First let me say that I am all for the revival of the cute classic name, however hipster it may be;
[name]Hope[/name]
[name]Felicity[/name]
[name]Scarlett[/name],
[name]Annabelle[/name]
etc… are all sweet. In fact, I even have a daughter named [name]Grace[/name]. However, is it me or ARE SOME PEOPLE TAKING THIS TREND TOO FAR??? There are some vintage names that died out for a reason if you ask me, and trying to be different by giving your daughter a name that’s so old its just simply unattractive is rather inconsiderate really. While it may seem like a fun idea, keep in mind this little girl has to live with it. And that she is a [name]LITTLE[/name] girl after all, not an elderly 95 yr old. [name]Don[/name]'t let your desire to be “original” get in the way of what might be best for your child and how they will want to define themselves. Personally, I really dislike:
[name]Hazel[/name]
[name]Ruby[/name]
[name]Pearl[/name]
but I’m coming to terms with them as their popularity grows and its apparently a losing battle. But then there are those that are taking it even a further and that’s where I have to ask a person to really stop and think.
[name]Mabel[/name], [name]Doris[/name], [name]Phyllis[/name], [name]Hortense[/name], [name]Myrna[/name], [name]Eunice[/name], [name]Florence[/name], [name]Bertha[/name], [name]Esther[/name], [name]Hilda[/name], [name]Mildred[/name], [name]Lucretia[/name], and so on -unacceptable.
And if its to honor an adored family member then fine, who can argue that, but at least make it the child’s middle name. At least give the girl a chance.
DOES ANYONE [name]ELSE[/name] AGREE WITH ME ON THIS [name]ONE[/name]? What names have your heard that you feel take it too far? Why does ugly have to be in? [name]How[/name] do you feel? I have condensed this to girls-only but know it definitely applies to boys too. And feel free to say what you do like too.
And if I’ve offended anyone who has or will have a child with one of these names, my apologies, but its the way I feel.
Lol liking your rant! I guess we all have different tastes and name popularity ranges from country to country and even from region to region. In the uk, [name]Florence[/name] is actually becoming VERY popular (its definitely top 100, and I think last time I checked it was about top 60!). I personally love [name]Florence[/name] as a middle name and think NN [name]Flo[/name] is very cute, but I know there is a load of people who would disagree. [name]One[/name] vintage name I really detest is [name]Harriet[/name] and it’s really rising in.popularity in my region of [name]Scotland[/name], so obviously some folk must like it!
I like spunky, vaudeville-type names, so for me, [name]Ruby[/name], [name]Mabel[/name] & [name]Pearl[/name] are just fab!
I really dislike some of the “older vintage names”, but naming is subjective and personal. What is ugly to me isn’t to others. The old ladies were little girls once too, lol! Names go through trends all the time, that’s just the way it is. That’s how I see it. My husband’s grandma who passed away was named [name]Betty[/name] [name]Lou[/name]. We wanted to honor her but we didn’t like [name]Betty[/name] or [name]Lou[/name], it felt “older” to us. So we chose to use [name]Elisabeth[/name] [name]Louisa[/name] instead.
lol. Some of those in the last group–I really don’t see them coming back. [name]Bertha[/name]? [name]Hortense[/name]?! I don’t think they’ll come back for a really long time, if at all. But names like [name]Mabel[/name] and [name]Florence[/name] are already really coming back, and I’m pretty sure [name]Florence[/name] is top 100 in the UK, which is only a couple years ahead of the US.
It doesn’t bother me, no. I actually really love [name]Hazel[/name] and [name]Ruby[/name], and [name]Pearl[/name] is on my list as a MN to honor my sister. Everyone has their own taste, but I really don’t think these are that bad. Names go in cycles, and names like [name]Ruby[/name], [name]Hazel[/name], [name]Pearl[/name], and [name]Mabel[/name] are just coming back around. I really can’t find it in myself to appreciate [name]Mabel[/name] or [name]Florence[/name] (although I really love [name]Mae[/name], [name]Flora[/name], and [name]Fleur[/name]), but more power to the people who use it. And even if it is a really old lady name (I adore [name]Agnes[/name], for example!), there’s usually a cute nn to redeem it if the child finds it ugly/too teaseworthy. [name]Mabel[/name] could be [name]Belle[/name]/[name]Bella[/name], [name]Florence[/name] could be [name]Lola[/name]/[name]Flora[/name], [name]Lucretia[/name] could be [name]Lucy[/name], [name]Agnes[/name] could be [name]Annie[/name] (from the French pronunciation, ahn-YES), etc.
I’m sure people will agree with you, haha, but I think they’re more on other sites. Lots of Berries love [name]Ruby[/name], [name]Hazel[/name], [name]Florence[/name], [name]Mabel[/name], etc.
