# 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:** 6
**Author:** ![tattman40](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/db5fbb/32.png) [@tattman40](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tattman40)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/101 "2009-02-15T15:44:23Z")
OP here…I didnt even add my Auntie May or Grandma Vera in my first post,not to mention my mother’s middle name was Ursula. As far as male names, one of my grandfathers name was Wilbur. Oh yea,My Aunt Seal too. ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/102 "2009-02-15T17:25:38Z")
I wasn’t going to mention male names since the title of this thread is “Extinct Woman names,” but since it seems to be going that way, my father’s name is Jerome, although he goes by Jerry. My mom’s name is Kathleen, but she goes by Kathy. My great grandpa’s name was Cleveland Brown, like the football team or the “Family Guy” character. Other names, both male and female, from my family tree that seem outdated are Theresa, Virginia, Leora, Lucinda, and Benedict. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/103 "2009-02-15T17:44:36Z")
> [@tattman40](#): > > As far as male names, one of my grandfathers name was Wilbur. Did his parents have an interest in aviation? ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/104 "2009-02-15T17:58:28Z")
Dunno if these have been mentioned and I’m to lazy to look back. Hortense Wilhemina Hermione ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/105 "2009-02-15T18:24:31Z")
> [@chowder](#): > > …Hermione Gotta believe this will be undergoing a revival due to Harry Potter books & movies. ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/106 "2009-02-15T19:01:14Z")
> [@scifisam2009](#): > > I’ve also met one Dimple, but she was of Indian heritage. > > Lettuce is a traditional English woman’s name that doesn’t seem to be among those having a renaissance, for some odd reason. Did you mean Lettice? I always figured it was pronounced let-eese. I love some of the names mentioned here - Dorothea and Lenore especially. Araminta is also incredibly cool! My grandmothers were Iva Pearl and Helen Louise (I have the middle name Louise in honor of that grandmother). ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/107 "2009-02-15T19:47:20Z")
> [@Ataraxy](#): > > I wasn’t going to mention male names since the title of this thread is “Extinct Woman names,” but since it seems to be going that way, my father’s name is Jerome, although he goes by Jerry. My mom’s name is Kathleen, but she goes by Kathy. My great grandpa’s name was Cleveland Brown, like the football team or the “Family Guy” character. Other names, both male and female, from my family tree that seem outdated are Theresa, Virginia, Leora, Lucinda, and Benedict. I’m 42 and Theresa is a really common name in my age set - ranking at 42 in the 1960s and 133 in the 1980s - falling in popularity, but I’m hoping it isn’t an “old lady” name yet, since I’m not an old lady - it certainly isn’t extinct. ---
**Author:** ![Labelless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f19dbf/32.png) [@Labelless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labelless)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/108 "2009-02-15T19:49:27Z")
I’ve one that I don’t yet see on here. One of my great grandmother’s names- Theodocia. No amount of family pressure could make me use that one. Others include Alberta, Kathleen, and Frida. Middle daughter is Jeanette, which I haven’t seen much of. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/109 "2009-02-15T19:53:15Z")
> [@Civil\_Guy](#): > > Any girls named Vera any more? Why not? it is very popular in russia where the name originates. as for why not… perhaps because the english translation “faith” is more popular? i like the name in russian, i hate with a fierce, fiery hate the english pronunciation. so if i was going to give a girl the name, i would go with faith. any russian speakers would adjust accordingly. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/110 "2009-02-15T19:54:42Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > My sister’s name is Marian (she’s in her 70s). I’ve never known any other woman with that name. I had a great-aunt Marion (b. 1900). The same family included Alice (my gm–1888) and, of course another g-a Ethel (b.1886). But I knew one more Marion who was a contemporary of mine, from my college years. Oddly she did dress a little for conservatively than most women did. Not so much in terms of modesty, but in things like favoring slacks and dressier clothes overall than most people. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/111 "2009-02-15T20:09:35Z")
> [@Labelless](#): > > I’ve one that I don’t yet see on here. One of my great grandmother’s names- Theodocia. No amount of family pressure could make me use that one. Others include Alberta, Kathleen, and Frida. > > Middle daughter is Jeanette, which I haven’t seen much of. One of my grandmothers is named Kathleen Margaret, my other grandmother was named Mary Etta and my mother was Linda Jeanne. You don’t see any of those names much anymore. When my older sister was pregnant with her third child, we were all kind of hoping it would be a girl so we could name her Mary Jeanne. Since the universe had a sense of humor, it was a boy. Elaine seems to be on the way out too. It’s always seemed a very 1960s name to me. Almost every movie from that decade had a woman named Elaine or Barbara. **rockingchair** , how is Vera pronounced in Russian? ---
**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 15, 2009, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/112 "2009-02-15T20:21:52Z")
> [@chowder](#): > > Dunno if these have been mentioned and I’m to lazy to look back. > > Hortense > Wilhemina > Hermione These would all be great cat names. ---
**Author:** ![ShelliBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@ShelliBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShelliBean)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/113 "2009-02-15T21:26:24Z")
I’m willing to bet my poor grandmother will not have any future namesakes. RIP, Myrnie Elnora ! ---
**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 15, 2009, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/114 "2009-02-15T22:29:21Z")
My grandmother was Mildred. I’ve never met a Mildred under the age of 70. My father is Marvin. I doubt that one will be coming back either. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/115 "2009-02-15T22:43:11Z")
The only extinct women I know of are [Lucy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_(Australopithecus)) and [Eve](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitochondrial_Eve), but I’m sure there must be others. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/57b2e6/32.png) [@Quasimodal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodal)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/116 "2009-02-15T23:34:02Z")
Just thought I’d comment. Some of my current students include a Marion, and a Dartanion. And after watching this, I will never think of Ingrid as an old person’s name [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/pjaUvw0iC8A/hqdefault.jpg "Ingrid Jensen Arts and Minds") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjaUvw0iC8A) ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/117 "2009-02-15T23:50:31Z")
Abigail. To me, the epitome of old lady names. Esmeralda, though I would guess this may be more popular with certain ethnicities ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/118 "2009-02-16T00:17:25Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Abigail. To me, the epitome of old lady names. One of my classmates, who can’t be more than 25, is an Abby. A friend of mine is Nancy and she sometimes bemoans her old lady name. (She’s 30.) She was named after her grandmother. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/119 "2009-02-16T01:47:49Z")
I’ve known a couple of Abigails under age 30, although they generally went by “Abby”. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/120 "2009-02-16T02:33:59Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > **Lucy** My niece Lucy is four years old. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840.md?page=7)