RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: Milliepede on Tuesday 02 August 16 11:03 BST (UK)
-
What names do you consider old fashioned? Some names are timeless and are as popular today as they were centuries ago.
I suppose it's a matter of perception but to me Ethel and Wilfred are the first that come to mind.
I had a great aunt Ethel and an elderly neighbour called Wilf so I associate those names with more elderly people. Can't imagine many babies are called Ethel these days.
Lettice is another one.
What are yours?
-
Bertha and Alfred perhaps.
I've just seen a list and a variation of my name was on it ~ Clara, I was quite surprised :)
-
Winifred, Maud, Ethel, Clarence, Bertha, Matilda, Constance, Eustace, Cuthbert.
I haven't seen a Nebuchadnezzar recently, either :D
-
I have heard the name Matilda in the last few years here in Australia - making a comeback! Also heard quite a few boys named Atticus. ;D
-
Atticus - have never heard of that one!
-
Atticus is a lovely name
Nebuchadnezzar ~ ;D ;D
-
My name was quite out of fashion for a lot of years but is now happily making a comeback.
Isobel
-
Haven't heard many Mary names in recent years. As middle names yes, or Saint names, but I don't recall knowing a Mary, except for a cousin in England, and my mother's sister was a Mary. My Mum's name was Jessie, I know a couple of youngsters named Jesse, but they're both boys.
I think my own name is pretty old fashioned, and I don't like it at all, never have. My given name is Jean, but I was always known as Jeanie, except for when I was in trouble at home or school, when it was a very short and sharp clipped "Jean"!! If someone does call me Jean these days, it takes me straight back to my early years when I was in trouble. 😰
The only time I ever use Jean, is on legal documents, driver's licence, passport , birth & marriage certs etc. But still sign "Jeanne" with my surname, whenever I sign anything.
-
My grandmother was Enid, grandfathers middle name was Arthur, his father was Alfred. One of his sisters had the middle name of Maud. Cousins Edwin and Horace. Mum was Mavis, not many of those around either. Others seem to have had names still used today. Elizabeth, Eliza, Emma, Emily, Jane, Charles. Will think more and see what I come up with
-
I think my family names are all old fashioned, Arthur, Dorothy, Patricia [me] My father had the middle name Cecil and his sisters were Maude and Mabel. My grandfather was called Lancelot.
Pat
-
I suppose reflecting the steady decline in religiousness, the names which have almost vanished are the biblical ones. Until the 1900s, apart from everyday names like William, Henry, Richard and Robert, most ordinary people turned to the bible when they had used up their usual family names. Biblical names of disciples - Thomas, John, James, Mark, Luke - have always been fairly popular, but we no longer see Zacharias, Ezekiel, Enoch, Jehosaphat. Elizabeth, Anne, Rachel, Sarah are still around, but Ruth is not as common now. One of the families in the parish I am working on now seems hooked on Dionysius, which isn't even biblical as far as I know.
One name which has come and gone is Wendy. I think it was invented for Peter Pan, but I haven't seen many recently.
But as well as fluctuations in popularity, there has always been a 'class' dimension, where ordinary working people used a small set of names like John, Tom, Bill, Sam, Fred, while those in a layer above tended towards Edward, Richard, Roger, George; while higher up we got Archibald, Reginald, Clarence and Marmaduke. Of course when the film industry got started everything changed.
-
I have a couple of Wiltons and Wilsons (this most likely from a spouses family maiden name) but the most old fashioned, and one I've only come across once, is Isoline Maud. My mum is a Barbara which seems very sixties now
Christine :)
-
My mother's siblings were Hilda, Vera, Eileen, Harold, Reginald, Harry and Olive. They all seem so old-fashioned now and I can't imagine any of them being used these days.
I also have Mavis (my father's sister) and Gladys (his mother). His name was Kenneth. All names rarely used now.
It seems to me that different names were used from about 1910. Before that it seems there was the same names used over and over - John, Thomas, Charles, Henry, Sarah, Elizabeth and Ann (or is that just my tree ::))
Rishile
-
Names go in and out of fashion.... those which I thought were old-fashioned are now being given to babies, e.g. Elsie, Archie, Violet, Ernest (I know of babies and toddlers with all of these names).
