# 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:** 12\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![mariposalabrown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ad7895/32.png) [@mariposalabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mariposalabrown)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/161 "2009-02-25T19:41:11Z")
This thread is fascinating to me! My granny and her brothers and sisters all had really old people names, but most went by nicknames. Granny was Mercedes (went by Faith), then there was Geraldine (Jerry), Fabia (Sugar), Eunice (Susie), Patsy (Totsie), and Enid who went by Enid. No idea where Sugar and Susie got their nicknames from, but I think the name Mercedes is beautiful, although I tend to only hear it in the Hispanic community. I was named after a great grandfather Leslie, but that is a pretty common name for girls my age (under 30). I think some soap opera woman was named Leslie in the late 70’s or something. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/162 "2009-02-25T20:31:09Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > Minor? In my daughter’s class of approximately 100 there are six Lily/Lilly/Lillians. What Jennifer was to 1973, Lillian and variations are to 2000. 🙂 I was hoping Lily was beating Lillian out by a wider margin, but I guess not so! ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/163 "2009-02-25T20:45:09Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > Snipping a daughter’s name out of pieces of Mama’s name seems like vanity. I guess it beats CoQuette, though. Courteney Cox was named after her own mother, so rather than simple vanity it might be seen as keeping up a family tradition. Ah, I knew there was something about the name being a compromise. From IMDb: > [@](#): > > Her daughter’s name Coco came from a compromise between her and husband David Arquette. Because of her Southern roots she wanted to name her daughter Courteney Cox, as her mom is Courteney Cox and so is she. However, David is half Jewish and it is against Jewish tradition to name a child after a living person. So the name came from the nickname Courteney’s friends had for her mother while Courtney was growing up. They called her Mama Coco. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/164 "2009-02-25T21:31:00Z")
My cousin’s daughter is named after my great-aunt Venice. The great-aunt pronounces it Vernice (not sure if she thinks her name’s misspelled or not), while my cousin pronounces it Ven-eece. (Not like the American pronunciation of the Italian city.) Lessee…there’s also a Shad, Alpha, and Audrey in my family. And an Illa (first one I’ve ever seen), an Irma, and a Carmen. Bontje, too (yes, his name was spelled with a “t”). You don’t see too many Orlys or Leons anymore, or Bernards either. Further back, I’ve got a Royal, which is pretty uncommon. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/165 "2009-02-25T22:16:32Z")
> [@DaphneBlack](#): > > Pat (real name Sylvia, no idea how that happened) Was she born on or around St. Patrick’s Day? Thelma Catherine Ryan came into the world on March 16, 1912, and is remembered as [Pat Nixon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelma_Ryan). ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/166 "2009-02-26T09:36:24Z")
A woman came into work the other day, her name was Ogretta. I can’t even find that online anywhere. Leona is pretty extinct, too. ---
**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 26, 2009, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/167 "2009-02-26T13:05:23Z")
> [@Sternvogel](#): > > Was she born on or around St. Patrick’s Day? Thelma Catherine Ryan came into the world on March 16, 1912, and is remembered as [Pat Nixon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelma_Ryan). Thelma’s another name no one uses anymore. I blame the movie “Thelma and Louise” for part of that. Louise is relegated to “embarrassing middle name” status right now. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Mama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5ac83/32.png) [@Atomic\_Mama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Mama)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/168 "2009-02-26T14:34:54Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > My 3-week-old daughter is Josephine Violet. As somewhat a fetishist for things Southern (ask me about the blues!) … my given name is Amelia. I’ve been called “Ami June” (and used that awhile for a radio DJ moniker) … BUT my ultimate name change would be: AND wouldn’t I like to be: Azalea Jasmine Magnolia Rose. :smack: You know, the multiple-first-name thang. ---
**Author:** ![Mahna\_Mahna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mahna\_Mahna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahna_Mahna)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/169 "2009-02-26T14:36:02Z")
I happen to know both a Leona and a Talitha who are in their late 30s, so the names aren’t completely obsolete… just a bit more rare, is all. (I actually like Talitha a lot, but it would doom my child to being called Tabitha for most of her life.) The thing with girls’ names is that some names start to fall out of a favour, only to make a huge comeback just as they’re fading into obscurity. Take mine, for example… I spent my whole childhood correcting people, because they couldn’t grok that I’m not Elizabeth. These days, not so much of a problem, what with Isabelle now being in the top 10 for the past several years. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/170 "2009-02-26T15:00:12Z")
> [@Snickers](#): > > And an Illa (first one I’ve ever seen) Our next-door neighbor was Ila (Eye-la) and recently my friend’s friends were naming their baby. They were trying to think of something all the relatives could pronounce, being Indian and Eastern European. They settled on Ila but pronounce it Ee-la. (I would have gone with Nina, but that’s because it’s already my favorite!) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/171 "2009-02-26T16:36:24Z")
> [@anu-la1979](#): > > Dimple is one of those names Indian people give their daughters…I’m not sure if it’s a REAL Indian name or one of those Colonial era names that North Indians liked (Pinky, Bunty etc.). Most of those types of names seem concentrated amongst North Indians. I always say that Punjabis seem to name their kids as if they were puppies – Dimple, Twinkle, etc. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MissGypsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@MissGypsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissGypsy)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840/172 "2009-02-26T22:58:37Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > Snipping a daughter’s name out of pieces of Mama’s name seems like vanity. I guess it beats CoQuette, though. To be fair, it’s no more vain than naming a son after the father, which is far more common. But “CoQuette” made me laugh. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinct-woman-names/485840.md?page=8)