Old Lady Names -Your Thoughts?

Girl Names
1

On my daily look about dans l’internet, I more often than not run into hate somewhere for old people names (especially on girls, most have no issues with a boy named [name_u]Stanley[/name_u] or [name_u]Dexter[/name_u], but if you mention naming your daughter [name_f]Maude[/name_f]? Shock horror.)

[name_f]My[/name_f] list is currently, [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f], [name_f]Lillian[/name_f], [name_f]Florence[/name_f], [name_f]Ada[/name_f], [name_f]Imogen[/name_f], [name_f]Minnie[/name_f], [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u], [name_f]Audrey[/name_f], [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f], [name_f]Elsie[/name_f], [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f], [name_f]Martha[/name_f], [name_f]Hettie[/name_f], [name_f]Violet[/name_f], [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f], [name_f]Iris[/name_f], [name_f]Vera[/name_f], [name_f]Maude[/name_f], [name_f]Lila[/name_f], [name_f]Louisa[/name_f], [name_f]Hazel[/name_f], [name_f]Pearl[/name_f], [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], [name_f]Viola[/name_f], [name_f]Annie[/name_f], [name_f]Bridget[/name_f], [name_u]Vivian[/name_u], [name_f]May[/name_f], [name_f]Rosetta[/name_f], [name_f]Sylvia[/name_f], [name_f]Adeline[/name_f], [name_f]Harriet[/name_f], [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f], [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] & [name_f]Frances[/name_f]

I love my “seniors home” names, but I find a lot of people (more and more each day when I search for new ones to plunk on my list) who cast them aside as “just a trend” (well 100 years ago, that ‘trend’ lasted 50+ years…), or “ugly” or “clunky”, “inapprorpriate for a child” (not like anyone is bringing back [name_f]Fanny[/name_f] here people), etc.

Going by what other people from all over the internet are saying - my entire name list (minus a select few) is going to set my future darling daughter up for ridicule and comments of ‘thats my grandma’s name!’. (Meanwhile, these are currently the end of my generation’s grandparents (most 18 year olds do not have grandparents who are over 80, i have learned), so by the time the 90’s kids have babies, wont the ‘grandma’ names be [name_f]Jennifer[/name_f], [name_f]Amy[/name_f], [name_f]Stephanie[/name_f], [name_u]Kelly[/name_u], [name_f]Cheryl[/name_f], [name_f]Kristy[/name_f], [name_f]Brenda[/name_f], etc?)

[name_m]How[/name_m] do you feel about ‘old lady’ names? Are they cute and vintage, or caked in that mothball smell you just cant get rid of?

Is my list TOO old for this day in age, in your opinion?

What are your favourites of the 1914 (100 years) name revival?

2

Some I like and some I don’t. I like a lot of old-lady names but not all names I like fit in that category.

Also, [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] is in the Top 50 here so I don’t know if I can count that.

Of your list I like: [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f], [name_f]Lillian[/name_f], [name_f]Florence[/name_f], [name_f]Ada[/name_f], [name_f]Imogen[/name_f], [name_f]Minnie[/name_f]*, [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f], [name_f]Martha[/name_f], [name_f]Violet[/name_f], [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f], [name_f]Iris[/name_f], [name_f]Maude[/name_f], [name_f]Lila[/name_f], [name_f]Hazel[/name_f], [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], [name_f]Viola[/name_f], [name_u]Vivian[/name_u], [name_f]May[/name_f], [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f], & [name_f]Frances[/name_f].

One star means I like it but only as a NN, two stars means I like it a lot but favour a different spelling.

Names I like that were in the Top Hundred in 1914: [name_f]Marie[/name_f], [name_f]Ida[/name_f], [name_f]Irene[/name_f], [name_f]Esther[/name_f], [name_f]Jane[/name_f], [name_f]Mabel[/name_f], [name_f]Opal[/name_f], [name_f]Marguerite[/name_f], and [name_f]Juanita[/name_f]. (And [name_f]Emily[/name_f], but whether you’d count it as old lady…)

Charting then and I’ve gotten “too old!” flack for liking: [name_f]Zelda[/name_f], [name_f]Rosemary[/name_f]/[name_f]Rosemarie[/name_f], [name_f]Rosamond[/name_f], [name_f]Ramona[/name_f], [name_f]Maybelle[/name_f].
Charming little old fashioned oddities: [name_f]Iola[/name_f], [name_f]Zella[/name_f], [name_f]Twila[/name_f], [name_f]Sybil[/name_f], [name_f]Leora[/name_f]. Never super popular but very much of their time, as it were, and pretty much gone now. And my current love, [name_f]Izora[/name_f]… but it fell off the records in 1912. Can I count it?

