Old Lady Names - Are These 'Fashionable?'

So, recently, I bought a baby name book to flip through (of course, my local bookstore actually didn’t have any Nameberry ones in stock, so I picked up the next best thing - The [name_u]Baby[/name_u] Name [name_m]Wizard[/name_m]), and each name in the book has commentary about the name. Since one of my favourites is [name_f]Maude[/name_f], I looked it up instantly, and, to my dismay/surprise, I found the comment.

“[name_f]Maude[/name_f] is a dignified classic with two strikes against it. First is it’s bluntness, which doesn’t sound particularly feminine to modern ears. Second is the 70’s [name_f]Bea[/name_f] [name_m]Arthur[/name_m] sitcom with it’s stick in your head theme song. [name_f]Maude[/name_f] remains regal and distinctive, but it’s far from fashionable”

I realise it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I’m not sure what would be considered ‘fashionable’ in the old lady name trends. I assumed [name_f]Maude[/name_f] was right on in there with [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f], (or, I thought it appeared that way), but now, this book has me second guessing it.

Are these names ‘fashionable’?

[name_f]Maude[/name_f]
[name_f]Mabel[/name_f]
[name_f]Agnes[/name_f]
[name_f]Hattie[/name_f]/[name_f]Harriet[/name_f]
[name_f]Edith[/name_f]
[name_f]Olive[/name_f]
[name_f]Clara[/name_f]
[name_f]Violet[/name_f]
[name_f]Dorothea[/name_f]
[name_f]Ada[/name_f]
[name_f]Rosalind[/name_f]
[name_f]Millicent[/name_f] nn [name_f]Millie[/name_f]

If no - what suggestions do you have for names of this style that are fashionable?

I think [name_f]Maude[/name_f] is beautiful and would totally use it if my surname weren’t a single syllable as well. Your entire list is wonderful and certainly wearable an chic. I say, don’t worry if the names you love are fashionable–you like them, they’re lovely, and they have great heritages that will serve their bearers well. FWIW, [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f] is the name we’ll use whenever we have another girl, so I guess I’m biased to think that [name_f]Maude[/name_f] and [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f] work well together.

I like all the names on your list, though I wouldn’t say [name_f]Agnes[/name_f] is “fashionable”.

I would add [name_f]Adeline[/name_f], [name_f]Clementine[/name_f], and [name_f]Cora[/name_f]

I’ve seen conflicting reports about [name_f]Agnes[/name_f] and it’s fashionable qualities, haha. I love [name_f]Adeline[/name_f] and [name_f]Cora[/name_f] :slight_smile: I’d love to use [name_f]Clementine[/name_f], but it’s sadly forever vetoed due to an ex-relative (long story).

[name_f]Olive[/name_f]
[name_f]Clara[/name_f]
[name_f]Violet[/name_f]
[name_f]Dorothea[/name_f]
[name_f]Ada[/name_f]
[name_f]Rosalind[/name_f]
could pass as fashionable. The rest, not so much.

I really like [name_f]Hattie[/name_f], [name_f]Clara[/name_f], and [name_f]Ada[/name_f].

I think these are fashionable:
[name_f]Mabel[/name_f]
[name_f]Hattie[/name_f] (but not [name_f]Harriet[/name_f])
[name_f]Olive[/name_f] (but I hate this one, it’s a food)
[name_f]Clara[/name_f]
[name_f]Violet[/name_f] (this doesn’t feel old lady at all)
[name_f]Dorothea[/name_f] (I love this one)
[name_f]Ada[/name_f]
[name_f]Rosalind[/name_f]
[name_f]Millie[/name_f] (but not [name_f]Millicent[/name_f])

I find all the names on your list to be stylish. I would say [name_f]Clara[/name_f], [name_f]Violet[/name_f], and [name_f]Ada[/name_f] are the most “mainstream fashionable” right now, but all the others are coming back into the style forefront or are already there.

Other ideas: [name_f]Agatha[/name_f], [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f], [name_f]Louise[/name_f], [name_f]Marguerite[/name_f], [name_f]Opal[/name_f], [name_u]Vivian[/name_u].

I would say they are; with the exceptions of [name_f]Millicent[/name_f] (which may still be too mothball-ish) and [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f] (which is stuck in the 60’s yet). As for [name_f]Maude[/name_f], I think hipsters may be adding it quite soon : )

I think these are all lovely names; personally I’m not fond of [name_f]Clara[/name_f], [name_f]Violet[/name_f] or [name_f]Olive[/name_f] but they would serve a girl well. I don’t think [name_f]Maude[/name_f], [name_f]Mabel[/name_f], [name_f]Hattie[/name_f]/[name_f]Harriet[/name_f], [name_f]Edith[/name_f] and [name_f]Agnes[/name_f] are quite at the point that they’d be called “fashionable” by most of the people I know. [name_f]Clara[/name_f], [name_f]Violet[/name_f] and even [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f] and [name_f]Olive[/name_f] wouldn’t be unfashionable. Then again, my circles tend to be made up of very conservative namers. I personally love [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f], both the sound and the [name_m]Shakespeare[/name_m] connection :slight_smile: She’s kind of a basket case but [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f]'s a really entertaining character, haha.