My grandfather's name (Gilbert) is having a bit of a resurgence, but my grandmother's name (Gladys) is not.
The names which seem to have dated badly (in my opinion) are ones which peaked in the middle of the last century - Trevor, Clive, Nigel, Brenda, Jacqueline, to name but a few. Give it another 20 years or so, and I'm sure they'll be back!
-
Wendy could be a short version of Gwendoline.
-
Elsie and Ernest as toddlers it just doesn't sound right somehow!
-
I wish I had about five boys. I could have called them Mark one; Mark two; Mark three etc.
-
My grandmother was Alice Gertrude and for some reason preferred to be known as Gertrude rather than Alice!
My great x 3 grandfather was Joshua and, without knowing this, 250 years later, his great x5 grand daughter called her son Joshua. Luckily she didn't pick the names of two of his sons - Eleazer and Ebenezer. He must have run out of biblical names after that as he called my direct ancestor Richard and a daughter Emma.
-
Elsie and Ernest as toddlers it just doesn't sound right somehow!
My friend has twin grandsons,about 18 mths old called Ernie and Bertie ;D
My mum was called Hilda,I have a friend called Edna,both names you never hear today.
Mind you no one calls a baby Carol now do they? Gladys and Ethel are also names you never hear.
My grandaughter has Lily as one of her middle names,named after her great grandma.
I had a grandad called Albert and a great grandad Herbert,and then there's Hubert too.
Carol
-
I can't help thinking how strange it would have been to hear 'Gladys - you tea's ready!!' (Apologies to any Gladys's out there).
Rishile
-
I can't help thinking how strange it would have been to hear 'Gladys - you tea's ready!!' (Apologies to any Gladys's out there).
Rishile
Probably just as odd as hearing Victoria shout Brooklyn or Romeo or Cruz (what sort of name is that!) get your hands washed before dinner ;D ;D ;D
-
My mum was Gladys Ethel, so had both the names mentioned by Carol! Dad was called Reginald, and his father was Percival, two more names you don't hear nowadays.
Ann
-
How could I forget Gertrude as mentioned by groom that has to be one of the most old fashioned (also apologies to any baby Gerts out there)
-
I wish I had about five boys. I could have called them Mark one; Mark two; Mark three etc.
What a good thing you didn't, then ..... :D
-
I suppose reflecting the steady decline in religiousness, the names which have almost vanished are the biblical ones. Until the 1900s, apart from everyday names like William, Henry, Richard and Robert, most ordinary people turned to the bible when they had used up their usual family names. Biblical names of disciples - Thomas, John, James, Mark, Luke - have always been fairly popular, but we no longer see Zacharias, Ezekiel, Enoch, Jehosaphat. Elizabeth, Anne, Rachel, Sarah are still around, but Ruth is not as common now. One of the families in the parish I am working on now seems hooked on Dionysius, which isn't even biblical as far as I know.
My daughter is Elizabeth Anne!
And my nieces have used biblical names for their sons -- all born since 2002:
Gabriel, Isaac, Elijah, Reuben, Jordan
-
I can't help thinking how strange it would have been to hear 'Gladys - you tea's ready!!' (Apologies to any Gladys's out there).
Rishile
Probably just as odd as hearing Victoria shout Brooklyn or Romeo or Cruz (what sort of name is that!) get your hands washed before dinner ;D ;D ;D
My dear ... you'll NEVER hear that. She never calls them in herself - she gets the nanny or the au pair to do it! ::)
-
I know a few Matildas, it has become quite popular around here recently.
-
Doris and Dorothy seem old-fashioned (my great aunt and nan's names!). You don't hear of many Kenneths now, although I know a 12-year-old with the name!
-
My Grandpa was called Josiah which I can't see catching on, or Edgar, an Uncle and Aunts called Winifred and Delores which I can't imagine being used today. Some names just don't lend themselves to infants of today....although I know of one girl who named her children Noah and Ida :-\
Carol
-
My name (Elizabeth) could be considered a "timeless" name but I've always been known as Betty which ages it a bit ;D.
