By old-timey names, I mean ones that you don’t typically associate with anyone alive or younger than like 70.
Examples being:
- Burl
- Mildred
- Herbert
- Agnes
- Evelyn (not as rare at the others, but getting there)
I’ve always liked the name “Opal” but I’ve only ever known two in my life. I was like 10-12 at the time, and they were both pushing 90.
Balthazar 🤌
It’s one of magi!
On that note, Melchior would make for a metal af middle name.
I actually went to school with a Balthazar.
His parents were hippies in the 60s and never stopped being hippies.
The name Ea-nāṣir is about 4000 years overdue for a comeback.
When you have bad copper you deserve to be forgotten!
What about Enkidu?
tfw you have to join culture because the sex is too good
Actually had a friend in highschool with that name
I heard he’s in jail for stealing copper.
Agamemnon
Clytemnestra
Doesn’t get more classic than that
Gilgamesh
Galahad
Eleanor
Emeline
Emeric
Lancelot
Siegfried
You definitely don’t see many people named Lance, but back in the day people were named Lancelot.
Lancel is so hot right now.
More wine, Your Grace?
Underrated pun
Lance Armstrong kinda killed it with all his cheating.
Lance Bass might not have done it many favors either.
I went to a school with an Eleanor, who really embodied her name by being way into the local SCA group, doing ren fairs all the time, and is now a medieval history professor.
She’s the most Eleanor Eleanor you can possibly Eleanor.
Artherial legend. Nice.
Eleanor
Eleanor (spelled “Ellinor” here) has definitely made its comeback already, we considered it if we got a girl (got a boy instead) and have since met multiple Ellinors in his age group.
Évelyne is faily common around here still.
Gilgamesh is one I haven’t heard in a hot minute, not sure about the comeback though.
I knew a Gilgamesh! Went by Gil.
True. Evelyne Brochu is my age.
Gilgamesh is one I haven’t heard in a hot minute, not sure about the comeback though.
Not with that attitude lol. Maybe we can ease it back in as a middle name or something.
I’m fond of “Gwendolyn” but I’ve never met or even known of one, to my knowledge.
Oh! I thought of one, Gwendolyn Christie.
I’ve seen it once, although more recently met a Genevieve which feels even rarer and just as pretty.
I knew a Genevieve in college, and then my son’s best friend in preschool was a Genevieve who went by Jenny (or Geny?) and now my daughter has one in her class, so they’re making a comeback maybe?
I knew a Gwen in college, but it wasn’t short for Gwendolyn. Just “Gwen”.
My best friends kid is named Guinevere, is that archaic enough to fit?
I’ve heard a Welsh musician called Gwennifer.
I think Jennifer, Guinevere are all probably similar just different languages.
Archimedes
I want people to go by their first two initials, and then the entire last name. Y’know, “H. G. Wells, J.G. Wentworth”.
It just makes everyone sound more fancy and serious.
My boss does that, and for that reason. I do like it. Unfortunately, he cannot help me get cash now from my structured settlement.
Funny. I had a boss who thought that use of initials was pretentious. Or maybe I’m putting words in his mouth and it was specifically my use of a middle initial he didn’t like. Harry S Truman’s name would presumably have given him a headache.
Either way, I countered that having a customised number plate on a car was surely just as bad, to which he had no answer.
Hairy Ass Truman
I have 2 first names and I prefer to go by their initials. I’m so used to it that I sometimes don’t notice when someone calls me by my actual first name.
I’m imagining that your first name is something like Vijay and your middle initial is J, and so no wonder you wouldn’t notice.
I’m about to heavily doxx myself so please be cool, but I go by B.E. Moore professionally on account of the fact that those are my initials and last name
Does the B stand for Bizzle?
Yeah, it’s Bizzle Erasmus
Everett
True…
Evelyn as a man’s name, if you want to be really old school.
True. And on the same note, I’ve known more men named Kelly than women.
I’ve also known more men named Leslie than women
I’ve known more Leslies than men and women put together
My great grandfather’s name was Hilary. My nan wasn’t entirely impressed when I mention it was a girls name as a kid xD
Yves (pronounced ‘Eve’) as well.
My grandfather’s name was Zälly on his German birth certificate, but when he emigrated to the UK, people laughed because it sounded like “Sally,” so he changed it to Solly, and eventually Sol.
I also went to high school with a guy with South African parents who was named Kerrin (which sounds like Karen), which I am guessing is less weird in South Africa.
I think Millicent and Winnifred would be cute because you can shorten them to Millie and Winnie
I used to work with a Millie - it was difficult to resolve such a cute name with such a competent engineer. Maybe it shows my biases but I feel like she had to overcome her name
My vote is for Gretchen.
And none for Gretchen Wieners.
As a German I find Gretchen hilarious. Not a name you’d see in Germany despite its origins.
My vote is on Brunhilde, my grandma’s name. It’s a name only 80+y olds would have, but I like it
I love Elfriede and Ute, too
My great aunt was named Ute, I’ve never seen anyone else (in the US at least) with that name.
Hated it in Donnie Darko.
Agnes, Agatha, Germaine and Jack.
I saw Jack, and I thought that’s pretty common, then realized I’ve never met a single Jack.
I also hope somewhere in the world there’s a gay couple named Jack and Dick.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_(given_name)
I know a few Jacks (and a Jaques and 2 Jacobs) and, according to that wiki page, my experience is typical.
Do you know which Jack is your favourite? You should have a contest determine your favourite Jack. A Jack-Off, if you will.
Jack was Biz Markie’s only young friend
May and June. I feel like there’s a lot of younger Aprils but the other two month names seem like old lady names.
I used to know a woman named April, and her two daughters are May and June. (Both still under age 12.)
Can confirm. I know several Aprils my age or younger, but no Mays at all, and no Junes younger than 70.
Went to university with a lady named (I kid you not): April May June
According to her, her parents thought it would be “fun”.
I would guess she is about 50-60 years old now.
There was a joke on Married with Children way back where Bud gets a Valentine’s day card from someone with that name. He is suspicious it’s a prank from his sister because “those are all works [Kelly] knows”.
Wonder if she was named after that episode? Lol
Zebulon – traditional Biblical name. Maybe still used in Israel, but not many Americans have used it since the days of Zebulon Pike (Pike’s Peak) and Zebulon Vance (Civil War era NC governor).
I worked with a Zebulon (of course, we called him “Zeb”) a couple years ago. He’s in maybe his mid 20s now.
He’s teriyaki flavored!
