I’m looking for some older-sounding names for a sixteen-year-old girl and her older sister. The story is modern, but both the girl and her sister were named for grandmothers or great-grandmothers. I’m not sure if the name I have right now is the right one, and I’m trying to decide on her name before I even approach the sister’s…
She’s sixteen years old, and lives with her mom. Her older sister, is almost ten years older than her, but they’re very close. Their dad died before she was born. She’s an extrovert, and very smart, and (as of right now) wants to go to law school like her sister. Her mother is what most people would call a “socialite,” but neither girl is stuck-up or pretentious. Her name right now is [name_f]Frances[/name_f], and her sister calls her “[name_f]Francie[/name_f],” but I feel like there’s a more fitting name out there somewhere!
I think Frances is a name that definitely fits your needs, though it does feel like more of a common “old lady” name. Also, Frances seems to be one of the “old lady” names that is becoming more popular. I’m thinking you want someone that feels a bit more vintage that’s not a name on the uptick.
Still, I think Frances is a great middle of the road pick that is universally recognized as “old-old” without being overly trendy. It’s a name that is not out of left field or likely to be perceived differently by lots of people. For example, names like Alma, Mabel, and Magnolia are old but on the rise in my opinion while Margaret, though common and regularly used, still feels old since its nicknames are used more often in everyday conversation.
Here are my suggestions that could work…
When I think “old lady” I especially think an American Southern “old lady” so many of the names I’m suggesting fall into this category and may not be quite as specific to the background of your character and her family. Also, many names are of several diverse backgrounds (Irish, biblical, etc.), so not all will fit or be appropriate.
Many of my suggestions have a plethora of nicknames, so have fun picking what you like!
[name_f]Mabel[/name_f]
[name_f]Margot[/name_f]
[name_f]Edith[/name_f]
[name_f]Agnes[/name_f]
[name_f]Alma[/name_f]
[name_f]Sally[/name_f]
[name_f]Helen[/name_f]
[name_f]Mary[/name_f]
[name_f]Ruth[/name_f]
[name_f]Georgia[/name_f] (could go by [name_f]Gigi[/name_f], [name_u]Georgie[/name_u], or [name_f]Gia[/name_f])
[name_f]Susanna[/name_f] (could go by [name_f]Susie[/name_f] or [name_f]Anna[/name_f])
[name_f]Harriet[/name_f] (could go by [name_f]Hattie[/name_f])
[name_f]Beatrice[/name_f] (could go by [name_f]Bea[/name_f]/[name_f]Bee[/name_f])
[name_f]Alice[/name_f] (could go by [name_u]Ali[/name_u])
[name_f]Jane[/name_f]
[name_f]Bernadette[/name_f] (could go by [name_f]Nettie[/name_f])
[name_f]Maude[/name_f]
[name_f]Anne[/name_f]
[name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] (could go by [name_f]Dotty[/name_f] or [name_f]Dora[/name_f])
[name_f]Eleanor/name_f (could go by [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], [name_f]Ella[/name_f], [name_f]Elle[/name_f], [name_m]Lenny[/name_m], [name_f]Nora[/name_f])
[name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] (could go by [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], [name_f]Ella[/name_f], [name_f]Elle[/name_f], [name_f]Liz[/name_f], [name_f]Lizzy[/name_f], [name_f]Eliza[/name_f], [name_f]Beth[/name_f])
These are the names that I heard are considered as old lady names in [name_u]America[/name_u]:
[name_f]Gardenia[/name_f]
[name_f]Henrietta[/name_f]
[name_f]Carol[/name_f]
[name_u]Lynn[/name_u]
[name_f]Marilyn[/name_f]
[name_f]Edith[/name_f]
And these are the European old lady names that I see as old fashioned:
[name_f]Astrid[/name_f]
Stoina
[name_f]Brigitte[/name_f]
Roswitha
[name_f]Annamarie[/name_f]
[name_f]Veronika[/name_f] ([name_f]Vreni[/name_f])
[name_f]Susanne[/name_f]/[name_f]Susan[/name_f]
[name_f]Margareta[/name_f]
[name_f]Gertrud[/name_f] ([name_f]Trudi[/name_f])
[name_f]Wilhelmina[/name_f]
[name_f]Alma[/name_f]
[name_f]Heidi[/name_f]
Thanks everyone for the suggestions!! I think I’m going to go with [name_f]Frances[/name_f] for the younger girl, but these definitely helped for the sister