My mother was Nora and my father was James (Jim). Siblings are Olive, Frank and Stanley. My daughter is Kathleen and my sons are David, James and Robert.
I had aunts called Mavis, Annie, Jessie, Alice and Ivy and uncles were Harry, Walter and Stanley. I have a neighbour who has just had twin girls called Elsie and Evelyn which surprised me! :)
-
I have a few times Gt Grandfather who was called Aminadab! He must have been happy with it as he named his son the same. My daughter's friend has recently had a baby and called her Elsie, that was my grandmas name so it puts me in mind of someone with permed hair and glasses, not a baby.
-
My niece had a baby this afternoon! They've used an old and new name - Jessica Skye.
-
Admonition Drew baptized 9 October 1768, Stoke Damerel, Devon. There are only 5 children named Admonition on Free BMD 1837 to about 1975.
I cannot work out what statement the parents of these children are trying to make.
-
Admonition Drew baptized 9 October 1768, Stoke Damerel, Devon. There are only 5 children named Admonition on Free BMD 1837 to about 1975.
I cannot work out what statement the parents of these children are trying to make.
It sounds quite puritan to me :)
-
i have African friends clled Costly .Comfort . Patience to do with how they'd affect the family
little Costly Ronald's birth was difficult apparently .
In my tree we had a Nimrod ..ist son's name for several generations before + after .
My nana was Maisie and 100 years later a great nephew names one of his twins Maisie ..she has an ancestor on her mums side named Maisie too
-
Congratulations groom on your new addition to the family... beautiful names :)
-
Dorothy seems very early 20th century to me but I have found quite a few Dorothys in the 1600s and 1700s.
I have a long line of Deidemia's which is relatively unusual and a Britannia who was born in 1837 - the year Queen Victoria came to the throne.
-
My husbands ancestors had several generations called Agnes.
Also some called Lillias, which I quite like.
-
Here's a couple - some are friends of my parents and some are related.
Gwendoline, - known as Gwen
Madena - known as May, her daughter Madena known as Maisie
Agatha - known as Aggie
Agnes - known as Agnes
Fanny. - known as Fanny, a friend of my Mum and Dad - I don't know what her actual name was.
Winifred - don't know what she was usually called, but incorrect transcription in a census states her Christian name as "Banfree" of all things! I looked at the record, and it was clearly Winifred! Obviously other people with her in the family hadn't even bothered to check the census entry, but just copied willy nilly from an Ancestry tree.
Leonie and Leone, Merilyn, all old school friends of mine.
-
Not so much old fashioned but it used to be a bit confusing at my Nan's house. Grandad was named James but known as Jim. Dad (His son) was named James but known as Jimmy. My name is James but I was called Little Jimmy. I'm now 67 ys old, 6' tall but still called "Little Jimmy" by the existing members of my Dad's family !
-
Not so much old fashioned but it used to be a bit confusing at my Nan's house. Grandad was named James but known as Jim. Dad (His son) was named James but known as Jimmy. My name is James but I was called Little Jimmy. I'm now 67 ys old, 6' tall but still called "Little Jimmy" by the existing members of my Dad's family !
My father was called James and called Jimmy/Jim by friends and family except by my mother who insisted on calling him Jem!
-
My great-grandfather was known as Jim. But his "real" name is Alfred Edwin. No idea why!
-
My great-grandfather was known as Jim. But his "real" name is Alfred Edwin. No idea why!
I once spent months searching for the birth of my great great grandfather's sister Cissie. It turned out she was actually called Annie. She was the youngest sister ;D
-
My mother-in-law was named Cissie. As far as I know she's the only one of that name in either my or my wife's family. She was born in Chesterfield and I think that that name seems more prevalent in the north of the country.
-
My grandmothers sister was called Cissie but her actual names were Eva Alice.
-
My grandmothers sister was called Cissie but her actual names were Eva Alice.
It must have been a common nickname back then :)
-
Today we think of Emma as quite a popular name, but when my mum was born in the 1920s, she was given the name as her middle name (after her grandmother). She absolutely hated it, thinking it was so old fashioned and would never use it. I almost forgot it when I registered her death.
