [name_f]Harriet[/name_f] because of the nn [name_f]Hattie[/name_f], but it’s still a little stuck for me. [name_f]Rosemary[/name_f] is another name I want to love, and feel like I should love, but something seems a bit off for me personally - I think it’s because growing up [name_f]Rose[/name_f] and [name_f]Marie[/name_f] were such filler middle names for girls and I knew several mean girls with these names lol!
[name_u]Love[/name_u] your thoughts! I agree that [name_f]Ada[/name_f] and [name_f]Florence[/name_f] have sort of a modern vibe to them - I think they’re already on the upswing. I’ve been sort of pondering the combo [name_f]Ada[/name_f] [name_f]Florence[/name_f] and it’s really starting to win me over. I love the meaning of [name_f]Ada[/name_f], and [name_f]Florence[/name_f] is a family name from my dad’s beloved grandmother. I think he’d love having a granddaughter whose name honors one of his favorite people. Not to mention, I grew up with the nickname “[name_f]Floss[/name_f]” out of “[name_f]Flossie[/name_f]” and I think (though it’s not been confirmed) that was his nod to [name_f]Florence[/name_f] in me
[name_f]Gloria[/name_f] is my newest crush. I feel like DH will never get on board but I’m holding out hope! The meaning is amazing, and I think [name_f]Gloria[/name_f] is a great middle name for a more modern/approachable first name.
I sort of feel the same about [name_f]Ethel[/name_f]. It was a long-standing family name on my husband’s mom’s side, but they also give us [name_f]Leona[/name_f] and [name_f]Loretta[/name_f] which I like much better.
I love [name_f]Susannah[/name_f]!
[name_f]Ellen[/name_f] is a really nice name…every [name_f]Ellen[/name_f] I’ve met is fabulous.
[name_f]Loretta[/name_f], [name_f]Gloria[/name_f] and [name_f]Estelle[/name_f] are pretty.
Too nicknamey:
[name_f]Sallie[/name_f]
[name_f]Jennie[/name_f]*
[name_f]Hope[/name_f] these never come back:
[name_f]Mavis[/name_f]
[name_f]Ethel[/name_f]- just the sound makes me ill
[name_f]Leona[/name_f]
[name_f]Esther[/name_f] - reminds me of polyester
[name_f]Florence[/name_f]*
[name_f]Helen[/name_f]
[name_f]Dorothy[/name_f]
This category is one of my faves at this point in time! I have a 6 week old named [name_f]Helen[/name_f], so part of me hopes it doesn’t really come back and become super popular, but even from this thread I feel like the odds are not overwhelming on that.
I love [name_f]Florence[/name_f] and [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] too. I tried to talk my husband into [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] (and call her [name_f]Dot[/name_f]) but he had a mean old aunt named that, so it got nixed.
Probably my favourite name style!
[name_u]Love[/name_u] [name_f]Florence[/name_f], [name_f]Martha[/name_f], [name_f]Ethel[/name_f], [name_f]Gloria[/name_f], [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] and [name_f]Mavis[/name_f]
