Are there any Old Hollywood Names that you like or would class as being usable today?
Names such as [name]Ava[/name], [name]Grace[/name], [name]Harlow[/name] and [name]James[/name] seem to be quite popular at the moment, but are there any names that are associated with Old Hollywood films/actors that appeal to you?
Personally, the names [name]Ginger[/name] (as in [name]Ginger[/name] [name]Rogers[/name]) and [name]Lucille[/name] (as in [name]Lucille[/name] Ball) are starting to really appeal to me. Also, after watching a lot of [name]Hitchcock[/name] movies I’m starting to really like Hedren (as in Tippi Hedren) but I think that’ll just remain a guilty pleasure of mine… maybe a middle name at a push!
I really like [name]Clark[/name] (a la Mr. [name]Gable[/name]) and [name]Gregory[/name] (a la Mr. Peck).
[name]Both[/name] [name]Greta[/name] ([name]Garbo[/name]) and [name]Vivien[/name] ([name]Leigh[/name]…in other spellings moreso) seem on their way in…I like both.
[name]Audrey[/name] – as in [name]Audrey[/name] Hepburn
[name]Brigitte[/name] – as in [name]Brigitte[/name] [name]Bardot[/name]
[name]Clara[/name] – as in [name]Clara[/name] [name]Bow[/name]
[name]Claudette[/name] – as in [name]Claudette[/name] [name]Colbert[/name]
[name]Judy[/name] – as in [name]Judy[/name] [name]Garland[/name] (love the legend more than the name)
[name]Vivian[/name] – as in [name]Vivian[/name] [name]Leigh[/name]
[name]Oliver[/name] – as in [name]Oliver[/name] [name]Hardy[/name]
[name]Warren[/name] – as in [name]Warren[/name] [name]William[/name]
[name]Claude[/name] – as in [name]Claude[/name] [name]Rains[/name]
[name]Clark[/name] – as in [name]Clark[/name] [name]Gable[/name]
[name]Vincent[/name]-- as in [name]Vincent[/name] [name]Price[/name]
[name]Lawrence[/name] – as in [name]Lawrence[/name] [name]Olivier[/name]
[name]Alexander[/name] – as in [name]Alexander[/name] [name]Knox[/name]
My husband really likes [name]Myrna[/name] for [name]Myrna[/name] [name]Loy[/name] but Im not a fan
I do like
[name]Claudette[/name] ([name]Colbert[/name])
[name]Hedy[/name] ([name]Lamarr[/name])
Vantine ([name]Jean[/name] [name]Harlow[/name]'s character in [name]Red[/name] Dust)
[name]Norma[/name] (Shearer) (but not enough to use)
[name]Carole[/name] (Lombard)
[name]Constance[/name] ([name]Bennett[/name])
[name]Thelma[/name] ([name]Todd[/name])
[name]Marion[/name] ([name]Davies[/name])
[name]Miriam[/name] (Hopkins)
[name]Clark[/name] ([name]Gable[/name])
[name]Maurice[/name] ([name]Chevalier[/name])
[name]Frederic[/name] ([name]March[/name])
[name]Errol[/name] ([name]Flynn[/name])
[name]Franchot[/name] (Tone, whos full name was [name]Stanislaus[/name] [name]Pascal[/name] [name]Franchot[/name] Tone!)
They have probably all been listed but I love:
[name]Monroe[/name] (for a middle)
[name]Greta[/name] ([name]Garbo[/name])
[name]Vivien[/name] ([name]Leigh[/name])
[name]Scarlett[/name] (from Gone with the Wind character)
[name]Tara[/name] (the plantation)
[name]Rhett[/name] ([name]Rhett[/name] [name]Butler[/name])
[name]Jean[/name] ([name]Harlow[/name])- love it!
[name]Lucille[/name] (Ball - love this!)
[name]Audrey[/name] (of course, Hepburn)
[name]Tallulah[/name] (Bankhead)
I posted a thread “Unexpected names from Film Noir” a little while ago. Which fits this theme.
Character names
[name]Sam[/name] and Spade – iconic [name]Bogart[/name] character from Maltese [name]Falcon[/name]. I kind of like the alliteration and was thinking it almost makes a great fn/mn combo.
Thursby – as in [name]Floyd[/name] Thursby also a character from Maltese [name]Falcon[/name].
[name]Effie[/name] – [name]LOVE[/name] this as a nn. also Maltese [name]Falcon[/name]
[name]Phyllis[/name] - as in the femme fatal [name]Phyllis[/name] Dietrichson from Double Indemnity.
[name]Norma[/name] [name]Desmond[/name] – [name]Desmond[/name] is usually all male to me but combined with an old classic like [name]Norma[/name] I kind of like it as a mn for a spunky girl. Such a great combo from Sunset Blvd.
Actors/Writers/Directors:
[name]Orson[/name] - [name]Orson[/name] Welles
[name]Hedda[/name] - [name]Hedda[/name] [name]Hopper[/name] – [name]Hedda[/name] could be a great alternative to the popularity gaining [name]Hattie[/name].
Astor – as in [name]Mary[/name] Astor and the unrelated [name]Gertrude[/name] Astor.
[name]Wallace[/name] - as in [name]Wallace[/name] [name]Ford[/name]
[name]Loretta[/name] - [name]Loretta[/name] [name]Young[/name]
[name]Hedy[/name] - [name]Hedy[/name] [name]Lamar[/name] - She needs little introduction but could [name]Hedy[/name] be a 1940’s classy alternative to the [name]Hattie[/name]?
