# Old Lady Names **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 14, 2008, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-names/477100 "2008-12-14T06:30:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Das\_Glasperlenspiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/das_glasperlenspiel/32/2944_2.png) [@Das\_Glasperlenspiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Das_Glasperlenspiel)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-names/477100/61 "2008-12-15T00:25:45Z")
Hazel Mystic Jean (grandmother) Blanche (grandmother) Ellen Euphemia Effie Belle Pearl Annie (great aunt) Freida/frederica (great aunt) In an era of Cheryls, Barbaras, Marilyns, Donnas, Lindas and Carols, I got stuck with Melissa, which was no fun. ---
**Author:** ![luv2draw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@luv2draw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/luv2draw)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-names/477100/62 "2008-12-15T01:06:36Z")
Edna. I know it was mentioned already by a previous poster but I had to mention it in honor of an old friend who died last month at the age of 85. She was someone I worked with 40 years ago and was kind to the young snot-nose that I was way back then. Godspeed, my dear friend… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![luv2draw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@luv2draw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/luv2draw)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-names/477100/63 "2008-12-15T01:18:04Z")
It doesn’t seem as though these were mentioned yet: Penelope Claudia Martha Eunice ---
**Author:** ![dubs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dubs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dubs)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-names/477100/64 "2008-12-15T01:31:58Z")
Not too many Gretchens any more. What would be the nickname? Gretchie, Gret? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-names/477100/65 "2008-12-15T02:13:24Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > I think Edna is one name that won’t ever make a comeback. Nope. It’s back in a big way. Edna and many other ‘traditional English’ names are quite popular among the Asian-Canadian population for their ‘English’ names. As a result of this, there are a lot of stylish young Torontonians with names like Edna, Laurence, William, Nora (short for Leonora), Holly, Esther, Grace, Thomas. And these are people I either have worked with personally or who are semi-famous in the local media. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-names/477100/66 "2008-12-15T03:02:44Z")
> [@dubs](#): > > Not too many Gretchens any more. What would be the nickname? Gretchie, Gret? Gretchen already is a nickname. It’s the nickname, or diminutive, for Margarethe. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-names/477100/67 "2008-12-15T03:40:00Z")
Bessie Olive Doris ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-names/477100/68 "2008-12-15T03:56:58Z")
> [@dubs](#): > > Not too many Gretchens any more. What would be the nickname? Gretchie, Gret? Why don’t you ask Hansel? I’m sure he’d be of great help there. 🙂 I got a real humdinger of an old lady name - the only bearer of it whom I knew personally was born in 1889 and lived well past 100: Althea. Other old ladies, this time ripped from the family tree: Elisabeth Gertrude Hilma Nellie Wendela Ruth Got one way back named Aupha, too… ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-names/477100/69 "2008-12-15T04:16:43Z")
> [@Olentzero](#): > > Why don’t you ask Hansel? I’m sure he’d be of great help there. 🙂 That was Gretel. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-names/477100/70 "2008-12-15T05:23:44Z")
Yes, yes, I _know_… it’s called obliquely providing the answer. Witticism and all that. I must admit, the whoosh did leave your hair with a dashing part. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-names/477100/71 "2008-12-15T14:31:38Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > Well, my grandmother is an Esther. She was born 12/17/1904. We like to mention that the date is the first anniversary of the Wright brother’s flight at Kitty Hawk. > > She’ll be celebrating her 104th birthday this week! Happy birthday to her! > [@Sunspace](#): > > Nope. It’s back in a big way. Edna and many other ‘traditional English’ names are quite popular among the Asian-Canadian population for their ‘English’ names. As a result of this, there are a lot of stylish young Torontonians with names like Edna, Laurence, William, Nora (short for Leonora), Holly, Esther, Grace, Thomas. And these are people I either have worked with personally or who are semi-famous in the local media. This has been my experience as well in the United States. I admit to being quite startled when meeting a young Asian girl named Agnes. Grace and William are not old lady names here. Both are quite popular and have been for at least a decade. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-names/477100/72 "2008-12-15T16:04:46Z")
My grandma is Winifred Lenora. ---
**Author:** ![schnuckiputzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@schnuckiputzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/schnuckiputzi)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-names/477100/73 "2008-12-15T16:05:03Z")
From my family: Creola Sedonia Juanetta Clementina (always called “Aunt Teeny” Arlene Hazel and for my great-grandfather: Savillion Fuller Bergfeld! ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-names/477100/74 "2008-12-15T16:59:20Z")
My grandmothers were Sarah and Hazel. Sarah preferred the old-lady name Sally. Hazel, Julia Roberts kid notwithstanding, will always be old-lady. Her mom was also Hazel. Her husband’s mom was, get this - Jenny! Isn’t that weird? She looked like an Ida Mae or something. Her daughter had the old lady name Pearl. Sally’s mom was Victoria and some of her neices and nephews called her Aunt Vicky. So - two of my great-grandmothers had cute-chick names: Jenny and Vicky. Vicky looked like a Hagatha-Bitchdemon or something. My other great-grandmother was Augusta. Duuuude! THAT’S old lady. The funny thing about my name - Karen-is that it’s becoming old-lady, and so is my mom’s name, Barbara. They were the Megan and Caitlin of their day. My sister Virginia’s name is more popular now. Nevertheless, that’s old-lady too. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-names/477100/75 "2008-12-15T17:53:15Z")
Eulalie is a good old Southern Lady name. I don’t think Gloria is an old woman’s name…I had a friend growing up who was named Gloria. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-names/477100/76 "2008-12-15T18:20:26Z")
My gramp’s sisters were Martha Pearl, Violet, Pansy, and Ettie. Their mother was Mary Susie. My gran’s sisters were Hettie and Thelma. Granny’s name, which she hated was Maedell. I don’t remember her mom’s name. My other gran’s name was Eola, and her mother was Hassie. And my other grampa’s mom was Janie. ---
**Author:** ![Carson\_O\_Genic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Carson\_O\_Genic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carson_O_Genic)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-names/477100/77 "2008-12-15T19:55:17Z")
Not yet mentioned: Veda Hettie Sepora Celeste ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-names/477100/78 "2008-12-15T20:05:13Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > My Great-Grandmother had the best old lady name ever- **Myrtle Stern**. It doesn’t get better than that. My grandmother came from a family of 12 kids, all with old people names. My mom used to be able to rattle them all off (including spouses). Myrtle & Herman Minnie & Oscar Edith & Harry Helen & John That’s all I can remember. They made us laugh when we were kids. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-names/477100/79 "2008-12-15T20:07:16Z")
**Markxxx** , you don’t need any Old Man names? Your Old Lady doesn’t have a “friend”? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![brad\_d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@brad\_d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brad_d)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-names/477100/80 "2008-12-15T20:20:23Z")
My paternal grandmother’s name was Luda, which I haven’t seen mentioned yet. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-names/477100.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-lady-names/477100.md?page=5)