England & Wales’s Hidden Gems: Part Two (1934-1944)

General Name Discussion
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As we work our way through the years, I find these names becoming less “revival ready firsts” and more “middle name territory to honour a great aunt!” This is where it excites me. I only think that way because we have yet to hit the 100 year rule with the names of the 1930s and 40s. Ten or so years ago we would never have dreamt that Ivy or Albert would become popular again and now look at them! Ivy is more popular now in 2020, than she was in 1904, the most popular she had been until she dropped out of the Top 100 after 1934.

The following names, along with the few left over from previous decades, are those used mainly during my grandparents era. Now because I grew up knowing their friends, I will admit to struggling to imagine names like Maureen on a tiny baby when all I can see is my grandma’s glamorous but needy, seventy-five year old best friend. Give it another decade or so however, and I’d love to be able to imagine a five-year old Maureen, running around a school playground with her friend Irene, both nicknamed Reenie, playing with friends called Olivia, Ava and Layla. Obviously the names below will never hit the heights of popularity they once achieved but I think that therein lies their charm. These names will hopefully, all remain relatively unused but not completely extinct! So which 1930s and 40s below the Top 500 names would you use to name a son and a daughter?

Below the Top 500: 1934-1944 (Boys)

Alec, Allan, Arnold
Barrie, Barry, Bernard, Brian, Bruce, Bryan
Cecil, Clifford, Clive, Colin, Cyril
Derek, Derrick, Desmond, Donald
Fred
Gary, Geoffrey, Gerald, Gordon, Graham
Harold, Herbert, Howard
Ian, Ivor
Jeffrey
Keith, Kenneth
Lawrence, Leslie
Malcolm, Maurice, Melvyn
Neil, Neville, Nigel, Noel, Norman
Phillip
Raymond, Rodney, Roger, Ronald, Roy, Royston
Stephen, Stuart, Sydney
Terence, Terry, Tony, Trevor

Below the Top 500: 1934-1944 (Girls)

Angela, Anita, Ann, Anne
Barbara, Beryl, Brenda, Bridget
Carol, Carole, Caroline, Carolyn, Christine, Cynthia
Denise, Diane, Doreen, Doris
Edna, Eileen, Elaine, Enid, Ethel
Freda
Geraldine, Gillian, Gladys, Glenys, Gloria, Gwendoline
Heather, Helen, Hilary, Hilda
Irene
Jacqueline, Jane, Janet, Janice, Jean, Jeanette, Jill, Joan, Joy, Joyce, Judith, Julie, June
Kathleen, Kay
Lesley, Lilian, Linda, Lynda
Marian, Marie, Marilyn, Marina, Marion, Marjorie, Marlene, Maureen, Mavis, May, Monica, Muriel
Norma
Pamela, Patricia, Pauline, Phyllis
Rita, Ruth
Sally, Sandra, Sheila, Shirley, Susan, Sylvia
Teresa, Thelma
Valerie, Vera, Veronica
Wendy
Yvonne

For the previous part including a detailed backstory, see this link!

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Minus [name_m]Horace[/name_m], all the boy names I used last time are on here. For something entirely different, I would go with [name_m]Phillip[/name_m] [name_m]Roger[/name_m].

Compared to the girls, only one name that I used from the last list stands: [name_f]Irene[/name_f]. It’s one of my favourites. I am curious to know if these names moved up or down on the popularity lists. Anyways, not using [name_f]Irene[/name_f], [name_f]Valerie[/name_f] [name_f]Helen[/name_f] would be the counterpart to [name_m]Phillip[/name_m] [name_m]Roger[/name_m].

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ooh this one is much harder for me because I can only imagine these names on 60+ year olds!

I’d call a boy [name_m]Fred[/name_m] [name_m]Harold[/name_m] and a girl [name_f]Sylvia[/name_f] [name_u]June[/name_u] :two_hearts:

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I think I’d go with [name_m]Bernard[/name_m] [name_u]Cecil[/name_u] and [name_f]Pauline[/name_f] [name_f]Teresa[/name_f]. [name_u]Bernie[/name_u] and [name_f]Polly[/name_f] seem like such a sweet set!

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[name_m]Neville[/name_m] [name_m]Roger[/name_m] and [name_f]Mavis[/name_f] [name_f]Gillian[/name_f]!