I wonder what our parents and grandparents would think were old fashioned?
-
My Aunt was known as Cissie but her given names were Cecilia Ivy. Anther Aunt was Poppy but really Evelyn May and their Brother was Jack but actually Basil Minter Jack. I had a real job finding them on the census!
Linda
-
I wonder if Cissie somehow grows and sticks forever from a very young child's attempt to say Sister, perhaps when a new baby comes into a family?
I know two wee twin girls who call each other Sissa, but sometimes it's Sissy! Just a thought.
Modified and Added: What does the name Cissy mean?
The meaning of the name “Cissy” is: “The blind one, or the sixth ”.
Read more: http://www.thenamemeaning.com/cissy/#ixzz4GGdq082r
Follow us: @NamesForBaby on Twitter | BabyWorldAndBabyNames on Facebook
-
I have been thinking about this thread for far too long now ;D
I think the names that I consider old-fashioned are the names of my parent's friends and neighbours. When I was young (10 years old), their friends and neighbours were all in their 30's and 40's (really old!!). Their names were Iris, Sheila, Mavis, Betty, Megan, Freda, Eric, Charlie, Fred, Dick. These are the people that were around me all the time and these names seem really old-fashioned to me, more-so than my family names.
Rishile
-
My Gt Aunt was a Cecilia Maud, she was always known as Cissie too. Her Aunt was a Beatrice Maud.
I've just been reading up on the name Cissie - a diminutive of any masculine/feminine name beginning with 'Christ'.
I rather like your idea JB :)
-
Marjorie
I can't think when I've met one of them, other than my great auntie Madge
-
Their names were Iris, Sheila, Mavis, Betty, Megan, Freda, Eric, Charlie, Fred, Dick. These are the people that were around me all the time and these names seem really old-fashioned to me, more-so than my family names.
Rishile
I always considered Megan to be a modern name. I'd never heard of it until I watched Anne of Green Gables. Then my daughter's friend named her daughter Megan after the actress Megan Follows aka. Anne of Green Gables. ;D
-
My youngest son’s two boys are named Reubin and Joshua.
Don’t know where the names came from,both parents ostensibly C of E though are not really religious.
Cheers
Guy
-
I always considered Megan to be a modern name. I'd never heard of it until I watched Anne of Green Gables. Then my daughter's friend named her daughter Megan after the actress Megan Follows aka. Anne of Green Gables. ;D
There's nothing 'modern' about Megan. the Welsh (and I think the Cornish) have always liked it as a pet version of Margaret, or Margred in Welsh.
-
Like others I'd an ancestor "Cissie" - we thought she'd been a "Cecilia" or a "Celia" - but eventually we discoverd she was an "Elizabeth Ann" - oldest sister to a long troupe of younger siblings, - who all faithfully called her "Cissie" on all communications!
I'd asked on RootsChat before if anyone knew why the Christian name "Doris" was popular in the early 20th C - I'd found a few. No one seemed to find a really good reason/ person to fit to have started the craze....
"Fanny" in my lot all started out as "Frances" ( from time to time spelled in the male way as "Francis") which sounds quite posh - but they weren't.
Names we never seem to meet now: Brenda, Doreen, Glenda, Mildred....
In class registers we used to comment on the new intake's names - and the spellings! De-Bra, Diyyann, etc. Once there was a Sean (Shaun) who thought his name was pronounced "Sea - Ann", as he didn't answer to the name called by his teacher, on the register!
Flower names, and "double names ( Daisy-Jane, Lily-Ann, Mary-Rose) seem to be more popular again for girls
-
My maternal grandmothers second name was Grace and grandads Benjamin, I now know both names go back several generations, and I love both names..........Then there's Theodosia on another line....oh dear.
-
In class registers we used to comment on the new intake's names - and the spellings! De-Bra, Diyyann, etc. Once there was a Sean (Shaun) who thought his name was pronounced "Sea - Ann", as he didn't answer to the name called by his teacher, on the register!
My wife swears that she heard of a Scouse lady with a young son she called Gooey. She spelt it Guy though.
