"Old Lady" Names

jolynn326

I was just flipping through one of my cookbooks and thought I would share the names of the ladies who submitted the recipes. Many of these ladies have since passed (likely born before the 1940s). The cookbook is from the very small farming community I grew up in (eastern CO/western KS) and was put together in 1985. Some of the names are discussed often on this board, but others are much more unique! Any you like? Enjoy!

Marge

Fern

Muriel

Debra

Sharon

Millie

Nellyne

Cheri

Jayne

Mary

Kay

Kim

Gayla

Enid

Wanda

Phyllis

Dixie

Bernice

Alice

Ethel

Judy

Hazel

Darla

Edith

Wynona

Sherell

Ann

Evelyn

Fern

Eva Lee

Brenda

Lois

Wilma

Juanita

Maxine

Shirley

Marcelle

Lorraine

Rhua

Zenaide

Anita

Doris

Twila

Rosallie

Edna

Dulcia

Marie

Glendoris

Glenda

Ivalee

June

Mildred

Viola

Nancy

Mary Lou (Louise)

Bea

Esther

Lorinda

Virginia

Gwen

Lena

Bettie

Lanore 

Lorene

Marilyn

Leah

Joyce

Ivy

Freda

Tressie

Gretchen

Blanche

Ormal

Opal

Gladys

Olive

Naomi

Leona

Lola

Verna Mae 

 

 

 

led2009

Mildred and Fern are my grandmas names so those stood out to me. I've got 2 girls and never considered using them. My grandma Fern hates her name and to me both are to old lady. I like some old lady names but not the extreme ones.

alliejo725

I think this proves that people weren't doing better with names "back in the day".

Sure, there are some classic names. And some revived, "vintage-y" favorites that are now hip because they're quaint. But there's also a lot of bad names, and a lot of flash-in-the-pan, trendy-at-the-time names.

rp-chicago-mom

I have about the same number of Love, hate and mehs as I do with name lists from today! But then I think of cute old ladies with some of those names but could never name a child that.

Fern always makes me think of Charlotte's web.

jupiterthecat

Some that I love or like a lot:

Millie

Enid (reminds me of Sweet Valley High, though)

Alice

Hazel

Lois (maybe)

June

Viola

Esther

Lena 

Lenore (if I hadn't been committed to using a family MN, I might have used this one-- it works so well with many FNs) 

 

Some that could grow on me (give them a few more years to cook, and they'll end up with a cool vintage quality):

Nancy

Twila 

Freda

Judy

Opal

 

I cannot imagine ever thinking these are pretty:

Fern (sorry)

Marge

Phyliss

Bernice

Verna Mae

Dixie (you'd have to be super Southern) 

 

DawnJM25

LOVE Rosalie, but DH doesn't like it at all.

CiderWench

alliejo725:

I think this proves that people weren't doing better with names "back in the day".

Sure, there are some classic names. And some revived, "vintage-y" favorites that are now hip because they're quaint. But there's also a lot of bad names, and a lot of flash-in-the-pan, trendy-at-the-time names.

Agreed!

groovygirl858

alliejo725:

I think this proves that people weren't doing better with names "back in the day".

Sure, there are some classic names. And some revived, "vintage-y" favorites that are now hip because they're quaint. But there's also a lot of bad names, and a lot of flash-in-the-pan, trendy-at-the-time names.

I agree.

speach13

I absolutely LOVE the name Evelyn! I think it's so gorgeous, and it always reminds me of the movie Pearl Harbor

 One "old lady" name that isn't on this list is Winnie. I really like that name too, although I hate Winifred.

queenbone

I love Fern and Lorraine.  (I'm impressed there were two Ferns!)

Maxine is a guilty pleasure name for me.

There are some serious doozies in there though, Ormal ?!?!

ButternutSquash

Don't like any of those names.

swimiz500

Oh I love these names! Especially Lena Also like Evelyn, Gretchen, and Naomi. 

RedCardinal

My grandma's/great grandma's names were Ethel and Lois so those stood out to me as names that I really don't like. Not because I have a bad association with the people, but I have always disliked those names.

AlabamaMamma224

I like Millie (I'm guessing she was a Millicent?) Lorraine, and Wynona... I love old lady names!  My DD is Josephine....NN Joey

slukd79

alliejo725:

I think this proves that people weren't doing better with names "back in the day".

Sure, there are some classic names. And some revived, "vintage-y" favorites that are now hip because they're quaint. But there's also a lot of bad names, and a lot of flash-in-the-pan, trendy-at-the-time names.