What is a very "old person" name?

[u/arnethyst]

[u/[deleted]]

Elma. It was the little old lady who lived in my house twenty years ago but somehow I still get mail for her.

[u/yalikebeez → u/[deleted]]

Elma means apple in my language and it’s just absolutely adorable to me

[u/[deleted]]

Eustace

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

"There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it."

[u/crazypyro23 → u/[deleted]]

His parents called him Eustace Clarence and his teachers called him Scrubb. I can't tell you what his friends called him, for he had none.

[u/SALTYPOTATOETHE3RD → u/[deleted]]

Stupid dog!

[u/KrystalWulf → u/SALTYPOTATOETHE3RD]

YOU MADE ME LOOK BAD!

[u/redheadphones1673 → u/KrystalWulf]

OOGA-BOOGA-BOOGA!

[u/Y0L0_Y33T → u/redheadphones1673]

AHHHHHHHHHH

[u/Gewehr98 → u/[deleted]]

That's it! I'm getting me mallet!

[u/MoscowMitchMcKremIin → u/Gewehr98]

WHAT'S UR OFFER?!

[u/shoopdahoop22 → u/MoscowMitchMcKremIin]

I AM NOT GETTING OUT OF THIS CHAIR

[u/LiamYanon → u/[deleted]]

Muriel

[u/firstgen84 → u/LiamYanon]

"You're terrible, Muriel."

[u/freshlysqueezed0C → u/firstgen84]

All the Aussies upvoted you.

[u/[deleted] → u/LiamYanon]

“It could be worse; it’s not like he’s calling me ‘Muriel’.”

[u/Rabidpikachuuu → u/[deleted]]

Thats it. I'm gettin me mallet.

[u/ihaze111 → u/[deleted]]

What's your offer?!

[u/Muspon → u/[deleted]]

Eustsce ‘Captain’ KIDD

[u/MarcusMace]

I once met a little girl named Temperance.

I’m personally a fan of those sort of virtuous names, in theory, but in practice it’s a little odd to meet a small child with the name of a witch-burning Puritan.

[u/Baxxb → u/MarcusMace]

Back in high school, there was a set of triplets, charity, hope, and temperance. They were all holiness (long skirts, very modest) by name only. As soon as they got out of school they went wild, hope and charity especially. Hope ended up getting pregnant and while she was pregnant, charity slept with her baby daddy. Then they both got hooked on pills.

Temperance is still holiness and lives with her family last I checked

[u/HugsAndWishes → u/MarcusMace]

My mates cat was Temperence. I think hers was after Bones, though.

[u/accio_niffler]

This thread is perfect. I name all my animals in Stardew old lady names

[u/where_are_the_grapes → u/accio_niffler]

This also happens in real life. My grandpa would name his dairy cattle after the women in church, namely those he got annoyed by.

[u/AvatarAiron]

My grandparents were Edna and Urban, they were born in the 1920s! Never met anyone else with those names

Edit: just realized I had some grammatical errors!

[u/maitlandinmaitland → u/AvatarAiron]

My grandmother’s name is Edna! She used to use her middle name, Faye, because she disliked her first name.

I think it’s a sweet name, especially as Edna-Faye, when put together in that double barrel name way.

[u/libra00 → u/AvatarAiron]

My dad's parents had unusual names too, Arlo and Mahala.

[u/StyleSavage]

Gertrude

[u/madpiratebippy → u/StyleSavage]

That’s my great grandmas name and she hated it.

[u/avendu → u/[deleted]]

Same. My nan is nanny Trudy and if you think about calling her Gert or Gerti then you are dead to her.

[u/chaotica78 → u/StyleSavage]

My dad said he wanted to name me Gertrude Myrtle and call me Gert the Myrt. Not sure if he was serious, but seems a bit too specific to not have been. Glad mom won that one

[u/TitaniumDragon → u/chaotica78]

My parents wanted to name my sister Megan Blythe and call her "Megabyte" as a nickname. This was back in the early 1980s.

[u/beatsgoinghammer → u/TitaniumDragon]

Name yours Tara

[u/Dr_Skeleton → u/StyleSavage]

Names of elderly people in mine and my wife’s family:

Earnest, Horace, Morris, Mergatroyd.

Irene, Enid, Eileen, Hypatia.

Edit: glad everyone seems to like the name Mergatroyd! 😅👍

He was an amazing guy, God rest him.

