What do we think of these two? Are they too dated to be recoverable? [name_f]Vintage[/name_f] charm? Could they be used on a modern baby?
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[name_f]Ethel[/name_f] ā I think it has a sweet sound, but I worry itās still too dated for a baby because I feel like they use it in pop culture as a stereotypical āold ladyā name, to the point where her peers might recognize that and tease her.
[name_f]Darlene[/name_f] ā This feels more midcentury than vintage to me. I think it could be used on a modern baby ā especially with a nickname like [name_f]Lena[/name_f], [name_f]Dolly[/name_f], or even [name_f]Darla[/name_f], which while also dated I think is fresher than [name_f]Darlene[/name_f]. It would still probably raise eyebrows from adults, but unlike [name_f]Ethel[/name_f], I donāt think kids would associate it with being an āoldā name and therefore I donāt think it would attract any teasing. I like [name_f]Darlene[/name_f] (and really like Darla) so I would vouch for this one.
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I think [name_f]Ethel[/name_f] might be on the cusp of a revival, at least among the hipster crowd with the cute nickname [name_f]Ettie[/name_f]. It seems like something that would come back in the UK first, maybe?
[name_f]Darlene[/name_f] has a bit of a wait before itās possibly ready. The mid-century -een names (Kathleen, [name_f]Charlene[/name_f], [name_f]Maureen[/name_f], etc.) are still on the outs for the most part in modern baby naming (though I do know a newborn Charlene). Iām not sure if the similarity to ādarlingā will help or hinder this particular one in a revival.
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To me [name_f]Ethel[/name_f] sounds eternally dated, like [name_f]Gertrude[/name_f] or [name_f]Muriel[/name_f]. However, as @VEL said I can actually see it catching on amongst hipster types as an alternative to other vintage revival names that have actually become popular and fresh again. Thereās also the artist [name_f]Ethel[/name_f] [name_m]Cain[/name_m] which is introducing the name to younger folks.
[name_f]Darlene[/name_f] is my grandmotherās name so I have a special soft spot for it. She said she was named because her father thought she looked so ādarlingā as a baby. 
I agree with previous posters that itās more midcentury which isnāt quite ready for revival in the popular zeitgeist just yet, but I think that [name_f]Darlene[/name_f] works well and wouldnāt evoke too much of a, āOhā¦ you named your child that?ā At my first job I worked with a [name_f]Darlene[/name_f] who was the same age as me and it wasnāt weird or anything.
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Soooooo Iām in America and it makes me think of old sitcoms (I Love Lucy & Roseanne) so for me they come across dated.
If those shows arenāt a thing where youāre at, though, they may be fresher.
Fresher yet similar names (imo):
Emmeline, Elaine, even Etheline maybe?
Dahlia, Delilah, Dana
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I actually love [name_f]Darlene[/name_f] (and itās alternative, Darla). I do think itās very 80ās-ish, so not exactly vintage charm, but some kind of retro charm, at least for me. I think Iām going to be in the minority by saying I like it more than Ethel/think itās more ready for a revival. Then again, Iām (indirectly) named after an [name_f]Ethel[/name_f] in my family tree, so Iāve always seen it as an inherently old-lady name. People who donāt personally know of an [name_f]Ethel[/name_f] may disagree.
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Hmm, I donāt love them, but I would be intrigued to meet one of either!
[name_f]Ethel[/name_f] ā I can imagine it coming back. [name_f]Esther[/name_f] is on the rise again, it gives the nickname [name_f]Effie[/name_f], has the āElleā sound thatās popular, itās got clunky-old-lady vibes.
[name_f]Darlene[/name_f] ā not sure if I can quite see it coming back into style just yet, but itās got that āword-adjacentā vibe that works with the likes of [name_f]Honey[/name_f], [name_f]Blossom[/name_f] etc.
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I have such a crush on Ethel!!! It peaked in the 1890s and so Iāve been wondering when it will make a comebackā¦. [name_f]My[/name_f] guess is it may be a popular ānew old lady nameā in a decade or two. [name_f]Darlene[/name_f] is sweet and the nickname potential really sells me on it! I honestly like both names, Iām just not sure if theyāll be āin styleā anytime soon. Not that popularity ever stopped a [name_f]Berry[/name_f] from adding something to their list!!! 
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I think both names could be adorable on a little girl.
Lately I have been liking [name_f]Ethel[/name_f] as an unexpected nickname for [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], but I think it stands well on its own and I could definitely see it coming back, like [name_f]Hazel[/name_f] or [name_f]Mabel[/name_f] have.
[name_f]Darlene[/name_f] has a sweet sound. It would be unexpected on a baby today, but I think it still works.
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[name_f]Ethel[/name_f] - YES!
[name_f]Darlene[/name_f] - ā¦eh?
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I tutored a little girl named [name_f]Darlene[/name_f]. It was adorable on her.
[name_f]Ethel[/name_f] - I should like it in theory, but I just donāt. Sounds a bit chemically to me (ethyl-). I do however think of the two this one is far more likely to have a revival, and was surprised it didnāt get more popularity after [name_f]Lily[/name_f] [name_m]Allen[/name_m] used it.
[name_f]Darlene[/name_f] - not a fan, I find this harsh. Weāre already seeing a return of mid century names of a similar ilk, but Iām not sure this will ever come back in a big way.
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