Names that age well

kaitde

Ever since meeting a Grandma named Summer, "names that age well" have been stuck in my head. I've come to the conclusion that it is easier for a boy's name to age ie: Michael, Wyatt, Jacob. (Except the obvious Jadynn and Braedin). I've been trying to come up with a  list of girls names from the 2008 top 100 list, that age well.

Elizabeth

Samantha

Lauren

Kimberly

Anna

Allison

Emma

Mia

What am I missing? What are the names that are only okay for babies-14 year olds?

ashleycharee

I've never met anyone who said that their name didn't age well.  Do people seriously think about those things?  The Aidens/Jaydens that are all toddlers now will all be growing up together, so the name will age with them.  Someday their grandchildren might think of those names as "old man names" just like you think of them as baby names now.

starsmaycollide

I am a Lauren, so I appreciate that

Ones I feel are "little girly" often?end in 'ie'- like Kylie, Caylie, ?Gracie, ?Josie, Kenzie. (Also Miley, though it's spelled with the y)

I also feel this way about Caitlin . It is not a bad name at all, it just sounds like a little girl to me for some reason.?

?

franciscaz

I think most names "age well".  After all I have Lucy friends and Chloe friends etc. and I don't think "old lady in a young name".  Do you mean professionally, like future CEO, or not trendy?

 Profesionally my main thing is avoid nicknames as main names.  You don't want Katy Smith on the top of a resume... you want Kathleen.  It makes the candidate more serious.

As for trendy it isn't a big deal but it is NMS.  Ava, Makayla and Braelyn today will be last generations Kimberly, Janet and Jenifer and the Susans, Bridget and Peggys of our parents generations.  I don't think career wise it will hurt them at all.  Especially b/c it is so popular.

NikiT

DH's name is Braeden....he's 35 and had the name long before it became popular, so IMO it ages well.  Jayden/Brayden/Cayden are just the new Brian, Kevin and Steven.  I think those names will age fine.  Like you mentioned, it's the girl's names that will be more difficult for them. 

To me, Kaylee is a really babyish sounding (and looking) name.  I also think Kylie and Trinity are a bit too cutesy for grown women.  Surprisingly I wouldn't include Nevaeh.  Despite the silly meaning, the name itself doesn't sound overly childish. 

juniper19

Well, won't all the popular "old-lady" names age well?  We're already used to old people named Sadie and Ruby and Audrey.

soon-to-beamrs

I also think all names age well.  I can't envision an old lady named Allison or Jennifer but there will be tons of them when I'm that age so they will probably be considered "old lady" names at that time.  Also, I'm surprised how many people in their 30s still go by Ali or Nikki or some other nickname.  I would have thought they were babyish nicknames a few years ago but since there are so many now, it seems pretty normal.

YankeePeach

Kimberly ages well?  I can't really picture a grandma named Kimberly...

Anyway I think this is what middle names, etc are good for.  I love the name Kenzie for a girl, but her middle name will be Kate and if she wants to go by that, well that's fine.

My name is Ashley and I can't really picture a grandma named Ashley but some day- probably in another 30-40 years, there are gonna be a LOT of grandmas named Ashley.  And Nichole and Jennifer and Jessica and Christina...

 At one point Ethel and Marjorie were crazy edgy names, too.
 

rengal1

starsmaycollide:

I am a Lauren, so I appreciate that

 

Ditto!!

squeakerabudhbabi

ashleycharee:

I've never met anyone who said that their name didn't age well.  Do people seriously think about those things?  The Aidens/Jaydens that are all toddlers now will all be growing up together, so the name will age with them.  Someday their grandchildren might think of those names as "old man names" just like you think of them as baby names now.

This, EXACTLY!

jebuell

Yeah, I don't get the big deal here.  I actually think babies with "old" names will have more of an issue.  I think a name will age with the person unless you name them something like "Baby".  But a newborn with the name Ethel may encounter some issues right now early on in life. 

lovesazzie

YankeePeach:

Kimberly ages well?  I can't really picture a grandma named Kimberly...

Anyway I think this is what middle names, etc are good for.  I love the name Kenzie for a girl, but her middle name will be Kate and if she wants to go by that, well that's fine.

My name is Ashley and I can't really picture a grandma named Ashley but some day- probably in another 30-40 years, there are gonna be a LOT of grandmas named Ashley.  And Nichole and Jennifer and Jessica and Christina...

 At one point Ethel and Marjorie were crazy edgy names, too.
 

Kimberly is my MIL so I will know a grandma Kimberly in September! It definitely does seem like too young of a name to be a grandma though.

My name is Samantha so happy to see that on the aging well list. I would definitely put names that sound like baby talk on the not age well list (such as Kaylee)

foundmylazybum

You are naming a person not cheese.?