3

@stripedsocks - [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] doesn’t rank anywhere over here, and it didn’t rank when my [name_f]Nana[/name_f] lived in [name_f]England[/name_f], but she and I adore it haha. (Who would’ve thought my [name_f]Nana[/name_f] and I would have the same taste?!). [name_f]Lillian[/name_f], [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] and [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] are quite special for me ([name_f]Lillian[/name_f] and [name_m]Charles[/name_m] are after my great grandparents, [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] was one of two my great aunts that I got to meet/speak to before she passed away).

I love [name_f]Esther[/name_f], [name_f]Jane[/name_f] and [name_f]Mabel[/name_f]! The only [name_f]Juanita[/name_f] I know isn’t very nice, so I have poor connections to it. [name_f]Emily[/name_f] and [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] are ones I don’t quite count as old lady, but I know one day they both were (as well as [name_f]Abigail[/name_f] and [name_f]Leah[/name_f]).

From your ‘too old!’ list, [name_f]Rosemary[/name_f], [name_f]Rosamond[/name_f], and [name_f]Ramona[/name_f] are delightful :-). I’m not a big fan of the oddities you chose, although [name_f]Twila[/name_f]/[name_f]Twyla[/name_f] is quite cute.

Others I liked from the US: [name_f]Mamie[/name_f], [name_f]Loretta[/name_f], [name_f]Cora[/name_f], [name_f]Geneva[/name_f], [name_f]Lula[/name_f], [name_f]Susie[/name_f], [name_f]Lucille[/name_f], [name_f]Nellie[/name_f], [name_f]Lillie[/name_f], [name_f]Lena[/name_f], [name_f]Hattie[/name_f], [name_f]Nancy[/name_f], [name_f]Estelle[/name_f], [name_f]Kathleen[/name_f], [name_f]Henrietta[/name_f], [name_f]Jeanette[/name_f], [name_f]Lorraine[/name_f], [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f], [name_f]Veronica[/name_f], [name_f]Sally[/name_f]/[name_f]Sallie[/name_f], [name_f]Essie[/name_f], [name_f]Dorothea[/name_f], [name_f]Effie[/name_f], [name_f]Addie[/name_f], [name_f]Angeline[/name_f], [name_f]Faye[/name_f], [name_f]Constance[/name_f], [name_f]Annette[/name_f], [name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f], [name_f]Clarice[/name_f], [name_f]Augusta[/name_f], [name_f]Johanna[/name_f], [name_f]Tessie[/name_f], [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f], [name_f]Birdie[/name_f], [name_f]Philomena[/name_f], [name_f]Althea[/name_f], [name_f]Agatha[/name_f], [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f], [name_f]Polly[/name_f], [name_f]Lettie[/name_f], [name_f]Clementine[/name_f], [name_f]Aurelia[/name_f], [name_f]Marianne[/name_f], [name_f]Millicent[/name_f], [name_f]Aurora[/name_f], [name_f]Delphine[/name_f], [name_f]Georgiana[/name_f], [name_f]Celeste[/name_f], [name_f]Verona[/name_f], [name_f]Joanna[/name_f], [name_f]Octavia[/name_f], [name_f]Lavinia[/name_f], & [name_f]Eugenie[/name_f].

And that doesn’t even include the ones that are popular today/do not feel ‘old’ - [name_f]Annabelle[/name_f], [name_f]Eliza[/name_f], [name_f]Kate[/name_f], [name_f]Lucy[/name_f], [name_f]Willa[/name_f], etc.

4

I LOVE almost all “old lady names”. I think it’s silly people even classify them as old lady because obviously these ladies were once babies and little girls too! We’re using Audrey for DD2, so obviously I love that one from your list. Others I love from your “old lady” list: Phoebe, Lillian, Ada, Imogen,Evelyn, Eleanor, Elsie, Dorothy (although I love Dorothea even more) Martha, Hettie, Violet, Beatrice, Iris, Vera,Lila, Louisa, Hazel, Pearl, Charlotte, Viola, Annie, Bridget, Vivian (although I prefer Vivienne) May, Rosetta, Sylvia, Adeline, Harriet, Cordelia, Adelaide.