[name_f]Maude[/name_f] is one of those names most people hate. They think it’s old-fashioned and ugly. Personally, I think [name_f]Maude[/name_f] grows on you! It’s nowhere near as popular as [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f], but it’s definitely “old lady chic”. Of the names you listed above, these are the ones I think are fashionable (i.e. they are moving up charts and baby girls are being christened these names):

[name_f]Ada[/name_f]
[name_f]Clara[/name_f]
[name_f]Harriet[/name_f]
[name_f]Mabel[/name_f]
[name_f]Olive[/name_f]
[name_f]Rosalind[/name_f]
[name_f]Violet[/name_f]

These are the ones I think are “unfashionable” - meaning that they’re not zooming up popularity charts, but they could still easily be used:

[name_f]Agnes[/name_f]
[name_f]Dorothea[/name_f]
[name_f]Edith[/name_f]
[name_f]Maude[/name_f]
[name_f]Millicent[/name_f]

Some other “old lady chic” ideas…

[name_f]Adelaide[/name_f]
[name_f]Agatha[/name_f]
[name_f]Audrey[/name_f]
[name_f]Daphne[/name_f]
[name_f]Edwina[/name_f]
[name_u]Evelyn[/name_u]
[name_f]Flora[/name_f]
[name_f]Hazel[/name_f]
[name_f]Henrietta[/name_f]
[name_f]Hester[/name_f]
[name_f]Lavinia[/name_f]
[name_f]Margaret[/name_f]
[name_f]Nora[/name_f]
[name_f]Pearl[/name_f]
[name_f]Rose[/name_f]
[name_f]Susannah[/name_f]
[name_f]Sylvia[/name_f]
[name_f]Wilhelmina[/name_f]

As you can see from my signature, these are my kind of names :wink:

except [name_f]Olive[/name_f] which to me is an appetizer.

And although I love [name_f]Agnes[/name_f], it sounds a bit frail to me.

There is the idea of the 100 Year [name_m]Rule[/name_m], names sounding fresh after a century.

All of these sound real and fresh and interesting.

According to Nameberry’s founders, “vintage chic” names are fashionable:

[name_f]Adeline[/name_f], [name_f]Alice[/name_f], [name_f]Amelia[/name_f], [name_f]Audrey[/name_f], [name_f]Ava[/name_f], [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f], [name_f]Bella[/name_f], [name_f]Celia[/name_f], [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], [name_f]Claire[/name_f], [name_f]Clara[/name_f], [name_f]Claudia[/name_f], [name_f]Clementine[/name_f], [name_f]Cora[/name_f], [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f], [name_f]Daisy[/name_f], [name_f]Edith[/name_f], [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f], [name_f]Eliza[/name_f], [name_f]Ella[/name_f], [name_f]Emma[/name_f], [name_f]Esme[/name_f], [name_f]Eugenia[/name_f], [name_f]Eva[/name_f], [name_f]Eve[/name_f], [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u], [name_f]Faith[/name_f], [name_f]Fay[/name_f], [name_f]Flora[/name_f], [name_f]Frances[/name_f], [name_f]Georgia[/name_f], [name_f]Grace[/name_f], [name_f]Greta[/name_f], [name_f]Hazel[/name_f], [name_f]Helen[/name_f], [name_f]Honor[/name_f], [name_f]Hope[/name_f], [name_f]Imogen[/name_f], [name_f]Iris[/name_f], [name_f]Isabel[/name_f], [name_f]Ivy[/name_f], [name_f]Jane[/name_f], [name_f]Josephine[/name_f], [name_f]Julia[/name_f], [name_f]Juliet[/name_f], [name_u]June[/name_u], [name_f]Lila[/name_f], [name_f]Lily[/name_f], [name_f]Louisa[/name_f], [name_f]Lucy[/name_f], [name_f]Madeline[/name_f], [name_f]Matilda[/name_f], [name_f]Maude[/name_f], [name_f]May[/name_f], [name_f]Miranda[/name_f], [name_f]Natalie[/name_f], [name_f]Nina[/name_f], [name_f]Nora[/name_f], [name_f]Olive[/name_f], [name_f]Olivia[/name_f], [name_f]Patience[/name_f], [name_f]Pauline[/name_f], [name_f]Pearl[/name_f], [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f], [name_f]Polly[/name_f], [name_f]Ramona[/name_f], [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f], [name_f]Rose[/name_f], [name_u]Ruby[/name_u], [name_f]Sophia[/name_f], [name_f]Sophie[/name_f], [name_f]Stella[/name_f], [name_f]Sylvia[/name_f], [name_f]Veronica[/name_f], [name_f]Violet[/name_f], [name_u]Vivian[/name_u], [name_f]Willa[/name_f]

