What is a very "old person" name?

[irisblue]

(stolen from Reddit)

For me, Elmer and Ethel

[Me.]

1. Lavinia?

[dawg]

2. Adam.

[intrepidity]

51. Thread winner! nt

[wcmagumba]

3. Leora, Gilbert

[Leghorn21]

4. Mildred!

(my Granny)

[Mad_Dem_X]

59. I had an Aunt Mildred. We called her Milly.

I used that name for the main character in my book. She was a young girl with an old name.

[Thomas Hurt]

5. Parthenia

[Scrivener7]

10. Parmelia!

[kozar]

6. Fredrick or

Martha? I'm closely related to both names.

Ty iris, for reminding me of my age with this post, lol.


Koz

[Marthe48]

62. Wait!

I'm not old. Not that old

[3catwoman3]

67. My name is Martha, and I have always disliked it.

Cranky old ladies and busybodies in literature and movies/TV shows are often "Aunt Martha."

The worst use of this I ever saw was an ad for the stool softener Colace on the back cover of a medical journal. It featured a very unhappy looking elderly woman (think Ruth Buzzi's character on Laugh In), sitting on a high wooden stool, scowling away. It read -

Give Aunt Martha
Colace in the AM
For a BM in the PM

[Aristus]

97. I don't think of Martha as an old lady name.

When I was in high school in the 80's, the hottest girl in the school was named Martha. She would only be about 53 now.

[Scrivener7]

7. Gertrude.

[Upthevibe]

68. Scrivenewas7..

Gertrude is one I was going to say. That was the name of my grandmother on my mother's side of the family. She was very troubled and treated me and one of my sisters poorly but treated my other sister and brother ok.

She lived in the back little house we had in our backyard so she was around WAY too much. I never missed her when she passed but she had really bad psychological problems that were probably organic and not her fault. In any case, I never liked that name.

[Scrivener7]

69. My Gertrude was a great aunt. Could talk the leg off a chair, but I thought she was a riot.

I liked her.

We had some creeps in the family, but I have to say, my grandmothers were both great ladies.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

8. Agnes, Muriel, Mildred, Gladys, Bertha, Bessie, Hazel, Gertrude, Georgia, Maude, Opel, Edna

Last edited Thu Jul 15, 2021, 02:30 PM - Edit history (2)

Abraham, Earl, Harold, Herbert, Herman, Homer, Horace, Eugene, Oscar, Claude, Wilbur

[Kali]

9. Myrtle, Addie, Merle, Letha, Clara, Eldon, Homer

Clarence, Maude

[Scrivener7]

12. Oh, totally Myrtle!

[cemaphonic]

98. Clara and Addie are both reasonably popular young girl's names now

My daughter is 11 and knows at least half a dozen Claras around her age.

[Kali]

100. wow, I guess I'm not around many young families

haven't heard of that.

[greatauntoftriplets]

11. Bertha.

Gertrude, who was my grandmother.

Florence, my mother who threatened to disown any child of hers who named a kid after her. She was serious.

[Scrivener7]

14. Lol! Those are my grandmother and her sister. Also Agnes.

[greatauntoftriplets]

19. Even funnier...

my grandmother was Gertrude Agnes. Her sisters had more normal names -- Marie and Rose.

[Scrivener7]

31. The last sister was named Rose!

I think those were considered the swanky names among 1890s Irish people.

[greatauntoftriplets]

38. They probably were.

And my grandfather was the one who was Irish. My grandmother was French, Swiss and German.

[Mad_Dem_X]

60. One of my mother's sisters is named Bertha

We have always called her "Aunt Bert."

[Hoyt]

13. I think of my Grandmother and aunt born in 1890s -- Agnes and Gertrude -- and my name.

[Scrivener7]

16. See the post above yours. Are we related?

Toss in a Florence to the Agnes and Gertrude and I'll put you in my will!

[Hoyt]

22. No Florence, although I had a friend 50 years ago with that name.

[Scrivener7]

28. Not to worry. I have no money to pass on anyway.

[Ocelot II]

15. Edna, Thelma, Isabel, Hilda.

These were the names of some of my great-aunts and other relatives, all born before 1900.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

24. Isabella however is the 4th most popular name for girls in the 2010's

But Isabel is way down around 140th.

[elleng]

41. and my 2 year old grand daughter's name!!!

[nevergiveup]

17. Sam & Mabel

My grandparents on my mother's side. Two of my favorite people in all of life.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

27. Samuel is #22 male name and Samantha #33 from the 2010's

It's amazing how heavily 'Biblical' male names were in the 2010's ... but it's totally different for girls.

[Upthevibe]

70. nevergiveup...

I like the name Sam and don't really think of it as a name that ever really went out of style. I especially like the name Samuel.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

18. Gladys

[Skittles]

66. what you say?