Most of these I don’t even think classify as old but I suppose they do since we live in a world where it seems people love to make up names or add -lynn to the end of every name (barf). You have great taste! Don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise!

Edit: I tend to have more of the same taste in names as my grandma too (she’s 90), than say my dad ( born at the tail end of the baby boomers). My grandma likes Allegra & Audrey, as well as Ruby, Claire, Elisabeth and other “old names”, whereas my dad would probably have been happier had we named Allegra “Brooklyn” or something. He was pushing hard for us to name her Liliana, which was on our list because I do think it’s pretty but I feel that the -ana endings are too trendy. This time around we haven’t shared the name (Audrey) with anyone irl…don’t want any input from family!

5

@iheartm - oooh [name_f]Allegra[/name_f] and [name_f]Audrey[/name_f] are lovely! I’m so glad you’re going with [name_f]Audrey[/name_f]! Haha, it looks like you love the majority of the list :stuck_out_tongue: I feel the same way - a little girl with the name [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] is going to be a lot cuter than an Aleeahlynn namewise. Thank you though :slight_smile:

6

I prefer old man names to old lady names, but from your list I love [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f], [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u], [name_f]Audrey[/name_f], [name_f]Elsie[/name_f], [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f], [name_f]Violet[/name_f], [name_f]Iris[/name_f], [name_f]Vera[/name_f], [name_f]Lila[/name_f], [name_f]Louisa[/name_f], [name_f]Hazel[/name_f], [name_f]Pearl[/name_f], [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], [name_f]Viola[/name_f], [name_u]Vivian[/name_u], [name_f]May[/name_f], [name_f]Adeline[/name_f], [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] & [name_f]Frances[/name_f].

I think the problem is 90% of people don’t really have exposure to names like we do on nameberry, so their tastes are more centered on top 10 names. I was like that too until I joined nameberry and my tastes changed drastically. Names that I have never heard of before or names I’ve never considered I now love.

As far as names being “scarring”…any name can cause a kid to hate their name. I wouldn’t say I hate my name, but I don’t really care for it. [name_f]My[/name_f] name is [name_f]Beryl[/name_f] and I have been made fun of my whole entire life, but I’d rather be that than a [name_f]Brittany[/name_f] or an [name_u]Ashley[/name_u].

Some of the names are too old for my tastes…but I wouldn’t call it scarring. You have great taste, don’t let anyone get you down!

7

I really love a lot of ‘old-lady names’. I think some of them will probably die off ([NAME]Gertrude[/NAME], anyone? Though [NAME]Gertie[/NAME] is such a cute nn) but others are ripe for revival and are surprising and fresh when on a little girl.

In my job I get to see a lot of old-lady names and am always making mental notes. I’ve seen recently, and liked: [NAME]Lillian[/NAME], [NAME]Ethel[/NAME], [NAME]Vera[/NAME], [NAME]Vita[/NAME], [NAME]Frances[/NAME], [NAME]Evelyn[/NAME], [NAME]Iris[/NAME], [NAME]Flora[/NAME], [NAME]Sylvia[/NAME], [NAME]Edna[/NAME], and [NAME]Audrey[/NAME]. [NAME]Elsie[/NAME] is a little too nicknamey for my tastes but I love [NAME]Elspeth[/NAME], which it is often short for.

From your list, I know younger people called [NAME]Phoebe[/NAME], [NAME]Lillian[/NAME], [NAME]Florence[/NAME], [NAME]Ada[/NAME] (a baby!), [NAME]Violet[/NAME] (ditto), [NAME]Lila[/NAME], [NAME]Charlotte[/NAME], [NAME]Mae[/NAME] (there are some babies that have it as a mn and as the second half of a double name), and [NAME]Louisa[/NAME].

8

[name_f]My[/name_f] list is almost entirely made up with old lady names. I find it ridiculous when people say that they don’t suit a baby/child because it’s too old. Someone on here made the excellent point that they are only children for a short while, and these names will fit them through life.
Your list isn’t too old, in fact many of the names on your list are due for revival. The only ones that I don’t care for are [name_f]Bridget[/name_f], [name_f]Rosetta[/name_f], and [name_f]Audrey[/name_f] (but it’s a personal preference, not that they’re too old).
[name_m]Favorite[/name_m] old lady names are: [name_f]Dorothea[/name_f] (for my grandma, [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f], who’s in her late 80’s), [name_f]Agnes[/name_f], [name_f]Louisa[/name_f], [name_f]Edith[/name_f], [name_f]Sybil[/name_f], [name_f]Jane[/name_f], and [name_f]Georgiana[/name_f].

