# Old sounding baby names in your part of the world? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 10, 2010, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-sounding-baby-names-in-your-part-of-the-world/563692 "2010-12-10T19:33:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2010, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-sounding-baby-names-in-your-part-of-the-world/563692/21 "2010-12-12T01:08:34Z")
I met a kid (about nine or ten) named Irving. I can only assume he was named after his grandpa. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2010, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-sounding-baby-names-in-your-part-of-the-world/563692/22 "2010-12-12T02:41:11Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > I met a kid (about nine or ten) named Irving. I can only assume he was named after his grandpa. The only Irving I know of is actually named Yitzchok. I always thought it was one of those things like Morris=Moshe or Rocky=Yerachmiel or whatever. As far as old names, I’ll nominate Hortense and Agatha. ---
**Author:** ![kidneyfailure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kidneyfailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidneyfailure)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2010, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-sounding-baby-names-in-your-part-of-the-world/563692/23 "2010-12-12T13:01:21Z")
A generation or so ago many Chinese kids were named something overtly political: 爱民 “loves the people” 爱军 “loves the military” 卫红 “defends the red” 建国 “builds the nation” One can usually tell about how old someone is if they have a name like that. Needless to say, no Chinese parent these days would be caught dead giving their kid a name like that. ---
**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 12, 2010, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-sounding-baby-names-in-your-part-of-the-world/563692/24 "2010-12-12T13:28:54Z")
A few family names: **Male:** Leslie Lloyd Leonard Ronald Walter **Female:** Edith Elsie Rona Lenore Amelia Victoria ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2010, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-sounding-baby-names-in-your-part-of-the-world/563692/25 "2010-12-12T15:12:35Z")
Boy: Merle. Herbert. Herman. Leonard. George. Ralph. Frederick. Murray. Girl: Lisa. Linda. Debby. Ruth. Pamela. Susan. Theresa. Wendy. Nancy. Audrey. These are names from the dim past (the '50’s) and sound dated. Not as much as Maude and Elmer, but definitely dated. Why IS it some names sound so fuddy duddy and dated, even if they are perfectly fine names? Ethel and Bertha sound faintly comical, dredged up out of a box of mothballs, yet I’m sure there are hot ladies with those names, somewhere. Gus and Sidney - grandpas or teen idols? ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-sounding-baby-names-in-your-part-of-the-world/563692/26 "2010-12-13T05:15:09Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > A few family names: > > **Male:** > Leslie > Lloyd > Leonard > Ronald > Walter > > **Female:** > Edith > Elsie > Rona > Lenore > Amelia > Victoria I know a two-year-old girl named Amelia. I think it’s starting to be popular again. Yep, just checked: It’s number 55 on the 2009 Social Security baby name list. ---
**Author:** ![anya\_marie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@anya\_marie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anya_marie)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-sounding-baby-names-in-your-part-of-the-world/563692/27 "2010-12-13T06:27:38Z")
I have a cousin named Audrey, and she is both an adorable little girl and a pistol. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-sounding-baby-names-in-your-part-of-the-world/563692/28 "2010-12-13T06:53:32Z")
I have (well, had) Aunts: Verle Fern Estel Vesta Uncles: Merle Vern(Verle’s twin) Claude Then there are: Vera (great aunt, also one of my third grade teachers) Orville (Vera’s hubby) Ferdinand (great uncle) Ida (my mom) Wells (my dad) Ester (cousin) Morse (distant cousin) ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-sounding-baby-names-in-your-part-of-the-world/563692/29 "2010-12-13T13:33:12Z")
One of the things with names is once you throw them in the bucket of “horribly dated” - suddenly there is a preschool class with four of them. I had two five year old Henrys in my Sunday school class. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-sounding-baby-names-in-your-part-of-the-world/563692/30 "2010-12-13T14:20:21Z")
All it takes is one celebrity to name their offspring “\_\_\_\_\_” and that name comes back out of nowheresville. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-sounding-baby-names-in-your-part-of-the-world/563692/31 "2010-12-13T15:21:37Z")
Hyman. It will _never_ be coming back. Ever. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-sounding-baby-names-in-your-part-of-the-world/563692/32 "2010-12-13T17:17:14Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > All it takes is one celebrity to name their offspring “\_\_\_\_\_” and that name comes back out of nowheresville. One of the interesting points mentioned in that Freakonomics chapter nentioned above is that it isn’t so much celebrities’ baby name that are influential. It’s upper class baby names. When people hear what rich people name their babies, they give their own babies those names, hoping to capture that success. But then the names start to feel middle and lower class, so the upper classes stop using them and move on to other names. That’s how the cycle works. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-sounding-baby-names-in-your-part-of-the-world/563692/33 "2010-12-13T17:35:38Z")
My cousin just had a baby and they named him Ivan. Yes, I said Ivan. I always said I would support the name Ivan if it were pronounced “Ee-VON” like Ivan Lendl the tennis player. I doubt they do. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-sounding-baby-names-in-your-part-of-the-world/563692/34 "2010-12-13T20:40:26Z")
Phyllis. I just had to email a Phyllis today. Hope she knows how to work a computer! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-sounding-baby-names-in-your-part-of-the-world/563692/35 "2010-12-13T21:32:56Z")
> [@chizzuk](#): > > The only Irving I know of is actually named Yitzchok. I always thought it was one of those things like Morris=Moshe or Rocky=Yerachmiel or whatever. Could have been. I can’t say I actually _knew_ him- we happened to be on a “Torah Flora” tour at the same time. ETA: Rocky = Yerachmiel? That’s hiliarious for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![diku](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@diku](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diku)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-sounding-baby-names-in-your-part-of-the-world/563692/36 "2010-12-13T21:36:29Z")
Yeah, our son’s name is George, and everyone always comments on how we used such an old name. Grrr…It’s after George Washington! So what if he lived over 200 years ago…oh wait. ---
**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 13, 2010, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-sounding-baby-names-in-your-part-of-the-world/563692/37 "2010-12-13T21:54:02Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > My cousin just had a baby and they named him Ivan. Yes, I said Ivan. I went to school with someone named Ivan. It’s no big deal, and soon enough won’t be any problem for you to accept, I guarantee it. One of my best friends as a kid was named Dirk, because his family were Dutch. That’s a name that is sort of cool, but nevertheless inspires comment. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-sounding-baby-names-in-your-part-of-the-world/563692/38 "2010-12-13T23:15:35Z")
My middle name is Elmer. It’s an old family name. I’m 40 - probably the youngest Elmer I know about. We named our youngest boy Henry and received plenty of compliments about his name. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-sounding-baby-names-in-your-part-of-the-world/563692/39 "2010-12-13T23:22:22Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > We named our youngest boy Henry and received plenty of compliments about his name. Henry is a great name, and has a great diminutive as well, actually a few, but Harry is the best. Hal is good too. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-sounding-baby-names-in-your-part-of-the-world/563692/40 "2010-12-13T23:46:38Z")
Porfirio for a boy, which is what I’d totally name my son if I had one and my wife agreed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-sounding-baby-names-in-your-part-of-the-world/563692.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-sounding-baby-names-in-your-part-of-the-world/563692.md?page=3)