Norman and Gertrude don't have a prayer. At least as far as baby names go.
That's according to a list of endangered British baby names on the Web site Gurgle.com, which I stumbled upon thanks to this Reuters UK piece.While some traditional monikers still have an air of cool about them -- like Olivia or Henry -- others have become too stodgy for any modern parent to even consider using. According to Gurgle, these are the top 10 traditional British boys' names that have officially fallen out of fashion:
Norman, Walter, Percy, Harold, Ernest, Herbert, Clifford, Frank, Arnold and Leonard.
And the top 10 traditional British girls' names that are essentially dead?
Gertrude, Edna, Ethel, Irene, Ada, Norah, Olive, Agnes, Elsie and Mabel.
Now, here's what's interesting. Not one of the names on the boys' list appeals to me. But of the girls? I think Irene, Ada and Norah are all perfectly acceptable names. And as I peruse the rest of Gurgle's list, I spy some others that I think are cool, too: May, Minnie (it's a little mousey, but kinda cute), Violet, Annie and Lillian. Meanwhile, the other boys' names pretty much blow. I mean, if you're going to name your kid Edwin, you may as well just stick him in the front yard, pin a sign to him that says "Start beating me up now" and let the neighborhood have at him.
For some reason, old-fashioned names sound better on females. Maybe they conjure up images of little girls in poofy dresses, sitting around tiny tables and having tea parties. (Really, can't you see a little girl named Norah or Violet doing that?) But antiquated male names, like Sidney or Fred (both also on the list), make me think of elderly men wearing grandpa sweaters and sitting in nursing homes, where they complain routinely about their arthritis. Not exactly the way you want your little boy to start out.
What do you think? Could some of these allegedly dead British names be resurrected, either in the UK or the U.S.? What traditional baby names would you like to kickstart into newfound popularity?
Related Links:
"Satan" and 9 Other Bad (but real) Baby Names