-
My father in law was called Albert Victor, always known as Vic, my mother in law was called Desdemona, always known as Mona.
When my eldest son was a little boy he said to his grandma, 'I know why they call you Mona grandma, because you are always moaning' - out of the mouths of babes etc.
-
There was a Mona (her real name) where I worked. Her parents must have had a crystal ball. So miserable was she that our manager always called her Mrs Lot (not her real name), and so dim was she that she never worked out why ::) ;)
I have two Harriets in my tree and evidently neither of them liked the name. One is on a census aged 6 as Harriet, but on the next she's Annie and kept that name throughout her life. The other was Harriet Sarah Eliza who was always known as Dolly, which is usually a pet name for Dorothy ???
My late father-in-law, born 1921, was Stanley but hated it and was always known by his middle name. My youngest cousin has a delightful son aged 2 called - guess what - Stanley! Like clothes and 1960s music, everything comes back eventually.
Carol
P.S. When my son was 6 or 7 he thought his granddad had a knighthood. The initials 'SGP' were engraved on some silverware and the boy knew his granddad was 'GP', so the 'S' had to be 'Sir', obviously!
-
My father in law was called Albert Victor, always known as Vic, my mother in law was called Desdemona, always known as Mona.
My mother-in-law was christened Mona, not short for anything; her elder sister was Sheba, also not short for Bathsheba. She seemed happy with it, at least until she died at 97.
-
I knew a little black cat called Sheba but it's a lovely name for a lady as well :)
-
One online today on RC....
Francis Xavier Robert
I wonder if he was easy to trace ::)
Annie
-
Previous thread on this subject with some data:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=688767.msg5327380#msg5327380
-
Missed that post last time but very interesting article Erato
:)
-
Mr Quartz' Mum was Alma, which is a name you don't hear very often these days. My Mum's name was Audrey, and one of her sisters was Phyllis, neither of which are popular now, however their other sisters were Millicent, now popular as Millie, and May, also having a bit of a revival. My Dad was Stanley, a name which seems to be coming into fashion again. Our next door neighbours when I was a kid were Doris and Gilbert, which I think of as being really old fashioned!
-
That reminds me, my next door neighbours when I was a child were Ethel on one side and Minnie on the other.
-
In my maternal line I have a Druscilla which I don't really hear a lot of, but the one which has passed down through five generations is Beatrice, I think that sounds really old fashioned even though it seems to be having a revival too.
-
I was thinking about this quite recently.
When I was growing up during the 60's and 70's the most common name amoung my friends and neighbours was Margaret.
I don't think I know anyone named Margaret who is under 40- 50yrs old
My parents named all 6 of us after our paternal uncles and aunts who were also our respective godparents
I don't think my parents realised that my dad's siblings were also named for their own ancestors.
My brother is named David which is by far the most common name in my paternal family tree.
Multiple Davids in every generation since the mid 1700's
All of our names are timeless and go back for countless generations
-
I was thinking about this quite recently.
When I was growing up during the 60's and 70's the most common name amoung my friends and neighbours was Margaret.
I don't think I know anyone named Margaret who is under 40- 50yrs old
My parents named all 6 of us after our paternal uncles and aunts who were also our respective godparents
I don't think my parents realised that my dad's siblings were also named for their own ancestors.
My brother is named David which is by far the most common name in my paternal family tree.
Multiple Davids in every generation since the mid 1700's
All of our names are timeless and go back for countless generations
I'm was supposed to be called Margaret based on family naming patterns but my mum was rebellious and decided there were too many Margarets. As an aside I do know a toddler Margaret Rose.
-
2 and 3 generations back, we have 3 siblings named:
Hephzibah, transcribed in one Census as Nephertal
Sarah Azuba
Hannah Drusilla
Other line we have quite a lot of women called
Christiana
Regards Crowsfeet
-
Apparently the names Elsa and Anna are having a resurgence, due to the children's film "Frozen"!
I think maybe more than a few young parents are using names of film characters or film stars they like.
I have two Scottish great great grandmothers named Elizabeth, strangely their maiden surnames are the same as well - both Walker - both from Ayrshire - but not related.
