I’ve been reviewing my long (very long) list that I’ve made a couple of months ago and found names like [name_f]Eileen[/name_f], [name_f]Heather[/name_f], [name_f]Sheila[/name_f] and [name_m]Brian[/name_m] here. I don’t normally talk about my unfashionable favorites… I guess I’m sort of irrationally ashamed of liking such names. I wonder if anyone feels the same.
What are your favorite names that are considered out of fashion/dated/past-peak? Would you use them? Does the ‘stylishness’ of names bother you in general?
It does somewhat. I have a rather long list of names I love and I prefer to have a name that’s on the upswing rather than downswing. I did with my current two, but they were also the names I loved the most anyway. We’ll see what I end up picking with the next one, I have several names on my larger list (this is the list I pull short list names from so all are ones I would seriously consider for a child) that might be considered dated. [name_f]Beverly[/name_f], [name_f]Helena[/name_f], [name_f]Estella[/name_f], [name_u]Marian[/name_u], [name_f]Irene[/name_f], [name_f]Susannah[/name_f], [name_f]Zelda[/name_f], [name_f]Miranda[/name_f], [name_m]Victor[/name_m], [name_m]Harvey[/name_m], [name_m]Stefan[/name_m], [name_m]Edwin[/name_m], [name_m]Arthur[/name_m], [name_m]Harold[/name_m]. Then there are [name_f]Hanna[/name_f] and [name_f]Abigail[/name_f], popular but on the downswing. In the end, it is one factor of many that I consider.
Like Anaxandra, this is just one of many factors I consider when ranking my favorites. These are a few I really like but ultimately thought they’d go unappreciated by my children.
G: [name_f]Brunhilde[/name_f], [name_f]Swanhilde[/name_f], [name_f]Francine[/name_f], [name_f]Dagmar[/name_f], [name_f]Mallory[/name_f], and [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f].
B: [name_m]Roland[/name_m], [name_m]Norman[/name_m], [name_m]Clark[/name_m], [name_u]Courtney[/name_u], [name_u]Laurence[/name_u], [name_u]Wendell[/name_u], and [name_m]Clifford[/name_m].
Although, gosh, I’m looking at those and thinking they’re really great names. Hmm…
I really, really like [name_f]Agnes[/name_f] and [name_u]Laurence[/name_u]. I wouldn’t use [name_f]Agnes[/name_f] since it provokes nearly universal horror but absolutely would use [name_u]Laurence[/name_u].
There’s not much from the midcentury I like, except perhaps [name_f]Cynthia[/name_f].
[name_f]Hyacinth[/name_f] is probably the only one for girls. Then there are the [name_m]Ed[/name_m]/E boys: [name_m]Edmund[/name_m], [name_m]Edgar[/name_m], [name_m]Edwin[/name_m], and [name_m]Ernest[/name_m]. Plus [name_m]Walter[/name_m], [name_m]Benedict[/name_m], [name_m]Bartholomew[/name_m], [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m], [name_m]Horatio[/name_m], and Rupert and Ronald a bit as well.
[name_u]Robin[/name_u] and [name_m]Arthur[/name_m] are considered a bit dated now. [name_m]Kenneth[/name_m] too, at least in Australia. For girls I’d say [name_f]Edith[/name_f], [name_f]Kathleen[/name_f] and possibly [name_f]Georgiana[/name_f]. It wouldn’t stop me using a name though, if I liked it enough. And although it doesn’t bother me personally, I may go with a more modern up-and-coming middle name so if they chose they could go by their middle name later on in life.
I really, really like [name_f]Anita[/name_f], though I’m aware many people where I live find it dowdy. However, since [name_f]Rita[/name_f] is increasing in popularity (because of the singer [name_f]Rita[/name_f] [name_f]Ora[/name_f]), maybe [name_f]Anita[/name_f] will be on the upswing soon as well.
Haha you might want to check the actual figures before you end up one of those parents who had no idea [insert very popular name] was so popular http://www.behindthename.com/top/name/albert/ew?viewing=graph
[name_m]Albert[/name_m] is popular, rising fast and practically certain to break into the top 100 within the next few years. http://www.behindthename.com/top/name/arthur/ew?viewing=graph
[name_m]Arthur[/name_m] made it years ago, it’s now at 52 and still looks to be rising sharply. They are both very fashionable, I’m sure you could find plenty of little Arthurs and [name_m]Alberts[/name_m] at your local nursery.