I don’t really see the issue with names such as [name]Hazel[/name], [name]Ruby[/name], or [name]Pearl[/name]. They seem classy to me, not dated. I also don’t have a problem with [name]Esther[/name], [name]Mabel[/name], or [name]Lucretia[/name].
However, names such as [name]Bertha[/name] and [name]Hortense[/name] would lead to teasing potential so I can understand a need for concern.
I know you want to state your opinion, but I think saying something such as “why does ugly have to be in” is kind of rude. [name]Just[/name] because these names are not your style does not mean they are ugly.
I happen to love both [name]Hazel[/name] and [name]Mabel[/name]. Not brave enough to use [name]Mabel[/name], but [name]Hazel[/name] is still in contention. [name]Baby[/name] names are a matter of taste. What appeals to some doesn’t always appeal to others.
On the whole, I agree with you. It does depend on the name. I actually really like the names [name]Hazel[/name] and [name]Ruby[/name], and am fine with [name]Pearl[/name], but I totally agree that names like [name]Hortense[/name], [name]Florence[/name], and [name]Mildred[/name] are just unattractive. I used to feel the same way about [name]Agnes[/name], but then I met an 8 year old girl with that name (it was an anglicized version of her Czech name, Aneshka) and she was such a sweet kid, it changed my opinion completely. Maybe if you meet a lovely little girl named [name]Florence[/name] or [name]Eunice[/name], it might change your mind! (though with [name]Eunice[/name] or [name]Myrna[/name], I rather doubt it )
Well, there are always going to be ugly names out there. An ugly sounding name is what it is, and I’m talking to you, [name]Bertha[/name] and [name]Gertrude[/name]. The other side of the coin is that there are also ugly names that are currently popular and trendy. The name doesn’t have to be old and vintage to be unattractive sounding. My advice would be to pick the pretty sounding old, vintage names if you like that style.
I disagree with this for the most part. [name]Sophia[/name], [name]Rose[/name], [name]Lilly[/name], [name]Estelle[/name]…you can’t get more old lady than those & they are so mainstream that they are absolutely considered young & beautiful at this point. If you named your daughter [name]Emma[/name] or [name]Violet[/name] in 1998 you would’ve gotten some looks of horror. Now they’re pretty popular & considered beautiful.
I live in NYC and [name]Pearl[/name], [name]Cora[/name], [name]Ruby[/name], [name]Eleanor[/name] ect are the kindergarten set. Not weird at all. Maybe it will take awhile for the rest of [name]America[/name] to warm up to these but they will. Clunky hipstery nursing home names will be the next generation. I like some, but not all of them.
Basically I think some people gravitate to what is familiar & they’ve heard/seen enough times that it feels familiar & good. Other people gravitate to what is new & different.
I don’t think either thing does our kids a disservice cause of how diverse the world is…at least near me. [name]Amaya[/name], [name]Beatrice[/name], [name]Jessica[/name], [name]Myra[/name] & [name]Zelda[/name] could easily all be playmates and to me none are ‘cruel’…I think so long as a name isn’t obscene or easily mocked it’s anything goes.
I actually like several of those names, especially [name]Ruby[/name], [name]Pearl[/name], and [name]Lucretia[/name]! I think it is a wonderful trend and will hopefully cut down on all the Jaydens and Nevaehs of the world. It might be hard to picture a [name]Mabel[/name] or a [name]Doris[/name] in Kindergarten but can you really imagine a nursing home full of old ladies with names like [name]Jayden[/name], [name]Nevaeh[/name], [name]Brooklyn[/name], [name]Harper[/name], and [name]Kaylee[/name]??? I cannot even imagine someone saying “Grandma [name]Jayden[/name]” 50 years from now. They are only little for a while…
Names come and go. I think names like [name]Sherri[/name], [name]Tracy[/name], [name]Lisa[/name]…are the ugly older people’s names that used to [name]Betty[/name], [name]Mabel[/name], [name]Pearl[/name]. I personally adore [name]Hazel[/name], think [name]Florence[/name] and [name]Lucretia[/name] are great names, have a good friend named [name]Hilda[/name], two of my favorite characters happened to be named [name]Doris[/name].
Beauty and Ugly are subjective. I think [name]Grace[/name] and [name]Hope[/name] are some of the dullest names I’ve ever heard. [name]Ruby[/name] and [name]Pearl[/name] are not my style. I don’t like [name]Hortense[/name] or [name]Mildred[/name] but I’d certainly rather meet a little [name]Mildred[/name] than a [name]Mikayla[/name].
[name]Do[/name] keep in mind though, that little girls often grow up to be big girls. And then women and eventually, little old ladies!
