England & Wales’s Hidden Gems: Part Three (1954-1964)

Of the four sections I have created for this series, this part is the one I feel the most distant from. The 50s and 60s are names from my parents generation (albeit mostly 60s), and in a way, the names of most of the adults I surrounded myself with growing up. While some of them seem current and fresh sounding like Alison and Claire, a number of them don’t quite yet feel like they belong in the “retro cool” vibe, thus making them seem quite a number of decades off being ready for a reboot.

Yet, in a contradictory way, a lot of the names from this era have a number of similarities to the names popular today. Penelope made it back into the spotlight and next to names like Scarlett and Delilah from our current Top 100, Gillian, Maxine and Valerie carry the same spunky and bouncy feelings. Bonnie, Chloe and Evie have a similar feel to Debbie, Mandy and Julie and although they don’t feel as current as some names from the previous parts of the series, given time and some love, Debbie and Mandy could definitely be friends with Bonnie and Chloe, and Maxine would make a great friend for Delilah! So, to continue on with the series, using the name banks below, what would you name a son and a daughter?

Below the Top 500: 1954-1964 (Boys)

Allan, Antony
Barry, Bernard, Brian, Bruce, Bryan
Carl, Clifford, Clive, Colin, Craig
Darren, Dean, Derek, Donald, Duncan
Gareth, Gary, Garry, Gavin, Geoffrey, Gerald, Gerard, Glenn, Gordon, Graeme, Graham, Gregory, Guy
Howard
Iain, Ian
Jeffrey, Jeremy
Karl, Keith, Kenneth
Lawrence, Lee, Leslie
Malcolm, Martyn, Maurice
Neil, Nigel, Norman
Phillip
Raymond, Roger, Ronald, Roy, Russell
Sean, Shaun, Stephen, Steven, Stewart, Stuart
Terence, Terry, Tony, Trevor
Wayne

Below the Top 500: 1954-1964 (Girls)

Alison, Amanda, Andrea, Angela, Anita, Ann, Anne, Annette
Barbara, Beverley, Brenda
Carol, Carole, Caroline, Carolyn, Cheryl, Christina, Christine, Claire, Clare
Dawn, Debbie, Deborah, Debra, Denise, Diane, Donna, Doreen
Eileen, Elaine
Fiona
Gail, Geraldine, Gillian, Glynis
Heather, Helen, Hilary
Irene
Jacqueline, Jane, Janet, Janice, Jayne, Jean, Jeanette, Jill, Joan, Joanne, Joy, Joyce, Judith, Julie, June
Karen, Katherine, Kathleen, Kathryn, Kay, Kim
Lesley, Linda, Lisa, Lorraine, Louise, Lynda, Lynn, Lynne
Mandy, Marian, Marie, Marilyn, Marion, Maureen, Maxine, Melanie, Michele
Nicola
Pamela, Patricia, Paula, Pauline
Rita, Ruth
Sally, Sandra, Sharon, Sheila, Shirley, Susan, Suzanne, Sylvia
Teresa, Theresa, Tina, Tracey, Tracy
Valerie, Veronica
Wendy
Yvonne


Here is the link for the previous part!

1 Like

I agree with you: these names feel very distant. I looked at the list before reading the rest of your post, and I thought of the same thing. These names are what I’d consider ‘parent names’. Very glad to see [name_f]Irene[/name_f] yet again

[name_u]Neil[/name_u] [name_u]Howard[/name_u] & [name_f]Alison[/name_f] [name_u]Marie[/name_u] for this decade

1 Like

[name_m]Gareth[/name_m] [name_m]Duncan[/name_m] and [name_f]Gillian[/name_f] [name_f]Elaine[/name_f].

1 Like

[name_m]Roger[/name_m] [name_m]Norman[/name_m] & [name_u]Mandy[/name_u] [name_f]Irene[/name_f] i think… staying tuned for pt. 4!!

1 Like

[name_f]Maxine[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f] [name_u]Louise[/name_u] & [name_m]Roger[/name_m] [name_m]Malcolm[/name_m] [name_u]Dean[/name_u]

These names definitely do feel further from a revival, although I think a lot of them have potential! I wonder if [name_f]Maxine[/name_f] could see a rise due to Stranger Things?

2 Likes

[name_m]Antony[/name_m] [name_m]Gerard[/name_m] & [name_f]Heather[/name_f] [name_f]Maureen[/name_f]

Not having grown up in an [name_f]English[/name_f] speaking country, these names don’t quite carry the same baggage for me. I feel the same way about 50s/60s Finnish names though, like [name_f]Pirjo[/name_f] and [name_u]Matti[/name_u] for example.

1 Like

For part three, I’d go with…

[name_f]Fiona[/name_f] [name_u]Louise[/name_u] & [name_m]Colin[/name_m] [name_u]Dean[/name_u] :new_moon_with_face:

It’s very interesting to me, that even though I’m just over in [name_u]America[/name_u], that these names feel quite modern!

1 Like

Ooh, lots of good old musty darlings in this list! I can’t believe I’ve only just found this series of yours—I’m so excited about it! I love when you do these types of cool posts!

I’d name my two [name_u]June[/name_u] [name_u]Marion[/name_u] and [name_m]Ian[/name_m] [name_u]Howard[/name_u]. :white_heart:

1 Like

[name_m]Ronald[/name_m] [name_m]Duncan[/name_m] & [name_f]Irene[/name_f] [name_f]Joy[/name_f] :two_hearts:

[name_u]Ronnie[/name_u] and Reenie - how cute

1 Like

[name_m]Kenneth[/name_m] [name_u]Leslie[/name_u] and [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_f]Heather[/name_f]

1 Like

[name_u]Sean[/name_u] [name_m]Gregory[/name_m] and [name_u]Anne[/name_u] [name_f]Lorraine[/name_f] “Annie”

1 Like

june sylvia dawn & phillip clifford :four_leaf_clover::cherry_blossom::crescent_moon::two_hearts::tulip:

1 Like

[name_u]Clifford[/name_u] [name_m]Roger[/name_m] & [name_f]Irene[/name_f] [name_f]Ruth[/name_f]

1 Like

In order of preference:
[name_m]Kenneth[/name_m] [name_u]Tony[/name_u], [name_m]Gavin[/name_m] [name_u]Lawrence[/name_u], [name_u]Glenn[/name_u] [name_m]Phillip[/name_m]
[name_f]Jill[/name_f] [name_f]Fiona[/name_f], [name_f]Teresa[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f]

1 Like

[name_m]Antony[/name_m] [name_m]Roger[/name_m]
[name_u]Sean[/name_u] [name_m]Jeremy[/name_m]
[name_f]Valerie[/name_f] [name_f]Jeanette[/name_f]
[name_f]Eileen[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f]

1 Like

[name_m]Malcolm[/name_m] [name_u]Lee[/name_u] & [name_f]Sylvia[/name_f] [name_u]June[/name_u]

[name_m]Mac[/name_m] & [name_f]Sylvie[/name_f]

1 Like

[name_u]Dean[/name_u] [name_u]Howard[/name_u] & [name_f]Valerie[/name_f] [name_f]Maxine[/name_f]

1 Like

[name_m]Duncan[/name_m] [name_m]Raymond[/name_m] and [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] [name_u]June[/name_u]

1 Like

roger sean + june sylvia

or

dean anthony + jill pamela

1 Like