My middle name - Elizabeth.
-
A friend's grandchildren - all under 6, Albert, Agnes and Olive.
My mother's generation b. early 1900s Lilian, Doris, Elsie, Walter, Edith, Fred, Herbert, and Olive.
Kooky
-
I think Jonathan has been a hugely popular 20C name and during the 1970s it certainly ranked high in the top 10, but I find these days it isn't even in the top 100. :D
-
I was at school in the 1950's and 60's with a Dudley,together with his surname he is the only one in the country of that name.
That's another one that you can't imagine being given to a baby today.
Carol
-
These old-fashioned names are cycling through again, my friend teaches young children and they have names like Harry, Reuben, Florence etc. My niece born this year is a Matilda and another family member has young twins, Wilfred and Edith.
-
On the whole I think I prefer the old fashioned names rather than some of the strange made up names that some poor children are saddled with today. They may sound cute as a baby or young child, but have the parents really thought ahead to when that child becomes an adult?
-
50 years ago, I had a colleague at work called Bes, but I cannot remember what that was short for. Whether it was simply Besmond, I cannot recall.
-
The name BES is an Egyptian baby name. In Egyptian the meaning of the name Bes is 'Brings Joy'
... unless it should have been DES.
:)
-
kooky ..?what are the origins of that
a congolese friend's daughter is called Kevinah
today i met a young man 30ish called Gaven ..not come across that spelling before .
people who have unusual names have better chance of acheiving fame .
-
"Lily" is the name that young friends of mine named their daughter, in the 80's.
It was hard not to laugh, and even harder to know what to say - their surname was Pond!
I kid you not! ;D
-
"Lily" is the name that young friends of mine named their daughter, in the 80's.
It was hard not to laugh, and even harder to know what to say - their surname was Pond!
I kid you not! ;D
That's cruel isn't it, what were they thinking of?
-
My dad worked with a man named Andy Bandy who had a wife named Mandy.
-
;D ;D ;D
-
My dad worked with a man named Andy Bandy who had a wife named Mandy.
Just wondering what they called their children - Candy and Sandy?
-
Was just thinking along those lines too Jan, maybe with Milly Molly Mandy Bandy!
-
My OH family had Wilbert,Aubrey,Godfrey,Letitia,Dorcas & Jeremiah
Hope to goodness those names have disappeared for good.
-
One of my relatives was called Everhilda. I have not come across that name before.
-
One of my relatives was called Everhilda. I have not come across that name before.
Quite unique really.
-
Well I've never heard of the name Everhilda before, but it's in the baby names list.
Everhilda - of Old English origin, and a variant transcription of Averil.
I learn something new on here every day :)
-
Well I've never heard of the name Everhilda before, but it's in the baby names list.
Everhilda - of Old English origin, and a variant transcription of Averil.
I learn something new on here every day :)
Going off some of the names which have appeared on here I quite agree with you Claire.I think we are all learning something everyday
-
Got an "Ethelred" married in to the family, about 1920, so probably born about 1900. Also on another line, a "Willeen"!!
-
My OH family had Wilbert,Aubrey,Godfrey,Letitia,Dorcas & Jeremiah
Dorcas - now that has certainly vanished, it was quite popular about 200 years ago. Something biblical to do with sewing IIRC ?
-
My OH family had Wilbert,Aubrey,Godfrey,Letitia,Dorcas & Jeremiah
Dorcas - now that has certainly vanished, it was quite popular about 200 years ago. Something biblical to do with sewing IIRC ?
Hi Andrew
I didn't know that, although to be quite honest I rather like the name.Thank you
-
Yes indeed she was Andrew.
Dorcas was from the town Joppa and was well known for her love and care towards people, and making things, especially clothes for the needy.
She was also raised from the dead by the disciple Peter.
:)
-
A whole batch of names became fashionable around the end of the 19th century, and were probably unfashionable by the time those people were naming their own children.
Albert, Bertha, Doris, Edith, Edna, Ethel, Iris, Letitia, Phyllis, Horace, and Walter all appeared in my grandparents' generation, never to be repeated.
Other "traditional" names such as Thomas and Elizabeth fared better, but Annie rather than Ann seems to be defunct later on.
