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.
I was hoping Lily was beating Lillian out by a wider margin, but I guess not so!
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!)
I always say that Punjabis seem to name their kids as if they were puppies – Dimple, Twinkle, etc. 
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.