Well, duh

[karohemd]

Traditional names are dying out (BBC News)

It's just a sign of the times, changing fashions and all that. There are popular names in every generation (mine was very common in my age group) and there will always be some that are considered old-fashioned.
Of the English names on this dying out list, I know one Norman and none of the female names. To be honest, I can't imagine a young girl with the name Gertrude or Edna.

Is it sad that names are dying out? Yes, but I'm sure they'll come round again.
People should be more concerned about silly names like "Number 16 bus shelter".

Comments

[sea-cucumber.livejournal.com]

I could not stop laughing throughout that news article you linked to (with number 16 Bus Shelter in)! :D Some of the comments below are funny too :)

[von-geisterhand.livejournal.com]

Or you move to Sweden, where you can call your child "Metallica" or "Budweiser". ;-)
http://www.spiegel.de/panorama/0,1518,571674,00.html (German)

[sarahloo.livejournal.com]

I like the comments on the 2nd article.
In case I ever have an accidental baby, I have plenty of girls names planned, but I can't think of a single boys name that I like!

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

Mm, all those names they cite have already been pretty much obsolete for decades.

One of the slightly depressing aspects about delivering leaflets to Labour supporters around our neighbourhood is that most of them have names like Edna, Agnes, Norman etc -- basically the generation that were young during the great Labour welfare reforms of the 40s and 50s -- and this leads to the suspicion that in 20 years or so there may not be many supporters left.

It's not clear though why eg. Edna and Getrude sound hopelessly old now -- while say Iris and Pearl, which were of the same vintage, could easily come back into popularity (and may have already).

[shannachie.livejournal.com]

In ermany, oldfashioned, traditional names you would have sued your parents for some time ago, are completely en vogue again.

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Herbert, Hermann, Magnus, Friedrich, Hans? (alles Namen aus meiner Großelterngeneration)

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Any accidental kid of mine is getting Oberon. Berry for short.

Actually, terminated, but if it doesn't work, Oberon.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Edna and Gertrude sound silly - there is a famous drag queen called Edna, and Gertrude shortens to [giggling] Gertie, which is just silly. See also Gwendoline. Iris and Pearl are actually quite pretty names, and haven't been given to anybody who would e.g. make your daughter's partners years in the future see images of famous people who put him/her completely off sex.

[kizzie.livejournal.com]

I have a nephew called Harry! I also know two Irenes :)

[mrph.livejournal.com]

Mum's an Edna. One of her sisters is Freda, the other one's Patricia and her brother's a David... so it's a bit of a mix between old and new.

[mrph.livejournal.com]

I got Henry/Harry as a middle name - I think Henry's still more popular than Harold, though. Possibly it's the arrow-catching connotations. :)

I know at least one Irene as well.

[pinkapplejam.livejournal.com]

Gwen is a nice name though!

[dreamsewing.livejournal.com]

I come from an old Anglo-Norman family and we've had Simon, Christophe and Hugh in every generation since the 11th century. Really tough on my cousin Hugh who, in modern French pronounciation sounds like "Ugh".