Maybe the popularity of disc-based and screen-based entertainers started having an effect on the names of children.
-
Where's Sylvia, June, Rhoda, Enid.
-
Well I've never heard of the name Everhilda before, but it's in the baby names list.
Everhilda - of Old English origin, and a variant transcription of Averil.
I learn something new on here every day :)
I never knew that - thanks for the info!!
I also have a Fredreen.
And my personal favourite - Fanny Strange.
-
Dorcas - Something biblical to do with sewing IIRC ?
I recall that my mum had a tin of pins, brand name Dorcas, a pale blue tin with a concave lid.
EDIT: Easily found by Googling :) http://www.madebypin.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Dorcas-Pins.jpg
-
I still use Dorcas pins! Plastic containers now, with a wee foam pin cushion on the lid! 👍
-
My grand-daughter, Matilda, has a schoolfriend, Mabel...
Imagine my wonderment when we welcomed Hadrian and Sidney to the midst.
Then another daughter has Jesse and Walter.
When Walter arrived I had someone comment that that was an old man's name... I replied, well even an old man had to be a baby once!!!
-
Dorcas - Something biblical to do with sewing IIRC ?
I recall that my mum had a tin of pins, brand name Dorcas, a pale blue tin with a concave lid.
EDIT: Easily found by Googling :) http://www.madebypin.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Dorcas-Pins.jpg
Do you know what I seem to recall my Gran having them in her drapery shop & even though Dorcas was a name in the family I never connected the two.
-
Just been looking back through my tree, and another of a friend, and came across some more names.
Whitefield (I might have already mentioned that one, my ggfather - it was a very popular Durham name- his surname was Watson, and there are thousands of them in Durham.) Jeremiah, Moses, Luke, Peter, Robin, Lawrence, Herbert, Farnum, George, Victor.
And for the ladies, Lilian, Elspeth, Euphemia, Robina, Susan, Susannah, Helen, Jessie, Marion, Violet and Maud. My daughter's name is Stephanie, and don't see many of those either. I was at school with a girl named Willa! Never heard that one before.
-
Oh yes, Euphemia, I'd forgotten about that one. Seems to have died out completely, along with Lucretia.
-
I'd always considered my children's names as rather old (Hannah, Matthew, Anthony and Marie) and thought my granddaughters name was too modern (Perdy Beau) but found out Perdy is quite an old name too :)
-
Whitefield (I might have already mentioned that one, my ggfather - it was a very popular Durham name- his surname was Watson, and there are thousands of them in Durham.) Jeremiah, Moses, Luke, Peter, Robin, Lawrence, Herbert, Farnum, George, Victor.
My wife's middle name is Whitfield, which we traced to Alston in far-east Cumberland. There it is/was a common surname, but also a given name, so there were Whitfield Whitfields. Her strain moved east to Derwentside and became Pattinsons, but that's another story.
In my 1830s work I have just turned up a Rhoda - that's another oldie ....
-
Reginald, Rudolph and Ernest, Abraham, Nathan and Ezra.
Georgiana, Gladys, Gertrude. Nellie/Ellen, Hildegard, Agnes
-
Oh yes, Euphemia, I'd forgotten about that one. Seems to have died out completely, along with Lucretia.
I too had forgotten about Euphemia but that was from way back.She was a mistress of James,King of Scotland.
My latest little Gt. Grand-daughter is Florence & another one is Penelope. Both old names.
-
Might not "Perdy" ( often modified to "Purdy") be a short version of "Perdita"? (Shakespeare)
-
It is on a baby naming site as a diminutive of Perdita and of Latin origin, but I have to be honest I'd never thought of it, she's always been 'Perdy' to everyone.
:)
-
My contemporaries born mid to late 40s -
Barbara, Sandra, Sylvia, Marjorie, Mavis, Irene, Doreen, Myra, Gillian, Carol, Jean, Shirley, Eileen.
I don't think many of these names are used today for new babies!
Kooky
-
My grandmothers were Ethel Gertrude and Cicely Minnie.
My grandchildren are Bentley, Clara and Jessica.
