# Names for babies



## trophywench (Apr 23, 2016)

Does anyone here, any age, any gender - like the name Elsie for a baby girl?

Not saying what I think - just wondering is all.


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## Amigo (Apr 23, 2016)

trophywench said:


> Does anyone here, any age, any gender - like the name Elsie for a baby girl?
> 
> Not saying what I think - just wondering is all.



It's probably one of those 'old' names that could become in vogue again but it's got old lady connotations to me I'm afraid. Elsie Tanner in Corrie was a bit of a glam, feisty Elsie though. A tart with a heart. 
It beats some of the current chavvy creations though


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## KookyCat (Apr 23, 2016)

I actually do, my friend has a daughter named Elsie and another named Mabel....it's all the rage at the moment!


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## AlisonM (Apr 23, 2016)

Doesn't do it for me, but it's way better than Apple or Fifi Trixibelle. I saw something on Aunty the other day about a woman who wanted to call her daughter Cyanide so, on the whole, Elsie ain't that bad.


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## Robin (Apr 23, 2016)

My Aunt's first name was Elsie, but she preferred to use her middle name. I think it's definitely in the list of old fashioned names that could make a come back and sound really nice. (Unlike Doris or Ethel which I think should be confined to the annals of history, apologies to anyone so named).
The only problem I can see is that it could get dyslexified into Elise quite a lot, which could be annoying for its owner.


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## Northerner (Apr 23, 2016)

Sigh! Whatever happened to good names like Rapunzel? Must admit, Elsie makes me think of Tanner, but I'd probably completely change my mind if it was assigned to a lovely little baby girl!


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## Mark Parrott (Apr 23, 2016)

Elsie is nice. Older names are back in vogue. My favourite girl's name is Eleanor, but I'm biased as that's my wife's name.


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## robert@fm (Apr 24, 2016)

At least it isn't Tallulah Does The Hula From Hawaii.  The poor girl who was saddled with that by her idiot parents had to be made a ward of court so that she could change it.


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## trophywench (Apr 24, 2016)

Well it's an old lady - with a tight perm, lacquered heavily* obviously - and a moustache, big boobs somewhere only just above where her waist must have been once, Nora Batty hose and varicose veins.

Our GD is going to call her baby Elsie.  Good job she wasn't there when our Mk II daughter told me since I said 'You are joking obviously.  What's she really going to call her?' and daughter seemed quite offended at my reaction.  LOL

* that just reminded me - years ago when Daughter Mk I happened to say to her grandma that her two youngest had nits.  'Well don't let them come by me!' said Grandma, 'I don't want them!'
Corinne was telling us this later and added 'Can you imagine?  No nit would ever be able to ever get to Grandma's head - through that Permashield of lacquer she's always got on her hair!'


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## Ljc (Apr 24, 2016)

After thinking about it, I quite like the name Elsie.
Much better than the middle name dad wanted me saddled with because he wanted me named after his mum, till my mum put her foot down that is  . 
I loved my nan dearly but To be saddled with Mildred


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## KookyCat (Apr 24, 2016)

Ljc said:


> After thinking about it, I quite like the name Elsie.
> Much better than the middle name dad wanted me saddled with because he wanted me named after his mum, till my mum put her foot down that is  .
> I loved my nan dearly but To be saddled with Mildred



I love the name Mildred, no honestly and Doris, and Ethel actually.  I was so angry with my Dad when I was a kid because he wanted to call me Martha but then switched to Barbara, and my mum was so adamant it wasn't going to be Barbara she won.  I'd have loved to be Doris, or Mildred or Martha, but then I've always had an ear for the weird.  Not so keen on Barbara but only because it makes me think of Barbara Windsor in the carry on films, and I'm so not a Barbara 

The only thing about Elsie, is there's likely to be a lot of Elsa's around after Frozen so you could put her off by suggesting it might be quite a common name TW, because she's bound to end up being mispronounced.  Course you could end up with Ena (oh I actually like that) or Mabel or Betty (I like that too, a little baby named Betty...teehee)


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## Mark Parrott (Apr 24, 2016)

We have a cat called Doris. Our cats are named after Gods & Godesses, and Doris is a Goddess apparently.