[DEbluedude]

72. Abner!!!!

[Skittles]

74. AB-nah! AAAB-nah!

OMG she was freaking HILARIOUS

[PortTack]

20. Mabel, Opal, Hattie, Horacio, Etta, Vern

[Cracklin Charlie]

21. Viola.

My favorite aunt. I saw her the last time in 1994, she was 96. I asked how she got to the funeral home, and she said “Hon, I drove”!

[Earth-shine]

90. The name of my grandmother. I can vouch that she was never young.

[Maeve]

23. Gotta throw in Alma

My great-grandaunt...you already have her sister Martha, my grandma Ethel, Aunts Merle and Mildred...

"old names" are 4-5 generations back

[sinkingfeeling]

101. My sister was named Alma in 1946.

[LakeArenal]

25. Names from Mr Lakes Family

Floyd and Loyd were twins

Aloise (al-Loy)

Berta

Gert


Maybell

Edit to add: Edith. Pronounced Eat-it

[TexasTowelie]

26. Laverrel and Salman.

Two names from my father's side of the family.

[quaint]

29. Jamela, Leila and Cordelia

Names from my family.

[likesmountains 52]

30. Clyde

[intrepidity]

52. +1! nt

[Haggard Celine]

34. Fanny amd Alfred

[Desert grandma]

35. Beulah

Former mother in law's name

[Polly Hennessey]

36. Bertha and Elwood

[Walleye]

37. Ida

[Hugh_Lebowski]

39. Want to hear something trippy about the 2010's popular boys names?

The names Levi, Henry, Wyatt, and Jaxon were all more popular than:
(and these are in descending order of popularity)

Nicholas
Robert
Kevin
Adam
Jason
Justin
Theodore
Eric
Steven
Timothy
Patrick
Edward
Alan
Brian
Jeremy
Mark
Marcus
Kyle
Kenneth
Bradley

And the SECOND most popular girls name was Olivia (after Emma). Boy, Olivia, along with Ava at 5th and Abigail at 7th ... all made historical comebacks in the 20th century I would bet.

In the 1970's, Jennifer was #1, Melissa was #3, Michelle was #4. In the 1980's, Jennifer was #2, Melissa was #7, Michelle was #12 ... now Melissa and Jennifer are not even in the top 200, and Michelle is 185th.

[Siwsan]

40. My uncle's sisters/sister in law were Grace, Mabel and Fern

My grandmother's name was Ruth and she had sisters named Gertie, Sadie, Leora and Nellie, and a sister in law named Phoebe.

My grandfather's name was Ellsworth and he had sisters named Ada, Elvira and Elsie

[nocoincidences]

42. maternal grandparents were named

Ina and Willis.

One of my dad's ancestors, a female, was named Achse.

[sunflowerseed]

43. Enid, Lavon, Chet,

[IcyPeas]

44. Burnice, Dorothy, Edna, Pauline, Imogene

[CTyankee]

45. My aunts: Darling Ernest, Lois and Inez.

My uncle Ephraim (we called him uncle Tim)

Ruth

[Hugh_Lebowski]

46. Case you're wondering, the name Karen hasn't been really popular since the 60's when it was #4

The 70's it fell to 25, the 80's to 84, and in the whole 2000's it's not in the top 200 names anymore.

[Chipper Chat]

48. Monica (there's a reason for it)

Beulah
Irma
Kunigunda
Urban
Roscoe
Amarilyuss
Henrietta
Dorothy
Hector

[trof]

49. Hiram, Letitia, Marvin, Matilda

[Aristus]

50. Just think: in thirty or forty years, we'll be overrun with a lot of geriatrics

named Britney, Tiffany, Aiden, Braeden, Jaiden, Kaiden, Jordan, Brandi, etc.

[BlueJune]

53. Hazel, Georgia, Frances and Rheba

I love all these old names from my family but they seem oddly asynchronous when you meet a toddler with the name.

[Niagara]

54. Going by my ancestry.

Avon (male)
Earl
Edna
Florence
Harvey
Imo
Irene
Ival
Marvle (female)
Melvin
Minnie
Rhoda


Edit: I have several Rhoda's in my linage and at least one dates back to the 1870's.

[lillypaddle]

55. Fanny (or Fannybelle)

Earl or Ernest for men

[catbyte]

56. Hilda. That was my grandma's name and I never see it except maybe in Germany.

[Ocelot II]

58. My great-aunt's name also.

Norwegian ancestry.

[Wicked Blue]

76. It's an Estonian name also nt

[Ocelot II]

57. I just remembered a couple more - my great-aunt Hazel and

my great-great grandmother Ida Johanna.

[Paladin]

61. Wallace (one of my beloved relative's names). (nt)

[Glorfindel]

63. I have known several elderly women named for states

They would have been elderly in the 1950's when I was a boy. Almost invariably, they were called by a shortened nickname for the state.