In my tree I have:
Agnes, Archibald, Horace, Mildred, Phyllis, Albert, Alfred, Arthur, Alma, Caleb, Edgar, Josiah, Valentine, Mervin, Amos, Cyril, Claud, Abraham, Agnes, Bertha, Grace
All of which seem old-fashioned to me? ;D
-
Has anyone seen Daphne lately?
-
Has anyone seen Daphne lately?
No Daphne's lately,however I have recently heard of two new babies named Archie & Reggie !!
We have a Scottish Gt Grandson with the name Chase!
-
My grandchildren all have relatively modern names - Paige, a girl, aged 23, Bailey aged 12 and Cameron aged 10, both boys. The name Bailey is also used frequently for girls.
-
Azella my grandmothers middle name. I've never known anyone else with the name.
-
I've got quite some Ebenezers in my family, originating in Glasgow and swarming out to London and the US.
On my Belgian side I have one Abulfaragus, and hus cousin (no joke) Julius Caesar.
-
On my Belgian side I have one Abulfaragus, and hus cousin (no joke) Julius Caesar.
It's no joke in South America - there are well-known footballers called Julio Cesar ....
-
I know people with the two first names Mark Anthony
-
My grandmothers were Dorothy May and Ethel Rose. If I'd had a daughter, she would have been named after them - May Rose :)
My mother was Peggy Audrey. I would not have used either of those names :-X
My grandfathers were Aubrey (hence Audrey for my mother) and John William, who was always known as William/Bill. My son is Robert, known as Rob - a new name in the family. His middle name is John after my father (John Alfred).
Carol (now feeling terribly terribly dated!)
-
On my Belgian side I have one Abulfaragus, and hus cousin (no joke) Julius Caesar.
It's no joke in South America - there are well-known footballers called Julio Cesar ....
I have one of my 3xGt Grandfathers who was Calvin Claudius b.1818 Kidderminster & in the same line another one called Calvin Columbus.
I think it was obvious that the family liked historical names.
In my dads family there were quite a few biblical names also which came through on his maternal line as well as the ones above.
-
My grandmothers, both born in 1870s, were Annie and Elizabeth.
My older daughter was named Ann Elizabeth but is always addressed as Annie!
So much for not calling her Annie!
Kooky
-
A few Percivals
-
I've no Holly but an Ivy
And an Egbert ...no bacon ;D ;D
-
I was very pleased to discover that I am descended from a gentleman named Obert. Further investigation uncovered that it was a transcription error for Robert. We still call him Obert. It just sounds so like an olde English name.
-
Today's weird find, from 1843: Scylpha. It's not even in my Names book. Yes, it seems to be female.
-
? how on earth does one pronounce that!
-
Looks like a version of sylvia to me
-
Today's weird find, from 1843: Scylpha. It's not even in my Names book. Yes, it seems to be female.
I remember a lady called Zilpha or Zylpha - it was pronounced as it reads - perhaps Scylpha is a variation of that.
-
I have a Lamanie Pearle in my tree - Pearle being the surname. You can, I am sure, imagine the opportunities for mistranscription and misspelling which have arisen over the years, all of which have been taken full advantage of. :-D
-
I have a friend christened Jeremiah (Jerry to his friends), who was always a little embarassed by his name.
Until, that is, I started tracing his family! ;D
Then I discovered a rich history of Jeremiah's in his tree
A forename still very popular on the Isle of Man for boys, is Juan - pronounced Jew-Ann.
That, too has a long tradition here.
-
Another weird one in my tree is Keziah.
-
Another weird one in my tree is Keziah.
Not weird at all - just Old Testament, along with Sofonisba and Thyrza IIRC.
-
Another weird one in my tree is Keziah.
Not weird at all - just Old Testament, along with Sofonisba and Thyrza IIRC.
One of my Essex families (early 1820s) has a Keziah, a Thurza and a Rhoda. Not as common as all the Marys and Anns of the time, but not unique. I've not seen any of those names since the 1850s. Other names of the time, such as Caroline, Martha and Ruth, seemed to go out of fashion for a while (in my family anyway) but have reappeared over the centuries.