# Extinct Woman names **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 14, 2009, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840 "2009-02-14T18:06:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/21 "2009-02-14T19:34:59Z")
There is definitely a resurgence in ‘old lady names’ (and some ‘old man names’) with certain pockets of Brooklynites who are just beginning to spawn. However, I wonder if we’ll ever see boys being given names that were originally male but are now deemed female e.g. Marion (though I have noticed names like Jordan and Tyler have stayed unisex). ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/22 "2009-02-14T19:45:18Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > My sister’s name is Marian (she’s in her 70s). I’ve never known any other woman with that name. I’ve known two, one probably now in her late 50s/early 60s, the other in her early 70s. I have a step-grandmother in her 80s named Lucy…and the two-year-old daughter of a coworker is named Lucy too. In 1999 it was rated #365 most popular girl’s name by SOS. In 2007 it had climbed to #135. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/23 "2009-02-14T19:50:16Z")
> [@Tracy\_Lord](#): > > The most popular boys’ names in the English-speaking world tend to be biggies from the Christian Bible, don’t they? John, Matthew, Thomas, Daniel, Joshua, James, etc? > > I agree that girls’ names come in generational cycles. I bet twenty years ago, Abigail, Chloe and Olivia would have sounded old-fashioned and outdated, but now they’re in the top five for baby girls. > > Not big on the Germanic names, eh, **Harmonius**? 😉 I do worth with a Hildi in her early 30s, but I’m not sure if it’s short for anything. I’m going with babies currently being named in the USA. My name has been out of circulation for decades, even if it was popular once. I had a number of other names that though obscure, I think still get used. Anybody know a baby named Jezebel? ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/24 "2009-02-14T19:53:00Z")
This is from memory, so I hope I got it exactly right. In the book “Albion’s Seed”, historian David Hackett Fischer tells of a young Puritan lady in New England. The Puritans often liked very long and biblical names. She would introduce herself properly and practically, “My name is ‘Through Trial and Tribulation We Reach the Kingdom of Heaven’, but my friends call me ‘Tribby’ for short.” ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/25 "2009-02-14T19:56:55Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > My sister’s name is Marian (she’s in her 70s). I’ve never known any other woman with that name. A cousin in law in Germany is Marion. Pronounced Mar-e-ohn. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/26 "2009-02-14T19:57:26Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > I hope to God that most of the “old lady names” stay dead. There is nothing beautiful about Gertrude. My grandmother was a wonderful woman, thank you very much! 🙂 She was a “Gertrude Julia Lastname”. While Gertrude I too do not care for, Julia is still a nice name, I think. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/27 "2009-02-14T20:04:03Z")
Dorcas. Or its Hebrew version, Tabitha. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/28 "2009-02-14T20:06:17Z")
I read a local obit yesterday for a woman named Dimple. If there had been an internet 80+ years ago, she would have turned up in a thread about unusual names. Anyone ever know a Dimple? I’m old and she’s the first. She married a Raven, which I think makes a good stripper name – Dimple Raven. I can picture her lifting her dress and showing her knees. **ivylass** , yep, Vernon and Walter – they have to be at least in their 60’s. Hazel’s not common anymore, but I think it’s a pretty name, and might make a comeback. ---
**Author:** ![Marienee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@Marienee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marienee)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/29 "2009-02-14T20:07:22Z")
One of my immigrant aunties was originally named Umbelina. Because she was an inspiring person I wanted to name a daughter after her. Possibly happily for the daughter, I only have sons. I am not sure it was ever used in the US so I am not sure it qualifies. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/30 "2009-02-14T20:15:40Z")
> [@Huerta88](#): > > One thing I’ve noticed that can revive/sustain old names is immigration. Young Korean and Chinese chicks could readily have Enid or Paulette as their English names. They could. But right now the go for names like Jenny or Grace. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/31 "2009-02-14T20:22:23Z")
I haven’t seen too many people named Hermengild or Freawaru around lately. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/32 "2009-02-14T20:51:06Z")
Somehow “Noah” became popular for boys in the last decade. My daughter’s preschools are lousy with Noahs. Weird. I guess Noah is better than Abraham. ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/33 "2009-02-14T21:14:04Z")
I thought my daughter, Clara, would be teased for her old fashioned name. But it’s one of those ‘everything old is new again’ names. once we were at the park and there were only 2 other girls there, both were named Clara. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/34 "2009-02-14T21:37:15Z")
> [@Huerta88](#): > > One thing I’ve noticed that can revive/sustain old names is immigration. Young Korean and Chinese chicks could readily have Enid or Paulette as their English names. Yes, I’ve met several asian girls who have oddly archaic western names. I asked a few times and they are usually just picked out of a list book for their sound, in ignorance of their history or popularity. examples, an “Esther”, “Ruth”, and a “Beatrice”. ---
**Author:** ![imfloating](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bc79bd/32.png) [@imfloating](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imfloating)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/35 "2009-02-14T21:46:55Z")
Freida ---
**Author:** ![OfficeGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@OfficeGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OfficeGirl)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/36 "2009-02-14T21:49:50Z")
My grandfathers: Thoburn Packard lastname Luren Oscar lastname Grandmothers: Ruth Jewell lastname Viola Lena lastname Most of these are names you don’t hear anymore. Maybe sometimes Lena or Ruth. I also would put forth: Claribel Eunice Etta (this is a name I would like to see more of!) Wanda Willie Nellene All folks I know, from my work at the museum. All around 78+ ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/37 "2009-02-14T21:56:17Z")
Myrtle’s pretty much a dead letter. (Possibly interesting fact: “myrtle” in Hebrew is Hadassah.) ---
**Author:** ![wunderkammer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ed8c4c/32.png) [@wunderkammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wunderkammer)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/38 "2009-02-14T22:17:34Z")
My grandma and her closest sister were saddled with Agnes and Agatha. They went by “Aggie” and “Aggie”. (The younger Aggie later married into a wonderfully Dickensian name: Agatha Pigeon.) ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/39 "2009-02-14T22:32:21Z")
Callie Pansy ---
**Author:** ![Proudest\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/proudest_monkey/32/13257_2.png) [@Proudest\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Proudest_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/40 "2009-02-14T22:44:52Z")
> [@OfficeGirl](#): > > Claribel > Eunice > **Etta (this is a name I would like to see more of!)** > Wanda > Willie > Nellene My maternal grandmother was Etta and I legally changed my middle name to that several years ago. I know a 30ish Aggie, and I like the name Gertrude. I even like the visual look of it. One of my best pals is the only **Mavis** I’ve ever known. She hates her old-fashioned name, but I think it is due for a comeback. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840.md?page=3)