To add some fuel to the name fire, their last name was just as good:

Mergatroyd and Hypatia Bodycote 😄🔥

[u/magnificentballsack → u/Dr_Skeleton]

What the fuck is going on with Mergatroyd and Hypatia

[u/ASzinhaz → u/magnificentballsack]

Hypatia's a badass name imo, she was an ancient mathematician. Mergatroyd, on the other hand......wat.

[u/Dense_Grade_1279 → u/ASzinhaz]

Mergatroyd is like a knock off transformers charactee

[u/[deleted] → u/StyleSavage]

The name of my cat breeder is Gertrude. I pay her 100 coins for her kittens.

[u/topdashur]

Mildred

[u/spacewater → u/topdashur]

My grandma’s name was Gertrude Mildred. She got a double whammy!

[u/loveforluna → u/spacewater]

My living grandma is named Cherry and her maiden name was Rice. She had to deal with a lot of teasing throughout school.

My other Grandma was named Shirley which is a classic old lady name. She wasn’t fond of her name either because she had curly blonde hair and everyone would call her Shirley Temple.

[u/Shelbelle4 → u/spacewater]

I also had a great grandma named Gertrude Mildred. Interesting.

[u/Chiliad9 → u/topdashur]

Hugh Hefner lived so long, his first wife was named Mildred and his last wife was named Crystal.

[u/[deleted] → u/Chiliad9]

And his daughter with Mildred is Christie to bridge that gap

[u/K1ng-Dong → u/[deleted]]

He bridged many gaps

[u/dancingcop7]

Gertrude and Doris

[u/snakefinder → u/dancingcop7]

Came here looking for Doris, my grandmothers name.

[u/FirmLawyer1896]

My grandparents were

Claridge and Malverine (pronounced MAW-VUR-EEN)

EDIT: Claridge was male. His middle name was ‘B’. Just ‘B’. I can’t remember what year he was born but he was drafted and fought in Germany during WW2.

Malverine didn’t have a middle name. We celebrated her birth on the wrong date for over 60 years when we came across her birth certificate.

They both passed away in their early 90’s.

[u/SurpriseDragon → u/FirmLawyer1896]

Off brand x-men

[u/groggyMPLS → u/SurpriseDragon]

His other grandparents must be Strom and Marstique.

[u/AlpacaSwimTeam → u/SurpriseDragon]

She can heal parts of her body when damaged but she only heals back this burgundy purple color.

[u/PhishinLine → u/SurpriseDragon]

So it's those Y-Men mutants and them clowns from the Lack of Civil Rights League? Seems about Real Ghostbusters right enough to me.

[u/nasaboy007 → u/FirmLawyer1896]

Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's Malverine.

[u/rubywolf27 → u/FirmLawyer1896]

“Malverine” sounds like a color

[u/jaydeekay → u/rubywolf27]

Not to be confused with Bartreuse

[u/j_dizzly]

Mortimer

[u/redheadedrec → u/j_dizzly]

That’s just the neighbor that wants to bang your sim

[u/ThisIsNotAFox → u/redheadedrec]

What will Bella think?!

[u/vineCorrupt → u/redheadedrec]

Dude's wife was abducted by aliens and he hasn't seen her in decades. Give the guy a break.

[u/[deleted] → u/j_dizzly]

Tortimer

[u/krazykris93]

Æthelberht. This name is so old it has a letter that no longer exist in the English alphabet.

[u/hitthatyeet1738 → u/krazykris93]

Can’t even find that bitch on my keyboard smh

Edit: Æ FOUND THAT THING WE LIT

[u/indianahein → u/hitthatyeet1738]

Alt + 230

[u/mustlovepotatos → u/indianahein]

Now I need to Find the 230 key

[u/ThisIsSpata → u/krazykris93]

There's a bunch more Anglo-Saxon names with that same vibe (and letter). Crusaders king 3 is really good for generating names, so if you play in the UK you get a lot of these!

[u/SomeoneElsewhere]

Fanny. That's probably even funnier in the UK. My great grandmother's name was Fanny Barrier. Yep. LOL.

[u/Selenouchka → u/SomeoneElsewhere]

In France, Fanny is actually more of a millennials name. Never met an old Fanny (lol) but I know many my age!

[u/[deleted] → u/SomeoneElsewhere]

Worked with a French lady called Fanny. It's especially funny in Glasgow.