9

I like old lady names. Many of them are definitely coming back. A family member recently named her daughter [name_f]Birdie[/name_f]. [name_f]My[/name_f] own daughter has a [name_u]Ruby[/name_u] and a [name_f]Mary[/name_f] in her class. There are a few that I like, but find a little gloomy ([name_f]Mildred[/name_f] or [name_f]Agatha[/name_f]). I really dislike [name_f]Phyllis[/name_f], [name_f]Shirley[/name_f], [name_f]Edith[/name_f], [name_f]Wilma[/name_f] and [name_f]Myrtle[/name_f]. However, I think that most are great choices…especially if they’re rare: [name_f]Winifred[/name_f], [name_f]Lottie[/name_f], [name_f]Minnie[/name_f], [name_f]Zelda[/name_f], and [name_f]Primrose[/name_f] are some of my favorites.

10

@xredd I’d rather be a [name_f]Beryl[/name_f] than an [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] or [name_f]Brittany[/name_f] too! I’m still wishing my mum had gone through with [name_f]Lillian[/name_f] for my sister or I :confused:

@namesgloriousnames I totally agree with [name_f]Gertie[/name_f]! [name_u]Jersey[/name_u] Girl made me like that one. [name_f]Ethel[/name_f] is really nice, I think that’s [name_f]Lily[/name_f] [name_m]Allen[/name_m]'s one daughter’s name? I love her choice of [name_f]Marnie[/name_f] as well.

@aj_bear me too, haha I have a few that aren’t so much, like [name_f]Freya[/name_f] and [name_f]Sophie[/name_f], but not many.

@lerenard I love [name_f]Birdie[/name_f]! I’m totally with you with [name_f]Myrtle[/name_f], [name_f]Shirley[/name_f], [name_f]Phyllis[/name_f] and [name_f]Wilma[/name_f]. I tried with [name_f]Myrtle[/name_f] and I just couldn’t. [name_f]Primrose[/name_f], [name_f]Lottie[/name_f] and [name_f]Minnie[/name_f] are gorgeous :slight_smile:

11

I love almost all of your “old lady” names :slight_smile:

I find it ridiculous that a name can be classed as an “old lady name”! All those “old ladies” we’re once babies and young girls too just as much as every [name_f]Ella[/name_f], [name_f]Lila[/name_f] and [name_f]McKenzie[/name_f] of today will one day (hopefully) be an old lady! A name simply cannot be old or young in the sense that these people mean. Steeped in history? Yes. But old? No.

It actually makes me angry to hear comments like that. Of course some people like certain names and not others but to say that reason is because a name belongs on an old lady is just one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard.

Rant over :slight_smile:

12

Me too! OMG, I just said all of that to my sister, haha. Of course, when I call them that, I’m only using the one that most others are familiar with. I prefer calling them vintage names :slight_smile: I find it funny when they say that a name BELONGS to a certain person - no one can take total ownership of a name, haha.

13

I like some of them the more spunky hippie sounding ones. But I am not a fan of others they for sure need to die in the nursing home…

Old Lady names I like

[name_f]Cora[/name_f]
[name_f]Olive[/name_f]
[name_u]June[/name_u]
[name_f]Edith[/name_f]
[name_f]Hazel[/name_f]
[name_f]Isla[/name_f]
[name_f]Sybil[/name_f]
[name_f]Ada[/name_f]

Old lady names that should die…

[name_f]Gertrude[/name_f]
[name_f]Bertha[/name_f]
[name_f]Betty[/name_f]
[name_f]Dottie[/name_f]
[name_f]Velma[/name_f]
[name_f]Agnes[/name_f]
[name_f]Alma[/name_f]
[name_f]Dorothy[/name_f]
[name_m]Magnus[/name_m]
[name_f]Pearl[/name_f]
Ingrid
Enid

I don’t know I am picky I guess. =]

14

Haha, I like [name_f]Dottie[/name_f], [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f], [name_f]Cora[/name_f], [name_f]Olive[/name_f], [name_f]Ada[/name_f], [name_f]Hazel[/name_f], [name_f]Pearl[/name_f] and [name_f]Agnes[/name_f], I’m iffy on [name_f]Edith[/name_f] and dislike the rest haha. Although I’m pretty sure [name_f]Isla[/name_f]'s not an older name? I could very easily be wrong, but I just haven’t really seen a lot of usage for it on the lists from 100 years ago that I’ve seen.