[name_f]Georgina[/name_f] is getting less popular at the moment and peaked in the 90s, when it was well within the top 50. It’s still quite popular, give it another 10 - 20 years or so and it will probably be unfashionable by then. http://www.behindthename.com/top/name/georgina/ew?viewing=graph
Now [name_f]Linda[/name_f] and [name_f]Carole[/name_f], those are unfashionable names.
I love [name_f]Nancy[/name_f], [name_f]Cynthia[/name_f] nn [name_f]Cindy[/name_f], [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] and [name_f]Amy[/name_f]. I would totally use them, I don’t care how “dated” people think they are. (The only problem is I don’t really like them in [name_m]French[/name_m] and that bothers me…I should get over it.) I know 2 girls under 12 named [name_f]Linda[/name_f] and no one including them ever even mentions how it’s a midcentury dated name.
I also [name_f]ADORE[/name_f] the name [name_f]Susan[/name_f]. It is just so perfect and reminds me of flowers. I can see it on someone any age.
I like [name_u]Kelly[/name_u] and [name_f]Megan[/name_f] for girls and [name_u]Casey[/name_u] for boys. I’d probably only use [name_u]Casey[/name_u] though.
Oh, goodness! I love so many ‘unfashionable’ names. [name_u]Francis[/name_u] is my personal favorite, and I just love [name_f]Svetlana[/name_f], [name_m]Edgar[/name_m], [name_m]Lon[/name_m], [name_f]Aileen[/name_f], [name_f]Agatha[/name_f], [name_m]Werner[/name_m], [name_f]Pauline[/name_f], [name_f]Irene[/name_f], [name_m]Erving[/name_m], [name_f]Rilla[/name_f], [name_f]Yseult[/name_f], [name_f]Liesa[/name_f], [name_m]Everard[/name_m], [name_m]Rolf[/name_m]…And the list goes on.
[name_m]Jethro[/name_m] - most people think is too “hillbilly”, but I adore it; it’s my top boys name. In fact, most of my top boys names are considered “unfashionable” - [name_m]Arthur[/name_m], [name_m]Chester[/name_m], [name_u]Francis[/name_u], [name_m]Gilbert[/name_m], [name_m]Kenneth[/name_m], [name_m]Oswald[/name_m], [name_u]Stanley[/name_u] and [name_m]Walter[/name_m].
For girls, some people still see [name_f]Harriet[/name_f] as an “old-lady” name, but I’ve only ever known young girls with this name. I also love [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f], [name_f]Delilah[/name_f], [name_f]Gretel[/name_f], [name_f]Henrietta[/name_f] and [name_f]Lilith[/name_f], which are “unfashionable” for various reasons.
For boys i have names that are ‘unfashionable’ in that they are too trendy and/or popular, eg. [name_m]Maddox[/name_m], [name_u]Logan[/name_u], [name_m]Liam[/name_m], [name_u]Sawyer[/name_u]–but I don’t think they are unfashionable otherwise (even with all the [name_m]Maddox[/name_m] haters out there :)).
I love [name_f]Alma[/name_f], too! I thought it was making a comeback? +150 places from last year in the US. It’s also very popular in [name_u]Sweden[/name_u], #26.
I think [name_f]Holly[/name_f] is somewhat making a comeback as a nickname for [name_u]Hollis[/name_u] and [name_u]Holland[/name_u] that are rising in popularity. As for [name_f]Olive[/name_f], I’d say it’s considered quite stylish, especially here on Nameberry. I love both!
It’s funny because there are a lot of names that are considered seriously dated in English-speaking countries that are immensely popular here in Denmark e.g. [name_m]Albert[/name_m], [name_m]Alfred[/name_m], [name_f]Agnes[/name_f] and [name_f]Esther[/name_f] (all of which I love dearly).
[name_f]Maude[/name_f] and [name_f]Olga[/name_f] both get a lot of hate for being oh-so old-fashioned but I love them both so much. Wouldn’t hesitate using any of them on my daughters. I love [name_m]Ulrik[/name_m] as well. However, in Denmark, most Ulriks are in their mid-forties. Oh, and [name_f]Dagmar[/name_f] is ravishing as well.
[name_f]Solveig[/name_f]/Solvejg has actually been dated and clunky for quite a while now, but I have known a Solborg at my age (she was originally from the Faroe Islands though). And super dated named are currently becoming quite popular (in the hip corners of Copenhagen at least) - my granny’s friend’s granddaughter has just been named Gunhild (perhaps even more clunky-dated than [name_f]Solveig[/name_f]/Solvejg).