Florida - Flurdie
Arizona - Zonie
Georgia - Georgie
Alabama - Bammie
Missouri - Zurrie

Also, Exa ("Exie" ) and Elvina ("Vinie" )

Men's names don't change as much, though my 3rd great-grandfather was named Melchizidek ("Chizzy" ) and I had a great uncle named Jasper ("Jab" ).

[Bmoboy]

64. From my family

Gertrude, Denver, Audie, Irene, Bertie, Mathilda, Ernest, June, Marge, Marvin

[blue neen]

65. Blanche, Irma.

Leland.

[Upthevibe]

71. I've never cared for the name George

and I LOVE George Clooney. His middle name is Timothy which I think is a MUCH cooler name. I've wondered in past why he didn't go by Timothy Clooney. Maybe it's just me. Do folks here think that George is a "cool" name? I also don't like Henry or Harry.

[Harker]

73. My grandparents were Henry, Lulu, Ethel, and Francis.

Last edited Fri Jul 16, 2021, 07:52 AM - Edit history (1)

I had aunts Myrtle and Caroline. My mother's name was Luella.

Grandparents were all born in the 19th Century.

[3catwoman3]

75. Stanley (my dad) and...

…Vincent /Vinnie (my husband’s dad).

Maxine
Adah

Horace - I know someone who is the 5th generation with that name.

[Wicked Blue]

77. Edgar, Anna (parents)

Grandparents Karl, Emilia, Paulina and Boris.

[Wolf Frankula]

78. Orville.

I know of nobody under 80 with that name.

Wolf

[Ocelot II]

79. I found a Siri in the family tree, born about 1525!

[Wicked Blue]

83. Finnish, by any chance?

Siiri is also an Estonian women's name

[Ocelot II]

84. Norwegian. That old branch of the family tree reads like an IKEA catalog.

Asbjørn, Kjetil, Tormod, Magnhild, Gunvor, Agot, for example.

[Solly Mack]

80. I have an "old person" name.

I've only met 2 other women with the same name as me in all my many decades on earth.

And I love it!

I wasn't one of several in a classroom. So many that they had to be known as Amy T or Amy with the red hair or Amy with glasses or Amy with whatever. Lot of girls named Amy in my middle school and high school.

I was it. The only one for most of my school years.

Heck, I was the only one with my name in school until middle school and that's with moving from one part of the state to another part of the state.

[FakeNoose]

81. Herman - my grandpa's name

Grandpa Hermie was born in 1896, and he was named after HIS grandfather who was born in Germany. Also my cousin Hermie, who's the only young man I know with that name.

[GReedDiamond]

82. I had a great aunt named "Thresia"...

...as the story goes, her parents, German immigrants, were trying to name her Theresa.

She was known to everyone as "Trady."

She died in the 90s at the age of 106.

[OxQQme]

85. Hortense, Claude n/t

[TexasBushwhacker]

86. I'm 64. My grandparents' names were

Oscar, Ethel, Carl and Lillian

My great grandparents generation had Faye, Josephine, Heinrich (called Uncle Heine), Willhem, 2 Emma(s) and I don't know the other 2 Great Grandfather's. Faye, Josephine and one of the Emma(s) were the only ones alive during my lifetime.

[Aristus]

96. Mine were Robert (my name, too.) and Betty, and Abner and Jessie.

n/t

[Disaffected]

87. Rotunda, Floatilla

....

[NNadir]

88. Elizabeth Georgiana Adelaide, Princess Elizabeth of Clarence

Not really an old person's name, she died in infancy.

[wnylib]

89. Grandparents were

John and Frieda, and John and Helen. My mother was the youngest of 8 and her mother was the 3rd youngest of 10, so I had cousins the age of my grandparents: Gertrude, Wilhelmina (Minnie), Alma, Audrey, Roger.

Aunts and uncles from both sides: Genevieve, Ruth, June, Thora, Caroline, Esther, Theodore, Harold, Ernest, Henry, Emma, Grace, Charlotte (Lottie), Marjorie, Margarethe, Albert, Fred, William, Carl.

A great-great aunt was named Inice. Never came across that name anywhere else and wonder if it's a variation of Eunice. Don't know its origins. Her parents were of English descent.

From great-grandparents' generation and their parents and siblings: Chester, Elmer, Henry, Ella, Matilda, Jerusha, Henrietta, Lester, Ezra.

[Rastapopoulos]

91. Estin and Roscoe

Elderly men in my neighborhood in the 1960s.

[malthaussen]

92. These days? Mary, Debbie, Sue...

... just about any name that was popular in the '50s or '60s is now virtually taboo.

-- Mal

[lucca18]

94. Clarence (my grandfather's name) & Gunvold (my father's Norwegian name).

[BluesRunTheGame]

95. 3rd Great Grandpa's name was Sciota.

You won’t run into many Sciotas today.

[speak easy]

99. Preserved.