I got to thinking about how certain names go out of fashion and you just know they will never come back. Like Randolf, or Randolph, or Randy. It may work fine on those born in the forties or fifties, or even earlier, but can you imagine anyone naming their baby boy that now? Except as a middle name, named after a grandfather or whatever.
Since I read a lot of classic literature I run into these kinds of names a lot. Believe it or not, there was a time when Gertrude was considered a classy name for a woman. So was Gladys and Edith. Really can't see these three coming back into vogue. Then there are the older names now making a comeback-- like Beatrice, Emily, Annabelle.
Then you have the stock boy names that never seem to go out of style, like John, James, Matthew, Thomas. Edward is making a comeback, I wonder why LOL?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
.JPG)
Yay for good solid names!! I despair when in these days children tend to be named after "celebrities"! Urgh! Take care
ReplyDeletex
Hi, Karen - I have always been fascinated by names and their different appeal down the generations, so enjoyed reading your posting. I think the early 20th century had some of the most unattractive choices -joioning Gertrude and Gladys, I would add Hilda, Winifred, Nellie, Ethel, Edith, and Evelyn, and in my family there were three daughters called Ivy, Violet and Lily.
ReplyDeleteSusan, I kept trying to think of the horrid ones and couldn't think of as many. There were so many-- thanks for adding to the list! My mother-in-law's name was Velda and her mother-in-law's name was Veda. Those aren't too bad. But some of these names were really horrid. My mother's name was Edna Lucille, and she hated the Edna so went by Lucille. Don't blame her!
ReplyDeleteOld Kitty, Babies named after celebrities will never go away! How many Angelina's are there out there now?
Love good strong names. I think Edith might come back though. It is a pretty name after all.
ReplyDeleteAnn, What would make it come back would be some character in a novel that everyone admires. I know, Ann, you can write it!
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother was a Gertrude (she wasn't very nice, see my "G" post!) My's mother was Gwendolyn - which is a name I love, but her middle name was....Ardythe! They intended that to be a feminine for Arthur, but I always thought it was dreadful. My best childhood best friend's mother's name was Ida - and that is a name I still love and put in my book!
ReplyDeleteMy baby is called Matthew :) My nana's name was June Myrtle. I named a pussycat Myrtle and then a hen.
ReplyDeleteI know a young family with three super cute blonde children. The oldest is a five-year-old boy named Leo. Hmm, weird but okay. Then they have an adorable two-year-old girl named Edna. Edna? What? She is so cute I want to scream and she has an old woman's name. Anyway, the youngest is a brand new baby boy named Abner. Sigh!
ReplyDeleteOh! I just thought of this! My friend name her daughter Orla (which is kind of pretty) and her son Lorcan and their last name is Thornton so they are Orla Thornton and Lorcan Thornton! I keep thinking I want to use their names in a children's story.
ReplyDeleteMelissa, These sound like fantasy names. Which is what I thought when I read your previous comment about Ardythe. Well, at least it seems like a fantasy spelling. I've seen the name Ardeth as an old-fashioned name but Ardythe puts a new twist on it.
ReplyDeleteLAD, Leo isn't bad, thinking of Leo DiCaprio. Edna is really different! Abner reminds me of the Lil Abner comic strip. Where did they get these names??!! And these are some kids who will get made fun of in school, that's all I can say.
Niki, Myrtle is a cute name for a kitten, or a hen. Another old-fashioned name, not for people LOL.