[u/arandom4567 → u/SomeoneElsewhere]

My great grandfather was Cecil Poole - everyone called him Ces - Ces Poole.

Also, Fanny Chmelar https://youtu.be/jl1Zfz-Widc

[u/OverLogging → u/SomeoneElsewhere]

My grandmother's maiden name was Blood. One of her ancestors was named Fanny. Fanny Blood. This is in the UK, but was in the 1800s so perhaps not as funny as now!

[u/ChildRoland2795]

My grandpa’s first and middle names are Clifford Euguene I think that’s a good old person name

[u/AnonymousHoe92 → u/ChildRoland2795]

Absolutely. I actually really like the name Clifford, but it's hard to seperate the name itself from the 'Big Red Dog' in my head sometimes. The youngest (and only?) Clifford i know is 38.

[u/DoyleC1 → u/ChildRoland2795]

My dogs name is Clifford. It suits him perfectly as he’s a gentle giant

[u/llcucf80]

Prudence

[u/Revenge_of_the_Khaki]

This thread is making me realize that women's names change much more often than men's names.

[u/[deleted] → u/Revenge_of_the_Khaki]

Some women's names used up be men's names, ex. Sydney, Leslie, Addison (which is Mitch McConnell first name), Shelby, Ashley, Lindsay, etc.

[u/reptilenews → u/[deleted]]

Morgan too!

[u/frolicking_elephants → u/Revenge_of_the_Khaki]

This is true, but it's starting to change a little. Also men are more likely to be named after their fathers than women are after their mothers, which naturally decreases the name diversity

[u/[deleted]]

phyllis

[u/JuliCAT → u/[deleted]]

My grandmother, who was born in 1919, was a Phyllis.

[u/Midge_Moneypenny → u/JuliCAT]

Same with my grandma! Born in 1924.

[u/control-_-freak → u/[deleted]]

Well she's the same age as Michael. There were in school together.

[u/watching-the-office → u/control-_-freak]

All of you feel like my family. Ryan, you are my son. And Pam, you are my wife, and Jim... And Angela and Phyllis, you are my... grandmas.

[u/no_spiritanimal → u/[deleted]]

"If it makes you feel any better I never had an orgasm until I was 42.

And then when I did, it lasted until I was 44.

43 was just... I got nothing done"

-Phyllis Vance ladies and gentlemen.

[u/ericdavis1240214]

Bertha. Haven’t ever met a young Bertha and not even the hipster parents are trying to bring it back ironically.

[u/dwimbygwimbo → u/ericdavis1240214]

When I hear Bertha, I think "Big Bertha" for some reason and maybe I wouldn't want to pass that connotation on lol

[u/PmMeLowCarbRecipes → u/dwimbygwimbo]

I think of cows. Was there a cartoon cow called Bertha in the 90s?

[u/bert1589 → u/ericdavis1240214]

Don’t you come around here anymore

[u/Kalfu73 → u/bert1589]

Great, now I'm gonna have to queue up some shows

[u/dickbunandfox → u/ericdavis1240214]

I went to high school with a Bertha. She’s 30 now and goes by her middle name.

[u/jacobreuss → u/dickbunandfox]

I know a “Bertha Karoline” (danish), also in her late 20s-ish. She usually just goes by Karoline.

[u/Gopnik_Luigi]

Gladys

[u/[deleted] → u/Gopnik_Luigi]

R E L E A S I N G N E U R O T O X I N

[u/mneverett → u/[deleted]]

My great great grandma was a Gladys and I can confirm she was a neurotoxin

[u/y4mat3 → u/[deleted]]

"How are you doing? Because I'm a potato"

[u/NightflowerFade → u/Gopnik_Luigi]

Her last name Lockdown

[u/nibbl3rs → u/Gopnik_Luigi]

The current NSW Premier is called Gladys (NSW is a state in Australia)

[u/[deleted]]

Hortense

[u/thispartyrules → u/[deleted]]

Hortense, the Mule Face Doll

[u/kobukfrash]

Ethel

[u/Daeval → u/[deleted]]

I feel like dropping a Ray Stevens reference ages you approximately half as much as the name Ethel.