Aligator28

soon-to-beamrs:

I also think all names age well.  I can't envision an old lady named Allison or Jennifer but there will be tons of them when I'm that age so they will probably be considered "old lady" names at that time.  Also, I'm surprised how many people in their 30s still go by Ali or Nikki or some other nickname.  I would have thought they were babyish nicknames a few years ago but since there are so many now, it seems pretty normal.

I am an Ali, and I love my name. It is a nickname for Alicia, and I hate the name Alicia. I have always gone by Ali, and I think it has "aged" well. 

I think most names age well because that is what the person grows up with, and that's how everyone knows that person. 

KappaUCF20

ashleycharee:

I've never met anyone who said that their name didn't age well.  Do people seriously think about those things?  The Aidens/Jaydens that are all toddlers now will all be growing up together, so the name will age with them.  Someday their grandchildren might think of those names as "old man names" just like you think of them as baby names now.

I agree.  I think this is yet another issue that some parents are overanalyzing.  Whether or not a name will age well is totally subjective anyway.  One of the posters above thinks Caitlin sounds too much like a little girl even though it's an Irish Gaelic name that's been around for centuries (if you go to Ireland, you'll see lots of elderly women named Caitlin... the famous poet Dylan Thomas' wife comes to mind).  I can understand not wanting to use names that sound made up or KrEEaTif spellings, but I don't think people should lose sleep over this one.  I'm LOLing about the cheese comment.

YankeePeach

foundmylazybum:

You are naming a person not cheese.

 

L. O. L. 

Eviebee

ashleycharee:

I've never met anyone who said that their name didn't age well.  Do people seriously think about those things?  The Aidens/Jaydens that are all toddlers now will all be growing up together, so the name will age with them.  Someday their grandchildren might think of those names as "old man names" just like you think of them as baby names now.

 This.  

KLSC04

Of course people think about how the name they choose for their child will sound at 1, 15, 30 and 80. Who doesn't think of this? If you aren't considering things like how the name will sound at different points in a person's life, what is your criteria for naming your baby?

groovygrl

Ditto everyone who said the popular names now will sound fine later b/c there will be so many of them, just like our own generation's names.

I am not really a fan of the nickname-y names as first names either (the ones ending in ey or ie) because I feel like they don't give the child an option when they're older if they want to be called by a full name or nickname. Alicia (above) prefers Ali but she has the choice to go by either one- I have a friend who is Alison & goes by Ali with friends but professionally as Alison, I think it is good that she has the option. ?

loumertes

*francisca*:

 Profesionally my main thing is avoid nicknames as main names.  You don't want Katy Smith on the top of a resume... you want Kathleen.  It makes the candidate more serious.

I did all the hiring at my old job - and never never never did I say "well, her name is Katy - not Katherine so I'm not hiring her."  I looked at 50 resumes or more a week, and never even considered some names more serious than others. It's their name, it has no bearing on what they have accomplished. 

cupcake_queen

I agree with all the p.p about all names age well. Everyone gets old at some point!

newportbride715

Until a generation ages, those names (that became popular within that generation) do not sound like they will age well. I'm sure at one point, Diane, Carol, Deborah, Karen, Linda, Donna, Susan, etc... all sounded like kids' names, (Baby Boomers) but now they are all steadily aging. It just happens.

brookelynpaisley

I don't think they all do, unfortunately. I personally think names like Kaylee and Kylie sound very young and more suited for children. Maybe that's perception because the Kylies of the world aren't yet adults, but I still think it just sounds juvenile. People clearly aren't thinking it through and considering that their daughter will someday be Grandma Bailey.

karelaorange

I don't agree that all names age well, but I think it's more of a concern earlier in life, when you enter the professional world, than when you enter the elderly grandparent world.  To answer the original poster, I think a lot of names that pop in literature and history age well, because they won't be going anywhere.  Names like Elizabeth, Mary, Jane, etc.

KaliChick

YankeePeach:

Kimberly ages well?  I can't really picture a grandma named Kimberly...

Anyway I think this is what middle names, etc are good for.  I love the name Kenzie for a girl, but her middle name will be Kate and if she wants to go by that, well that's fine.

My name is Ashley and I can't really picture a grandma named Ashley but some day- probably in another 30-40 years, there are gonna be a LOT of grandmas named Ashley.  And Nichole and Jennifer and Jessica and Christina...

 At one point Ethel and Marjorie were crazy edgy names, too.
 

Hmph! I'm a Kimberly (although I go by Kim) and I think it will age just fine.  Then again, I've never really thought about being a Grandmother named Kimberly! hahah  I'm in my 30s though and I don't think of it as a "baby" name ...never really have.  I don't go by Kimmy (although I do know a few that call me that) and never have ... that to me is baby.

I agree that I can't imagine the Kylie/Riley's of the world being adults but I think it wil be just like the Kimberly/Jennifer/Amy's of mine and the Carol/Barbara/Suan's of my moms.

KappaUCF20

Well I guess if you're overly paranoid about whether a name ages well (which is ridiculous IMO), then you should probably just stick to the old lady names like Ethel and Mildred lol.