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## Bloden (Apr 24, 2016)

I'm not really sure about these old-fashioned names. I think I would've reacted like you, TWench. Elsie, hmmm, it's ok, but not my favourite. But if that's what mummy wants... Like you say, better than Apple or Fluffy Bunnykins, etc. etc.

I was going to be Tessa, apparently, but ended up with nice, common, boring old Sarah - which I never use. My nickname's been firmly in place since I was a teen.


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## cherrypie (Apr 24, 2016)

You have to disassociate the image of Grandma and be thankful that they have not called her some of the weird names that celebrities do.  Apple, NorthWest would have been harder to accept.


Maisie.(an old name).


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## Northerner (Apr 24, 2016)

cherrypie said:


> You have to disassociate the image of Grandma and be thankful that they have not called her some of the weird names that celebrities do.  Apple, NorthWest would have been harder to accept.
> 
> 
> Maisie.(an old name).


Indeed - I had great difficulty when I met a baby called Arthur. Kate Bush's son is called Bertie, which wouldn't be my first choice (if I'd had any say in it )

p.s. nice to hear from you Maisie, I hope you are well


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## KookyCat (Apr 24, 2016)

Arthur and Bertie are lovely names, i love the juxtaposition of an old name with a gorgeous chubster baby...it's delightful


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## Amigo (Apr 24, 2016)

My friend's daughter called their blue eyed, blonde baby after a black rapper so that his name is actually a set of initials and they were offended when I made my feelings known. Rightly or wrongly, people do make judgements based on names.


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## Mark Parrott (Apr 24, 2016)

Moon Unit has got to be my favourite name ever.


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## Rosiecarmel (Apr 24, 2016)

Mark Parrott said:


> Moon Unit has got to be my favourite name ever.



I'm keeping this name for my first born LOL


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## Northerner (Apr 24, 2016)

Mark Parrott said:


> Moon Unit has got to be my favourite name ever.


...with Dweezil a close second?


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## stephknits (Apr 24, 2016)

I quite like Elsie, but then I am obviously way too young for it to have any connotations .  My daughters are Alice (for specific reasons) and Martha (cos we both liked it).  I know my dad wasn't keen on Martha, for similar reasons to Elsie connotations I think.  Bless him though, he has never said anything to me.  I don't know how he feels about it 8 years on.  Martha seems happy with it so far.


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## trophywench (Apr 24, 2016)

Cherrypie - I like Maisie!  Julie Walters' daughter is Maisie and Victoria Woods' is called Grace - when they were both born, they used to joke they were both called Grazie, cos it made it easier LOL

I'm a great fan of 'normal' names myself - Sarah, Elizabeth, Anne, Jane, Victoria, Suzanne, Frederick, William, Richard, Andrew, David, John, Peter, Paul and of course Mary LOL


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## AlisonM (Apr 24, 2016)

Mark Parrott said:


> Elsie is nice. Older names are back in vogue. My favourite girl's name is Eleanor, but I'm biased as that's my wife's name.


That was my favourite Aunt's name as well.


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## AlisonM (Apr 24, 2016)

Alison was clearly in vogue when I was born and, when I started school there were 6 of us, so some bright spark decided to call us by our middle names. Genius you might think, except I passionately hate my middle name and wouldn't answer to it if the school was on fire and they wanted me to phone the brigade. "That's not my name" I kept insisting when hauled up in front of the beak for cheek. They gave up in the end and Alison or Ally I have been ever since Casisus Clay changed his name and there was a brief playground war over Ali. Three boys with black eyes got the idea that maybe the butterfly joke wasn't funny after all (I was such a gentle soul - NOT).


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## Bloden (Apr 24, 2016)

Mark Parrott said:


> Moon Unit has got to be my favourite name ever.


Hahaha, Frank Zappa's daughter.