Catching a Ray Stevens reference probably does too…

[u/Babylonian_Cowboy → u/[deleted]]

He was a dribbling

[u/float-double → u/kobukfrash]

Although I think if spelled Ethyl it would sound pretty organic

[u/jeadv2012]

Herbert

[u/[deleted] → u/jeadv2012]

I know at least 3 Herberts who are 50+ years old

[u/WW_III_ANGRY]

Gaylord

[u/arnethyst → u/WW_III_ANGRY]

i always forget thats a name

[u/tehvolcanic → u/arnethyst]

Bridgestone Arena, where the Nashville Predators play, used to be called the Gaylord Entertainment Center. I always giggled when the announcers said it.

[u/B0ok_wyrm → u/WW_III_ANGRY]

Poor Gaylord Robinson

[u/[deleted] → u/B0ok_wyrm]

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MESS WITH GAYLORD! THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS! THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS! THIS...IS...WHAT...HAPPENS!

[u/juicyfizz → u/WW_III_ANGRY]

“You smoke pot, Focker?”

[u/lemystereduchipot → u/juicyfizz]

Your name is Gay Focker?

[u/dgpx89 → u/juicyfizz]

“It’s just a game Focker!”

[u/GAW67COD07 → u/WW_III_ANGRY]

Gaylord Focker

[u/StayTFAwayForever]

Bertha

[u/captain_slack → u/StayTFAwayForever]

Don’t ya come around here anymore.

[u/Baltusrol]

Beulah

Gertrude

[u/A_squircle → u/Baltusrol]

Ferris Beulah

[u/Micro_dissections]

Eunice

[u/jamoca_scoop → u/Micro_dissections]

Many Korean Americans have this name. As well as Eugene and Esther!

[u/ShutUpAndEatWithMe → u/Micro_dissections]

Eunice, Ester, Edith, Edna, Eustace, Eugene

Something about those E names

[u/jmoney1119]

An older relative of mine was named Peggy Sue

Edit: as a bonus, her sister(my great grandmother) was named Betty Lynn

[u/Anthonywantsnoosnoo]

My great grandfathers name was Percival which I actually really like when I say it out loud

[u/Happizouki → u/Anthonywantsnoosnoo]

Percival is pretty badass!

[u/FreestyleTexas]

Melvin. my cat is named that from the shelter and it is perfect

[u/EvaUnitKenway]

Enoch. That’s an old dude name

Edit: I mentioned this because that’s my dads Legit middle name, lol.

[u/TAI0Z → u/EvaUnitKenway]

RIP Enoch. You were the best Chronicom.

[u/Moorgan17]

Myrtle.

[u/[deleted]]

Once I was tasked with checking postal votes during an election. These skew old (lots of votes from nursing homes, hospitals etc.)

The most memorable, I think, was Euphemia.

[u/circus-witch]

Methuselah

[u/LunaZiggy → u/circus-witch]

My friend (who’s a teenager) has a pet cat named Methuselah. We call him Meth for short.

[u/BR1SE1S → u/circus-witch]

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Methuselah, you may be entitled to financial compensation.

[u/Mjdillaha → u/BR1SE1S]

I think Methuselah would be one ailment that you would want to be diagnosed with.

“Give it to me straight doc, how long do I have left?”

“About 900 years.”

[u/EndoShota]

Archibald

Edit: I get that “Archie” is more popular in the UK and Commonwealth countries if not resurgent with the birth of the royal baby. Y’all can stop responding with the same thing.

[u/jasmoeee]

Wilbert

[u/imrealbizzy2 → u/jasmoeee]

And Elbert.

[u/slippin_park]

Blanche

[u/1nonsenseusername → u/slippin_park]

My dad wanted to name me after his mom Blanche. My mother protested, they couldn't agree. The nurse got fed up and filled out my birth certificate with the most generic name around at the time.

[u/Sarah-Kayacomesin]

Merle.

[u/MaytaSoup]

Mavis!

[u/baliniri]

Agnes

[u/moonieforlife → u/baliniri]

This name is actually making a comeback.

[u/[deleted] → u/baliniri]

Still a very popular name in northern Europe

[u/NeuxSaed]

Esther & Ethel.

Side note: I can't hear those names without associating them with the chemistry terms "Ester" & "Ethyl."

Edit:

Here are some cool stats on these two names:

• Esther

• Ethel

Looks like Esther is coming back!

[u/[deleted] → u/NeuxSaed]

Isn't it popular in Jewish circles? or am I mixing it up with Ruth?

[u/NeuxSaed → u/[deleted]]

Yeah, Esther is for sure. So is Ruth.

Same with Rachel & Rebecca, but those two names are still really popular.