15

I love so many of them with a few exceptions. I really don’t care for:

[name_f]Dorothy[/name_f]
[name_f]Edith[/name_f]
[name_f]Martha[/name_f]
[name_f]Hazel[/name_f]

16

I like quite a lot of ‘old lady names’ and from your list I like:

[name_f]Florence[/name_f] [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] [name_f]Ada[/name_f] [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] [name_f]Hettie[/name_f] (I know a [name_f]Harriet[/name_f] nn [name_f]Hattie[/name_f]) [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f] [name_f]Violet[/name_f] [name_f]Iris[/name_f] [name_f]Vera[/name_f] (Know an adult [name_f]Vera[/name_f]) [name_f]Lila[/name_f] [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] [name_f]Viola[/name_f] [name_f]Sylvia[/name_f] [name_f]Adeline[/name_f] [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] [name_f]Frances[/name_f]

I also know a [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] my age, so I really can’t see it as an ‘old lady name’. I don’t see why the wouldn’t work on a child or teenager. [name_f]My[/name_f] grandma is called [name_f]Georgina[/name_f], and one of my friends (my age) is also called [name_f]Georgina[/name_f], so I don’t think a name can be defined by age alone. I know a baby El1za [name_f]Pearl[/name_f], and I know some people would class her name as an ‘old lady name’, but most people just grow into their name and make it their own. I doubt any child would be ridiculed for having any of the names on your list, and they’re definitely not ugly. I like [name_f]Enid[/name_f] ([name_f]Enid[/name_f] Blyton is an added plus) and [name_f]Edith[/name_f]. From 1914 in the U.S. I like, [name_f]Ethel[/name_f], [name_f]Thelma[/name_f] and [name_f]Ida[/name_f], plus names that are increasing in popularity again, e.g. [name_f]Clara[/name_f]. I also like [name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f] and [name_f]Lillian[/name_f] from [name_f]England[/name_f] and [name_m]Wales[/name_m] 1914 names.

17

Firstly, I would ask you to cease calling them “old lady” names. That’s age discrimination. Since when did “old lady” become such a bad word? Let’s call them “vintage” names. Names that have been around awhile and sound like they’re from another time. We must remember that names and their popularity ebb and flow throughout time but one thing is pretty certain: everything “old” is new again. So vintage names aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. Who cares? I’m fine with that. No one has the right to disparage anyone else’s name preferences. It’s a gross lack of common decency and a complete breakdown of courtesy. For doomsayers to predict the end of the world for someone called [name_f]Florence[/name_f] or [name_f]Louisa[/name_f] is just plain silliness. [name_f]Do[/name_f] they know something that we don’t know? No, they don’t. I suspect that they’re the same people who call their children [name_f]Nevaeh[/name_f] and think it’s so unique. Vintage names are fine and any girl can pull them off. I would rather meet a [name_f]Mabel[/name_f] than a [name_f]Jaylynn[/name_f] any day.

The only vintage names I don’t care for and do sound a bit rusty are:

[name_f]Gladys[/name_f]
[name_f]Myrtle[/name_f]
[name_f]Gertrude[/name_f]
[name_f]Hildegarde[/name_f]
[name_f]Bertha[/name_f]
[name_f]Ethel[/name_f]
[name_f]Lois[/name_f]
[name_f]Dorcas[/name_f]
[name_f]Lettice[/name_f]
[name_f]Agnes[/name_f] (unless the [name_m]French[/name_m] pronunciation is used)
[name_f]Blanche[/name_f]
[name_f]Wanda[/name_f]
[name_f]Thelma[/name_f]
[name_f]Norma[/name_f]
[name_f]Mildred[/name_f]
[name_f]Wilma[/name_f]
[name_f]Edna[/name_f]
[name_f]Ernestine[/name_f]
[name_f]Helga[/name_f]
[name_f]Beulah[/name_f]

18

I love [name_f]Lillian[/name_f], [name_f]Iris[/name_f], [name_f]Pearl[/name_f], [name_f]Bridget[/name_f], and [name_f]Silvia[/name_f].

[name_f]Beatrice[/name_f] and [name_f]Minnie[/name_f] have been growing on me.

I like [name_f]Audrey[/name_f], [name_u]Vivian[/name_u], [name_f]Mae[/name_f], [name_f]Hazel[/name_f], [name_f]Vera[/name_f], and [name_f]Ada[/name_f].

I like a lot of “old lady” names.