According to [name_u]Baby[/name_u] Names [name_m]Wizard[/name_m]'s founder, “antique charm” names are fashionable:

[name_f]Abigail[/name_f], [name_f]Adela[/name_f], [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f], [name_f]Adeline[/name_f], [name_f]Alice[/name_f], [name_f]Amelia[/name_f], [name_f]Angelina[/name_f], [name_f]Anna[/name_f], [name_f]Annabella[/name_f], [name_f]Annabelle[/name_f], [name_f]Annalise[/name_f], [name_f]Annie[/name_f], [name_f]Arabella[/name_f], [name_f]Ava[/name_f], [name_f]Bella[/name_f], [name_f]Carolina[/name_f], [name_f]Caroline[/name_f], [name_f]Cassie[/name_f], [name_f]Catalina[/name_f], [name_f]Cecily[/name_f], [name_f]Charity[/name_f], [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], [name_f]Chloe[/name_f], [name_f]Clara[/name_f], [name_f]Cora[/name_f], [name_f]Daisy[/name_f], [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f], [name_f]Eleanora[/name_f], [name_f]Elinor[/name_f], [name_f]Eliza[/name_f], [name_f]Ella[/name_f], [name_f]Elsa[/name_f], [name_f]Emilia[/name_f], [name_f]Emma[/name_f], [name_f]Emmaline[/name_f], [name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f], [name_f]Eva[/name_f], [name_f]Evangeline[/name_f], [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u], [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f], [name_f]Georgia[/name_f], [name_f]Grace[/name_f], [name_f]Hannah[/name_f], [name_f]Hazel[/name_f], [name_f]Helena[/name_f], [name_f]Isabel[/name_f], [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f], [name_f]Isadora[/name_f], [name_f]Ivy[/name_f], [name_f]Josephine[/name_f], [name_f]Julia[/name_f], [name_f]Katharina[/name_f], [name_f]Leila[/name_f], [name_f]Lena[/name_f], [name_f]Lila[/name_f], [name_f]Lillian[/name_f], [name_f]Lillie[/name_f], [name_f]Lily[/name_f], [name_f]Lucy[/name_f], [name_f]Luna[/name_f], [name_f]Lydia[/name_f], [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f], [name_f]Madeline[/name_f], [name_f]Mariah[/name_f], [name_f]Michaela[/name_f], [name_f]Molly[/name_f], [name_f]Nora[/name_f], [name_f]Olivia[/name_f], [name_f]Patience[/name_f], [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f], [name_f]Rhea[/name_f], [name_u]Ruby[/name_u], [name_f]Sadie[/name_f], [name_f]Sofia[/name_f], [name_f]Sophia[/name_f], [name_f]Sophie[/name_f], [name_f]Stella[/name_f], [name_f]Victoria[/name_f], [name_f]Violet[/name_f], [name_u]Vivian[/name_u], [name_f]Willa[/name_f]

According to me, every old name is fashionable; I love them all :).

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[name_f]Maude[/name_f]- I find this one too old lady
[name_f]Mabel[/name_f]- This could work with [name_f]Bella[/name_f] names being popular
[name_f]Agnes[/name_f]- I can’t imagine this being fashionable
[name_f]Hattie[/name_f]/[name_f]Harriet[/name_f]- its top 100 in the UK so its fashionable
[name_f]Edith[/name_f]- I prefer just [name_f]Edie[/name_f] but I can see this gaining popularity
[name_f]Olive[/name_f]- I think this is gaining popularity its top 100 here but it reminds me of the food
[name_f]Clara[/name_f]- I think this is rather dated because of [name_f]Claire[/name_f]
[name_f]Violet[/name_f]- Yes its fashionable top 100
[name_f]Dorothea[/name_f]- [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] is a GP for me I think it could get more popular
[name_f]Ada[/name_f]- My sister is [name_f]Adele[/name_f] so I can see it gaining popularity
[name_f]Rosalind[/name_f]- I love this I see this as always quite unusual
[name_f]Millicent[/name_f] nn [name_f]Millie[/name_f]- I know a twelve year old [name_f]Millicent[/name_f] she goes 100% by [name_f]Millie[/name_f] I think [name_f]Millie[/name_f]'s more trendy then [name_f]Millicent[/name_f]

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This is lovely, thank you! Haha, my sister (a 14 year old [name_f]Mikayla[/name_f]) isn’t pleased that the original version [name_f]Michaela[/name_f] is considered ‘antique’, and I have to say, I don’t think it’s very old fashioned either (along with a few others off the [name_u]Baby[/name_u] Name [name_m]Wizard[/name_m] list), but maybe 100 years ago, it was pronounced differently? Either way, these lists are full of names I like/love :slight_smile:

I agree :).