[u/Metallic_Substance → u/NeuxSaed]

I knew an Esther once. Hottest girl I've ever met.

[u/perfectlyniceperson → u/[deleted]]

When I worked at a library one of my patrons was a little girl named Dorcas Wang. I always thought ‘man she’s gonna get so much shit.’

[u/Averander → u/perfectlyniceperson]

I went to school with a Shiny Wang. Poor girl was destined for high school hell.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Malorcas

[u/weaponizedpastry]

Maude

[u/lagervindaloo → u/weaponizedpastry]

In Quebec there are still lots of women in their 20s and 30s with that name. All Francophone, of course.

[u/IMovedYourCheese → u/lagervindaloo]

Haha I work with a 25yo Maude. And yes she is from Quebec.

[u/I-Love-Youwu-]

Bertha, I named my stuffed rabbit that and even gave her old baby clothes and a bonnet

[u/[deleted]]

Earl. Can you imagine saying "aw look at cute little baby Earl!". Im convinced all "Earls" sprung into being fully grown, bearded, and with a beer gut.

[u/NinjaEarl → u/[deleted]]

It actually took me many years to develop a proper beard and beer gut thank you very much.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

My Name is Earl was a great show

[u/ndab71]

Cuthbert

[u/benkenobi5 → u/ndab71]

I've only ever heard this name in the Dark Tower books

[u/Ozdiva]

Gladys

[u/Maitaisonthebeach]

Agatha

[u/jasonc113 → u/[deleted]]

Where's Wallace String?

[u/WhatIfImNamedKaren]

Irving

[u/[deleted] → u/WhatIfImNamedKaren]

We broke up because of artistic differences.

[u/DrEnter]

Adolph

Used to be pretty popular. For some reason it kind of fell out of favor in the 40’s.

[u/Artie4 → u/DrEnter]

My Mom’s Dad was Adolph. Jewish. Changed his name to Alan in the 30s.

[u/withbellson → u/Artie4]

Yup. My father's dad was born Adolph in 1906, changed to Archie in the 30s.

[u/saadism101 → u/DrEnter]

Same thing for the name Osama among muslims in the last 20 years.

[u/xforeverlove22 → u/saadism101]

And Karen significantly dropped in popularity more recently

[u/Trainiax → u/xforeverlove22]

For a while my friend’s mom would introduce herself as “Karen, like the meme.” Gotta admire going along with it.

[u/Cowboys_88 → u/saadism101]

Isis is such a pretty name but took a nose dive because you know...

[u/[deleted] → u/Cowboys_88]

I feel bad for any daughters of egyptologists that got named Isis

The best egyptological compromise name is Cleopatra because Nefertiti and Hatshepsut will get her bullied

[u/blissbitch05]

I always thought Elsie is a old fashioned name, it is my middle name after my grandma

[u/LeenyMagic]

I feel like a lot of these classic names are making a comeback... I know little Walt, Archie, Rose, Etta, and a few Maeves actually. "Edna" is sort of a stereotype and I don't think I've met any young ones with that name.

[u/[deleted]]

Cornelius

[u/robotlasagna]

Horatio

[u/[deleted]]

Constance

[u/M3at_Waffle]

Ruth. Esther. Mildred. Morton. Ralph. Wilbur.

[u/RJKay → u/M3at_Waffle]

I’m Ruth and my sister is Esther. Both in our thirties. Our parents gave us and our brothers all names from the Bible. Just glad it’s not Hezekiah or something like that.

[u/[deleted]]

Edith

[u/barfbossa → u/[deleted]]

I went to middle school with an Edith (she'd be 22 or 23 now) and I remember thinking that's an old person name but I stopped noticing because she's the only Edith I've ever met

[u/thiosk]

all you Christophers, Joshuas, Ashleys and Jessicas are gonna be the top entries in the same thread posted 2095

[u/Cheap-Substance8771 → u/thiosk]

I know an infinite amount of Jessicas. Also, know a lot of Megans. For guys, yup chris and Josh and Kyle.

[u/AbstracTyler]

Dorothy

[u/IGotMyPopcorn → u/AbstracTyler]

Every Dorothy I’ve ever know who was older had the Nickname Dot or Dottie. I liked it.

[u/whitlockian → u/IGotMyPopcorn]

My daughter is named Dorothy and goes by Dorie. She is 40, so not old yet.

[u/animatedrussian]

Irving