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## Annette (Apr 25, 2016)

I like slightly, but not very, unusual names. It was always nice as a child knowing I was going to be the only Annette in the class (and there's still not many of us around!) Having several, eg, Kylies in a class does lead to confusion! But it can also lead to problems if you want to buy a 'named' item - you know, pencils with a child's name on. I've yet to find an off the peg thing with Annette on (although, somehow, my grandma found a mug with my middle name on it. Noelle. I still have the mug as novelty value! (but my middle name isnt spelt like that cos neither my dad nor the registrar could spell it, so they took best guess and got it wrong. Cue many years of problems with forms and authorities telling em I'd spelt my name wrong...). My brother has taken the mantle and run with it - all 3 of his kids have slightly odd names/spelling. So I now know all the companies who will do special one offs for named items...


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## robert@fm (Apr 25, 2016)

A niece of mine is called Anja (Spanish for "little Ann"), and I have never heard of another English woman called that. Her twin brother was called Guy, after the gorilla who had died at London Zoo shortly before (commemorated in Elton John's _Song for Guy_); the parents decided that by the time the twins went to school, the gorilla would be forgotten, and fortunately they were right.


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## trophywench (Apr 25, 2016)

Annette - I was at school with a couple of them and one of our neighbour's daughters was called that.  So was Benny Hill's characters maid in The Italian Job!


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## Northerner (Apr 25, 2016)

I was named after my Dad's best friend (first and second names). My sister broke with tradition when she named her daughters - my grandma was Margaret Alice and my mum was Margaret - sister had Margaret as middle name, but she didn't give the name to either of her daughters. My niece (Kirsty Leanne) has named her daughter Reya Grace.

I worked with a guy whose middle name was Whilmer - a family name that he didn't advertise, growing up as he would have done in the heyday of the Flintstones!


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## Alan.tnh (Apr 25, 2016)

I was born on my dads 27th birthday, so I had to be named after him, then took my granddads name as my middle name.


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## Annette (Apr 25, 2016)

robert@fm said:


> A niece of mine is called Anja (Spanish for "little Ann"), and I have never heard of another English woman called that. Her twin brother was called Guy, after the gorilla who had died at London Zoo shortly before (commemorated in Elton John's _Song for Guy_); the parents decided that by the time the twins went to school, the gorilla would be forgotten, and fortunately they were right.


I used to go to school with an Anja. She was English, I think (it was a long time ago) her mother may have been Swiss.
I never knew another Annette (other than Annette Crosbie) and still dont think I've ever met one! (FTR, Anne is a family name, my mother was an Anne, decided it was a boring name so 'jazzed it up a bit' for me.)


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## AlisonM (Apr 25, 2016)

Northerner said:


> I worked with a guy whose middle name was Whilmer - a family name that he didn't advertise, growing up as he would have done in the heyday of the Flintstones!


Now you know why I hate my middle name! PS, if you let on what it is I'll send Fred round to sort you out.


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## AlisonM (Apr 25, 2016)

I know an Anya with a Y and two Annettes, oh and a guy called Guy who's pretty hairy. 

There's a horrible habit of alliteration up here, so we have any number of Donald MacDonalds and Gregor MacGregors - shows a stunning lack of imagination IMO. I also have problems with Neal/Niall/Neil and Neill, it's so confusing and my family has one of each! the most unusual name in our clan is my cousin Garden, it should have been Gardner but his dad was a wee bit under the weather when he registered the birth.


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## Northerner (Apr 25, 2016)

I've often wondered how a certain Albert Tatlock got on in life - I once encountered a person with this name on a database - his date of birth meant he was about 4 years old when Corrie started, so not named after the street character, but would have had to grow up with it 

My great grandad was called Holroyd, which I've always thought was unusual. I was googling some family names earlier and came across something that was a bit shocking - a person with my name (first name and surname) who died on 16th February 2016 - in my HOMETOWN!!!  Bizarre


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## AlisonM (Apr 25, 2016)

There's another one of me out there somewhere too , I saw her on LinkedIn years back - they kept telling me I was already registered and I had to use the hated middle name as well to get in the door. That someone else shares this name is extremely rare because there are only around 1,500 folk with my surname worldwide. Probably because no-one else can spell/pronounce it, LOL.


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## Northerner (Apr 25, 2016)

AlisonM said:


> There's another one of me out there somewhere too , I saw her on LinkedIn years back - they kept telling me I was already registered and I had to use the hated middle name as well to get in the door. That someone else shares this name is extremely rare because there are only around 1,500 folk with my surname worldwide. Probably because no-one else can spell/pronounce it, LOL.