19

@mischa - I honestly didn’t intend for it to be age discrimination - I just went for the term most commonly seen on the internet. Normally when I see vintage on other sites, I’m expecting [name_f]Frances[/name_f] and [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] - but end up seeing [name_f]Violet[/name_f], [name_f]Lillian[/name_f], [name_f]Clara[/name_f] and [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], the now mainstreamed choices haha. I prefer using the Vintage term as well (I think I explained this earlier on in the thread).

[name_f]My[/name_f] mum has a co-worker named [name_f]Wanda[/name_f], haha, I burst out laughing when I heard it, all I think of is a cartoon skunk from Over the Hedge (one of the movies my little sister subjected me to when we were younger). I agree with a lot of the ones you listed, but I have to admit (can’t believe that I am), I feel as though [name_f]Gertrude[/name_f] might be a GP for me. I think of [name_u]Jersey[/name_u] Girl when I hear it (excellent film for those of you who haven’t seen it!), so it doesn’t feel all that ‘outdated’ anymore. I also like [name_f]Ethel[/name_f] and [name_f]Agnes[/name_f]. It’s funny that you listed [name_f]Lois[/name_f], I was just looking through the [name_f]England[/name_f] & [name_m]Wales[/name_m] top 1000, [name_f]Lois[/name_f] is just outside the top 100 there and has been steadily for a few years now. It was a shocking find to be honest.

@myosotis - my [name_f]Nana[/name_f] loved [name_f]Enid[/name_f] Blyton, I have some of her copies of a few [name_f]Enid[/name_f] Blyton books, she handed them down to me when I was young. [name_f]My[/name_f] nana always recalled sitting under/in a tree reading them in [name_u]London[/name_u], with lemonade, and it basically sounded like one of those cute, 1950’s heartwarming family films (although for her, it would’ve been just after WWII, she would’ve been 10/11). I liked the stories growing up, and I want to love the name, but something about the sound stops me. I agree with [name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f] and [name_f]Lillian[/name_f]. [name_f]Lillian[/name_f] [name_f]Vera[/name_f] was my great grandmother (my nana’s mother)'s name. She loathed [name_f]Lillian[/name_f], I didn’t actually realise [name_f]Lillian[/name_f] was her first name until I was about 6 (she passed away when I was 18 months old). [name_f]My[/name_f] mum wanted to name my little sister after her, but couldn’t bring herself to use [name_f]Lillian[/name_f] since my granana (as she was called by my older cousins) hated her name (my mum disliked [name_f]Vera[/name_f]).

What are some of your favourites then, everyone? I’m really loving [name_f]Constance[/name_f] nn [name_f]Nancy[/name_f] right now.

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I don’t think it’s age discrimination to say a name is an ‘old person’ name. It’s simply a fact that names rise and fall in popularity, so some names are more common amongst certain demographics. That’s all people mean by the phrase ‘old lady name’, I’m certain, that it is a name that statistically is more likely to belong to a female pensioner than a female in any other age group. Not that it’s a bad name because of that or that being old is bad, but that the name bearer that people think of is old, which is based on how the name is actually distributed amongst the population. For that reason, some people might have a hard time picturing a little baby with that name, although logically when you actually know a young person with an ‘old person name’, you usually stop thinking of it like that. But people do think about the images that names conjure up, and if it makes you think of an 80-year-old woman, although there’s obviously nothing wrong with 80 year olds, there’s a big mismatch with a little baby. Seems like an acceptable reason to not like a name on a baby to me. [name_m]Even[/name_m] though it’s also totally logical to ignore that preconception because you know that once people meet a baby [name_f]Muriel[/name_f], they’ll have a really easy time picturing a baby [name_f]Muriel[/name_f].

There’s a sweet spot after a generation dies where the typical names of that generation might become fresh and commonly appealing again, but usually only the ones that also fit in with current trends. Not everything old can become new again, although a lot can. Names that were common in a generation that is no longer alive I wouldn’t call ‘old people names’. A lot of the listed names seem like ‘past generation names’ to me rather than ‘old people names’, and as people of child-bearing age stop having memories of old people with those names, that’s when they tend to come back I think. But not if they’re too at odds with general naming trends.

With all that said, where do you think [name_f]Hilda[/name_f] is in the cycle? [name_f]Do[/name_f] you think it could be ready for a comeback, or is it one of those that’s either not ready or not suitable? I asked in another thread because I do like it, but was worried about general perceptions of it as an ‘old lady name’. Didn’t get any responses there, though.