Girls:
[name]Ingrid[/name] (Bergman): My all-time favourite girls name and Miss Bergman certainly has something to do with it. She’s in my top 5 of favourite actresses and she was just so lovely and incredibly talented.
[name]Anouk[/name] ([name]Aimee[/name]): Along with the nickname [name]Anoushka[/name] which is just the sweetest. Also, [name]Anouk[/name] [name]Aimee[/name]'s performance in 8 1/2 is one of my favourite performances of all time, she captures that role with utter perfection.
([name]Greta[/name]) [name]Garbo[/name]: [name]Greta[/name] is a bit too harsh-sounding, but [name]Garbo[/name] isn’t a bad name at all. [name]Imagine[/name] having the last name of one of the most skilled actresses in the world, as your middle name. I think that would be pretty damn cool.
[name]Olivia[/name] (De Havilland): The name [name]Olivia[/name] actually always gives me an immediate association to [name]Olivia[/name] De Havilland.
[name]Katharine[/name] (Hepburn): I would name my daughter [name]Katharine[/name] without blinking, and I would make her sit through [name]Kate[/name] Hepburn’s entire filmography so she could come to appreciate her incredible namesake.
[name]Mary[/name] ([name]Pickford[/name]): Silent film screen legend, who wouldn’t want to be named after her.
[name]Rosalind[/name] ([name]Russell[/name]): Her way of pronouncing her name, is the only right way in my opinion.
[name]Moira[/name] (Shearer): Her performance in The [name]Red[/name] Shoes is one of my favourites of all time.
[name]Hedy[/name] ([name]Lamarr[/name]): Preferring it as a nickname for [name]Hester[/name] or [name]Hedwig[/name] (which was [name]Lamarr[/name]'s real name).
Boys:
([name]Errol[/name]) [name]Flynn[/name]: Prefer [name]Flynn[/name] over [name]Errol[/name] (aka the Weasleys poor owl).
[name]Elvis[/name] ([name]Presley[/name]): I probably wouldn’t call my child [name]Elvis[/name], however, it’s a really great name.
[name]Archibald[/name] ([name]Alexander[/name] Leach/[name]Cary[/name] [name]Grant[/name]): [name]One[/name] of my absolute favourite boys names and obviously my favourite male Old Hollywood actor has something to do with just that. [name]Imagine[/name] having an [name]Ingrid[/name] and an [name]Archibald[/name] and then having them watching the two flawless films that are Notorious and Indiscreet.
[name]Vivian[/name], [name]Clark[/name], [name]Gable[/name], and [name]Greta[/name] all come to mind. [name]Sabrina[/name], as in the [name]Audrey[/name] Hepburn character; [name]Charlie[/name] and [name]Chaplin[/name], as in the silent screen star. I think old Hollywood I think: [name]Lillian[/name] ([name]Gish[/name]), [name]Jean[/name] (Seberg and Shrimpton), [name]Edie[/name] (Sedgwick), [name]Clara[/name] ([name]Bow[/name]), [name]Louise[/name] ([name]Brooks[/name]), [name]Myrna[/name] ([name]Loy[/name]), [name]Fay[/name] ([name]Wray[/name]), [name]Gene[/name] ([name]Tierney[/name]), [name]Bette[/name] ([name]Davis[/name]), [name]Marlene[/name] (Deitrich), [name]Marion[/name] ([name]Davies[/name]), [name]Veronica[/name] ([name]Lake[/name]), [name]Lucille[/name] (Ball), [name]Mary[/name] ([name]Pickford[/name] and Astor), [name]Betty[/name] (Grable), [name]Loretta[/name] ([name]Young[/name]), [name]Judy[/name] ([name]Garland[/name])…a lot of these last names are usable as well.
Female
[name]Marlena[/name] ([name]Marlene[/name] [name]Dietrich[/name])
[name]Marlene[/name] would get pronounced mar-leen though, not mar-layna and her real name was [name]Marie[/name] [name]Magdalene[/name] (swoon)
[name]Marnie[/name] ([name]Hitchcock[/name] character)
[name]Bette[/name] ([name]Davis[/name])
[name]Lana[/name] ([name]Turner[/name])
[name]Lillian[/name] ([name]Gish[/name])
[name]Loretta[/name] ([name]Young[/name])
[name]Rita[/name] (Hayworth)
[name]Elise[/name] or [name]Elyse[/name]
[name]Charisse[/name] (Cyd [name]Charisse[/name] real name [name]Tula[/name] [name]Ellice[/name])
Pier ([name]Angeli[/name]) real name [name]Anna[/name] [name]Maria[/name]
[name]Marisa[/name] (Pavan) twin of Pier [name]Angeli[/name], real name [name]Maria[/name] [name]Luisa[/name]
[name]Louise[/name] ([name]Brooks[/name])
[name]Jean[/name] ([name]Harlow[/name]) real name Harlean
[name]Joan[/name]
[name]Marjorie[/name]
[name]Maureen[/name]
[name]Irene[/name]
[name]Dorothy[/name]
[name]Dolores[/name]
[name]Kathleen[/name]
[name]Barbara[/name]
[name]Brigitta[/name]
[name]Alma[/name]
[name]Hester[/name]
[name]Yvonne[/name]
[name]Patricia[/name]
[name]Priscilla[/name]
The first thing that comes to my mind is [name]Marilyn[/name] (: We were considering about naming our daughter that but went against it. We hate the nickname possibilities with it.