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This is my fist time hearing it as a name and hopefully the last. It just sounds like a deliberate mispronunciation of pretty. Allegra is lovely and underused so it is nice to see it make a comeback. Myrtle is one of the old fashioned, previously considered dowdy names popular among hipsters at the moment.

This message was edited 7/27/2015, 12:01 PM

First thing I thought of was the (awesome, badass) character from The New Avengers, which I personally love, but is unlikely to bring about any bursts in popularity. It's an old show that I think has pretty much been forgotten. Arabella and Allegra in my opinion, are gorgeous names, so their popularity doesn't surprise me. Not too sure about Myrtle, but vintage names are definitely in fashion now.

No idea.

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It sounds like someone from the Deep South saying "pretty". I think it's awful.

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Arabella's been popular for a while now. Can't explain Allegra and Myrtle. I like Arabella and Allegra. Myrtle is ugly, though.

This message was edited 7/26/2015, 8:20 AM

Purdey seems unfortunate.

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I like Arabella. I used to think it was too prim, and that the Arab in it was too strong, until my daughter had an Arabella in her class and it seems really as nice and ordinary as Elizabeth. Annabelle is far more prim and frilly and annoying, than Arabella.

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Allegra is nice as well and I don't care about the allergy medication.

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Myrtle is terminally ugly and I don't get it at all except as a hipster "fungly" thing. I sure wouldn't want to be named a name that sounds like Murdle in my accent and rhymes hurtle, turtle, fertile, curdle, girdle.

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LOL you got a Purdey mouth

It makes me think of the scene in Deliverance where one of the Mountain-men is preparing to assault Jon Voight. Not quite sure why anyone would want to be reminded of that.

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It is ugly as sin. Glad I haven't seen any Purdey's.

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Arabella is a bit frilly for my taste, but it's a nice name. I think it appeals to Isabella fans who wan't something less popular.

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Allegra is beautiful.

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I don't know why anyone would use Myrtle, except for a terribly uncreative turtle.

I've never seen Purdey before. I think it's awful. Isn't "purdy" Southern (as in Southern USA) dialect for "pretty"?

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Arabella sounds like a disease.
I love Allegra.
Myrtle is OK.

Allegra is one of the names I'd use for a child at this rate I'm never gonna have, Arabella is frilly and Myrtle a bit dowdy.

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Purdey is really unattractive to me.

I have never seen Purdey before in my life. Where do you live? Anyways I think it is ugly as sin. I can picture a hillbilly saying "ain't she purdey" when I hear that name. I like Allegra in theory, but it is the name of a kind of medicine (at least in my area) so I wouldn't use it. Arabella is one of my new favorites. It is leagues ahead of Isabella IMO. I just don't like Myrtle, at all.

This message was edited 7/24/2015, 12:45 PM

Purdey? How strange. I can't stand it.

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Arabella is okay, but a bit clunky.
Allegra is alright, you could use some nice nicknames.
Myrtle is my daughter's name, so of course I adore it.

I don't know about Purdey's origins, but I love its bumpkin charm.

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I'm indifferent to Arabella and Allegra, but I adore Myrtle.

Purdey is just weird. How can this name be popular? I don't get it.
It sounds like an adjective, not a name. Isn't "purdy" a slang word for "pretty" or so?

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The others are not my cup of tea neither, maybe except for Allegra. I like its looks and the meaning behind it, but it sounds way too harsh in English. Prefer the Italian/German pronunciation a-LE-grah. And yes, I actually know two Allegras.

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I also know one Arabella. I somehow like its softness, but then again I'm not a fan of those -belle names. It's definitely not a bad name though.

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Myrtle is dated for me. I like its look... somehow mysterious and inapproachable, but also difficult. And I dislike the sound of it... sounds like one big, mumbled syllable.

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I have no idea though why Arabella is getting more popular. Myrtle may experience one of those old name-revivals.

I think it's probably a surname; I had a look at the post below and, as it's a middle, I'm guessing it's a family surname.

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I like Perdita "Perdie".

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I don't think Arabella, Allegra, or Myrtle are becoming popular, they're only being used in narrow circles, I believe.

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According to the 2013 data for the UK, the latest available:

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Arabella is at #157
Allegra is at #772, sharing the spot with 11 other names: Aroush, Eira, Elina, Kaci, Khaleesi, Peggy, Rahma, Ruby-May, Selina, Tori, and Viktoria.
Myrtle is at #3536, which doesn't mean much as it was only used six times.

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I can easily see usage of Arabella having increased in the past year, but less so the other two.

I know an Arabella, probably following Isabella.
Allegra and Myrtle I've only seen in movies/ books.

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Purdey sounds like the nn of Perdita in 101 Dalmations. Your post is the first Purdey I've heard of irl.

It's a surname. It's also, according to Google, apparently:
a) the name of a gun firm who make high-end shotguns
b) a character from a 1970s tv series called 'The New Avengers' played by Joanna Lumley, but it doesn't look like that's been re-run at all, so seems pretty unlikely?

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eta: Arabella's probably riding on the coat-tails of Isabella.

This message was edited 7/24/2015, 10:19 AM

I would not call any of those names popular except just possibly Arabella, because it is so similar in style to Annabelle and Isabella, both of which are very popular.
And I've never once heard of anybody with Purdey or any variation of it as a first name. I have seen it as a last name once or twice, but that's it. Where in the world are you seeing it as a first name?

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Allegra might see a bit of use, but because of the well-known allergy medicine it is highly unlikely to ever become popular.
Myrtle might make a small gain, as Mabel and Harriet have done within a fairly narrow demographic, but popular? No.