I remember once listening to the radio (radio 1, I think) in the late '70s - they had a competition and one of the contestants had the same name as me - and was doing exactly the same A-Level subjects as me at the same time  Spooky!


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## khskel (Apr 25, 2016)

A couple down the road from us have called their daughter ESPN after the sports network!!


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## trophywench (Apr 25, 2016)

Northerner said:


> I've often wondered how a certain Albert Tatlock got on in life - I once encountered a person with this name on a database - his date of birth meant he was about 4 years old when Corrie started, so not named after the street character, but would have had to grow up with it



My first husband's middle name was Albert, after his dad - who everybody called 'Al' anyway and I thought for ages and ages he was called Alan!  We asked the Minister to shout Barry and whisper the A word when we got married - but he had a bit of a wicked SOH did that man, 99 guesses what he did instead .....  Still I expect he had to have that since there he was, a Methodist minister - full name as christened and signed on relevant certificates - Harry Jack Christian !


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## Robin (Apr 25, 2016)

I was named Robin after an aunt, but it was her nickname. Her real name was Gladys. I reckon I had a lucky escape.
Our (large) village has a population of around 3000. There is someone else with the same forename and surname as my husband registered with our local GP. Husband has to be carful to make sure they've booked him in for stuff by date of birth as well as name. We have one of the most common surnames in the UK, but his first name, Adrian, isn't that common.


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## KookyCat (Apr 26, 2016)

what's in a name eh?  Absolutely nothing really.  I like most names with the possible exception of "Chantelle' mostly because every female child between the age of 5 and 7 seems to have that name here and it sounds much less romantic with a northerner twang and being screeched at pneumatic drill levels.  I was named after Cathy in Wuthering Heights/Catherine Cookson (I prefer the former tbh), but the name had a bit of a peak in the 70s since there were six of us in the same class, and then the rest were Joannes (6 of them too).  We were forcibly renamed into Cat, Cathy, Cath, Kate, Katy and Catherine, and it stuck for the whole of school.  There was less you could do with Joanne so they became "The Joannes".  Then at the last place I worked there were four Catherines so we became Katy, Kathy, Cath and Catherine.  Weird thing is I've never come across a Catherine outside of those two clusters!


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## Sally71 (Apr 26, 2016)

khskel said:


> A couple down the road from us have called their daughter ESPN after the sports network!!


 I've heard it all now!

Some of the more unusual ones from my daughter's school are Skyla, Ocean and Nevaeh (Heaven spelt backwards...) all girls, funnily enough there don't seem to be many really outrageous names for boys!  There are loads of Mileys at the moment, presumably after Miley Cyrus, not exactly the best role model!  

I was named after a friend of my mum's who was killed in a car crash and my brother was named after our uncle who died in a work accident; a friend of mine thought it was really morbid that we were both named after dead people! (Although if my brother had been a girl they would have picked names purely on the basis of what they liked.). My daughter's name was chosen just because we liked it and not after anybody at all either living or dead!


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## Andy HB (Apr 28, 2016)

trophywench said:


> Cherrypie - I like Maisie!  Julie Walters' daughter is Maisie and Victoria Woods' is called Grace - when they were both born, they used to joke they were both called Grazie, cos it made it easier LOL
> 
> I'm a great fan of 'normal' names myself - Sarah, Elizabeth, Anne, Jane, Victoria, Suzanne, Frederick, William, Richard, Andrew, David, John, Peter, Paul and of course Mary LOL


You missed out George, Susan and Janet which would include the first and second names of my brother, sisters and me.

My sisters gave me my name when I was born and on the whole I quite like it (although being a 'manly rock' doesn't quite fit my description!).

But, to answer the original post. I like Elsie.

Andy Peter


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## Stitch147 (Apr 28, 2016)

I like Elsie too.

There was a tradition in our family to name children after grandfathers, for just over 200 years there wasnt a girl born into our family so it worked well! Then bam, me and my sister came along. But the tradition remained. My sisters middle name is Georgina after our maternal grandfather George and my real name is Donna after our paternal grandfather Donald.


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