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.
Agnes, Agatha, Jermaine and Jack.
Ruth. You rarely meet Ruths these days.
Eustace
Everett
True…
Agamemnon
Doesn’t get more classic than that
Dutch names.
Truitje Fiep Toos Wies (my grandma) Pleun Fons (my uncle) pronounced Funs in South Limburg
A very old-fashioned Flemish name: Veerle. One of the few bad-ass girl names in the Dutch language. It is derived from medieval times, when ‘Veerlen’ were travelling warrior women. I do happen to know several men named Fons, some even younger than me. I even know a man named Wies (his full name is Aloysius).
Veerle is a beautiful name, rolls of the tongue. if I had a daughter I would liked to have her called Veerle. My Grandma is from a respected French family, I am not sure how she got named Wies, she is a descendant from the well known French Moreau family, married a mine worker, so rejected.
I think Millicent and Winnifred would be cute because you can shorten them to Millie and Winnie
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”.
Perhaps not as old as requested but
Ronald, Marianne, Cynthia, Evangeline, Melinda, Caesar, Magdalena, Betty, Rosetta, Balthazar, Thadeus, Lazarus, Otto, Bartholomew, Miranda
I went to school with most of the names on that list. Not picking on you, just feeling old. 😆
Thaddeus
Roland always sounded cool.to ne.
Tamsen
I know a 10-year-old Agnes! And also a 40s/50s-ish Agnes (I can’t guess adult ages well).
Maybe it’s regional, then?
The only (non-fictional) Agnes I can recall is Agnes Moorehead from Bewitched. Guess it hasn’t been a popular name around me for some time.
Probably not Adolf.
How about Gaylord?
Definitely not Adolf lol
Re: Gaylord (and my 4th 30 rock reference in this post)
Evelyn as a man’s name, if you want to be really old school.
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
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