[name_u]Or[/name_u]

[name_u]Maurice[/name_u] [name_u]Leslie[/name_u] and [name_f]Freda[/name_f] [name_f]Muriel[/name_f]

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I find I’m much more drawn to the girl’s names in these…but maybe that’s because I just like girl names better!

Anyway, I’d go with…

[name_f]Enid[/name_f] [name_f]Gwendoline[/name_f] & [name_m]Malcolm[/name_m] [name_u]Howard[/name_u] :evergreen_tree:

I would also like to give a special mention to a name I’d call my daughter now… [name_f]Helen[/name_f] [name_u]June[/name_u] :blossom:

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Oooh I’d go May Marina Joy & Sydney Clive!

Honourable mentions to Fred, Cecil, Herbert, Neville, Diane, Valerie, June & Joyce

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Hmm I’ve never thought about [name_m]Royston[/name_m] before, but it has quite a cool vibe!

Using new names this time, I’d go with…

[name_m]Raymond[/name_m] [name_u]Noel[/name_u] & [name_f]Sylvia[/name_f] [name_f]Joy[/name_f]

[name_u]Ray[/name_u] & [name_f]Sylvie[/name_f]

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[name_m]Roger[/name_m] [name_m]Desmond[/name_m] and [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_u]Marian[/name_u]

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I love a ton of these girl names, both for a modern baby and in general!

For boys I’d love to use [name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Ivor[/name_m]

And realistically for girls I’d choose…

[name_f]Marina[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f], [name_f]Vera[/name_f] [name_f]Marjorie[/name_f], or [name_f]Eileen[/name_f] [name_f]Valerie[/name_f]

I also like:

[name_f]Ethel[/name_f], [name_f]Elaine[/name_f], [name_f]Ruth[/name_f], [name_f]Monica[/name_f], [name_f]Maureen[/name_f], [name_f]Janet[/name_f], [name_f]Jacqueline[/name_f], [name_f]Wendy[/name_f], [name_f]Marlene[/name_f]

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[name_f]Marilyn[/name_f] [name_f]Joy[/name_f] & [name_m]Rodney[/name_m] [name_m]Melvyn[/name_m]

[name_m]Rodney[/name_m] is inspired by the Stargate [name_u]Atlantis[/name_u] character, and I follow a couple on Instagram with a cute baby [name_u]Melvin[/name_u] - the name’s growing on me, probably because I love boy names ending in the -in sound. [name_f]Marilyn[/name_f] [name_f]Joy[/name_f] is purely for the sweet retro vibes!

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[name_f]May[/name_f] [name_f]Marina[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f] & [name_m]Ivor[/name_m] [name_u]Sydney[/name_u] [name_m]Fred[/name_m] “Ives” :heart:

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[name_f]My[/name_f] favourites are mostly the same as part one (Alec [name_m]Desmond[/name_m], [name_f]Mavis[/name_f] June), but I also like [name_f]Jill[/name_f] [name_f]Teresa[/name_f]!

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I’m going to go with [name_m]Norman[/name_m] [name_m]Fred[/name_m] and [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_f]Irene[/name_f] this time ‘round! [name_m]Norm[/name_m] and [name_f]Jane[/name_f]! :white_heart:
[name_m]Fred[/name_m] and [name_f]Irene[/name_f] “Reenie” were and are my great-grandparents names. Such a gorgeous pair to remind me of two gorgeous souls. :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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[name_m]Neville[/name_m] [name_m]Royston[/name_m] & [name_f]Gloria[/name_f] [name_f]Pauline[/name_f]

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[name_m]Keith[/name_m] [name_u]Lawrence[/name_u] & [name_f]Sally[/name_f] [name_f]Brenda[/name_f]

I love seeing most of this names! :heart_eyes:

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[name_m]Cyril[/name_m] [name_m]Jeffrey[/name_m] and [name_f]Mavis[/name_f] [name_f]Lilian[/name_f]

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[name_m]Alec[/name_m] [name_u]Noel[/name_u] and [name_f]Elaine[/name_f] [name_f]Vera[/name_f]

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fred melvyn + marlene kathleen

or

lawrence tony + cynthia helen

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