Oh, I agree completely, except for [name]Ruby[/name], which I like. [name]Mavis[/name], [name]Dorothy[/name], [name]Frances[/name], [name]Millicent[/name], [name]Muriel[/name], [name]Henrietta[/name], [name]Edith[/name], [name]Elsa[/name], [name]Wilhelmina[/name], [name]Winifred[/name], [name]Etta[/name], [name]Cornelia[/name], [name]Letitia[/name] and [name]Mamie[/name] are all going too far in my opinion. I would just hope a kid who has one of these names wears it well, because I’m certain a pretty, popular girl could do it, but not every kid is going to be that. I know people have lots of different “styles” of names, so I respect others who like that kind of name, and I suppose I agree it will be unique, but maybe not in a great way…
[name]Just[/name] because YOU think certain vintage names are ugly doesn’t mean they actually are. Style is subjective — with names, clothes, cars, shoes. With EVERYTHING. I’m honestly kind of offended by your “give her a chance because giving her a name like that means you’re ruining her life” mentality. Kids learn to be judgmental by watching their parents, kids don’t make half as big a deal about “weird” names as adults do. When you call names “ugly” or “old ladyish” in front of kids that’s when they realize there’s something “wrong” with the name. Personally, I think people should mind their own business when it comes to things like names and such. Unless someone is specifically asking your opinion I think people should keep their (pinions to themselves.
I’m not on board with a lot of the vintage favourites on here either. I personally would hate to have the name [name]Mildred[/name], [name]Mabel[/name], [name]Pearl[/name], [name]Gertrude[/name], and [name]Agnes[/name]. Oh would I ever hate to be an [name]Agnes[/name].
But such is life, some people would love to be one of the above, and some mothers love the idea of having a little [name]Agnes[/name]. I don’t see the appeal at all.
That’s why forums like nameberry are great, because you can hear other peoples feedback. I do feel at times that the desire to be “Different” is what drives some namenerds to pick such vintage names like [name]Hortense[/name]. I’ve been avoiding such threads because I just do not undestand the appeal in most of the name ideas, at all.
Ditto. Although I see your point, I MUCH prefer these names to all the Mackenzies, Nevaehs, Addisons, etc. out there. I cringe every time I hear one of those names. When I hear one of these “vintage” names, I just think “There’s a brave parent. Good for them.” I will admit rolling my eyes if it’s really out there, though.
I used to have such strict opinions about names, but having been on here for a while now, I’ve learned (for the most part) to evaluate names independent of whether or not they are my style, which I think is true of most people on here. There are just so many different naming styles and just because it’s not my style, doesn’t mean it’s bad. There are plenty of other aspects that make a name bad, don’t get me wrong. But style is subjective.
And personally, I kind of think Pearl is the new Grace of a few years ago or Anne of my generation – the standard middle name that gives many first names that extra umph into gorgeous.
But I do agree with you in principle that some parents focus too much on being different and not enough on the child growing up with the name they choose. That holds true for all naming styles, though. There’s always someone going just a bit too far to make sure their kid is the only [fill in the blank–Hortense, Mykynzee, Astrid, girl named Peter, etc.] in the classroom. That says a lot about the parents to me, and makes me sad for the kids.
I think people with this mentality are thinking of what they would think if a [name]Helena[/name] or [name]Wilhelmina[/name] walked into their 4th grade class back in the day. Now I think that Braylee & [name]Hattie[/name] & Navaeh & [name]Agatha[/name] would totally all be friends and not give it a second thought…until [name]Agatha[/name]'s mom commented about how ‘trashy’ Navaeh is & Naveah’s mom whispered about how ‘hideous’ [name]Agatha[/name] is! Kids don’t judge this stuff!
We all have different tastes in names. It would be a very boring world to live in if everyone liked the same exact names. I would love to meet a little girl with most of the old fashioned names any day. I have meet too many little [name]Ava[/name]'s, [name]McKenzie[/name]'s and [name]Madison[/name]'s.
A few days ago I saw a little girl with the name [name]Maude[/name]. She was the cutest little girl. I don’t really like [name]Maude[/name], but she made the name more desirable for me. I don’t consider the name ugly, it is just not my style.
I hope that someday people will stop labeling names, and just let others name their children what they want. I dislike the labels of hipster, yupster, old-fashioned and outdated. If I like a name, I will use it no matter what label people will put on it.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I happen to love [name]Ruby[/name], [name]Mabel[/name], and [name]Florence[/name]. [name]Florence[/name] makes me think of the elegant Firenze, [name]Italy[/name]. And I know [name]Scarlett[/name] Johansen is all the rage, but I can’t help but hear the word “scar” in [name]Scarlett[/name]. That’s just me. Obviously most parents disagree with me on the [name]Scarlett[/name] thing.
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