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HelpClassic or Dated?
How do you define this? I got some dated comments on some names that I think of as classic as well as semi old & new again in the typical skip 2 generation cycle.
I suppose I define dated as trendy names or an era's generated (new) names.
I suppose I define dated as trendy names or an era's generated (new) names.
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I have a fairly rigid definition of what a "classic" name is (in English). Here, I'll repost something I wrote in a previous thread:
"I'd consider any 'classic' name in the English language to be one from the small pool of 'traditional' first names used in Shakespeare's time (not the fancy ones in his plays), plus some Hebrew names that came into popularity during the Protestant Reformation and are now mainstays. Though I'm not normally partial to 'classics,' these are ones I like:
Abigail (even though many consider this "trendy" now)
Anne
Elisabeth
Jane
Marian
Molly
Rebecca
&
Adam
Daniel
Edmund
Francis
Jack
James
Joseph
Richard
Thomas
William"
Medieval names that are considered classic, I just consider medieval. A truly "dated" name, for me, has to be something that was quite popular at some point in the 20th century but isn't anymore.
Some of the most dated names I can think of (from different "dated" eras):
Agnes
Bertha
Brittany (becoming dated)
Denise
Doris / Dorris
Dorothy
Edith
Edna
Ethel
Florence
Heather
Helen (though I think it can come back)
Jeanne, Jeannette, or anything with the nickname "Jeannie"
"I'd consider any 'classic' name in the English language to be one from the small pool of 'traditional' first names used in Shakespeare's time (not the fancy ones in his plays), plus some Hebrew names that came into popularity during the Protestant Reformation and are now mainstays. Though I'm not normally partial to 'classics,' these are ones I like:
Abigail (even though many consider this "trendy" now)
Anne
Elisabeth
Jane
Marian
Molly
Rebecca
&
Adam
Daniel
Edmund
Francis
Jack
James
Joseph
Richard
Thomas
William"
Medieval names that are considered classic, I just consider medieval. A truly "dated" name, for me, has to be something that was quite popular at some point in the 20th century but isn't anymore.
Some of the most dated names I can think of (from different "dated" eras):
Agnes
Bertha
Brittany (becoming dated)
Denise
Doris / Dorris
Dorothy
Edith
Edna
Ethel
Florence
Heather
Helen (though I think it can come back)
Jeanne, Jeannette, or anything with the nickname "Jeannie"
This message was edited 1/14/2013, 12:19 PM
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I consider "classic" names to be names which have been consistently popular over a long period of time. A name which you would not be surprised to find on a person of any age. For example, James sounds equally likely to be a 90-year old or a toddler.
A "dated" name, to me, is a name which tends to be tied to a certain period of time, when they were most popular. For example, Tracey is a name quite dated to the 60s. I would not be surprised to meet a 45-year old Tracey, but I would be surprised to meet an 90-year old or a toddler called Tracey.
I think that modern "trendy" names aren't dated yet. However, in 20 years time, names like Jayden might be considered dated.
There are also names which I think are "old fashioned" but not necessarily "dated". Just because a name isn't classic, doesn't make it dated.
Those are my definitions anyway!
A "dated" name, to me, is a name which tends to be tied to a certain period of time, when they were most popular. For example, Tracey is a name quite dated to the 60s. I would not be surprised to meet a 45-year old Tracey, but I would be surprised to meet an 90-year old or a toddler called Tracey.
I think that modern "trendy" names aren't dated yet. However, in 20 years time, names like Jayden might be considered dated.
There are also names which I think are "old fashioned" but not necessarily "dated". Just because a name isn't classic, doesn't make it dated.
Those are my definitions anyway!
This message was edited 1/14/2013, 6:35 AM
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Classic names, to me, have been used for centuries. Royal families use a lot of them, but examples from my family are Walter, Robert, Wilhelmina, Dorothy, Ruth, Maurice, etc.
Classic names can be dated if they are used a lot in one decade, but then seem to be 'forgotten' (not used) for a long time, so that the name becomes associated with a time period. Most trendy names fall into the dated category.
Classic names can be dated if they are used a lot in one decade, but then seem to be 'forgotten' (not used) for a long time, so that the name becomes associated with a time period. Most trendy names fall into the dated category.
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I think a name is dated rather than classic if it's easy to associate to a specific time period and wasn't really popular neither before or afterwards.
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That is pretty much how I think of dated names vs. classic names as well. Even if a name isn't nearly as popular as it used to be, I usually still see it as classic if it was well-known and regularly used prior to and after its heyday.
Laura, Mary, and Rebecca are names that seem like classics to me even though they aren't as popular as they once were.
"Dated" names that come to mind:
Brittany - I think of the 1980s-1990s.
Tiffany - 1970s-1980s.
Karen - I think of the 1940s-1960s in particular.
Sharon - Mostly the 1940s-1960s, but it seems somewhat early 1970s to me too.
Brenda - 1950s and 1960s.
Kathy / Cathy - Katherine is a classic, though.
Carol - I automatically think of the 1930s-1950s.
Donna - 1930s-1960s.
Lindsay - 1980s-1990s.
Diana is a name that is on the cusp of dated and borderline in my mind. I think of the 1940s-1960s when I hear it, but it is still regularly used and has been in regular use for quite some time. Diane definitely seems more dated to me. Aside from a friend with the middle name Diane, I don't know of anyone who was born after the 1960s who is named Diane. I have met people in their twenties named Diana, though.
Dakota, Mackenzie, and McKenna will eventually seem dated. They already strike me as 1990s-early 2000s names.
Laura, Mary, and Rebecca are names that seem like classics to me even though they aren't as popular as they once were.
"Dated" names that come to mind:
Brittany - I think of the 1980s-1990s.
Tiffany - 1970s-1980s.
Karen - I think of the 1940s-1960s in particular.
Sharon - Mostly the 1940s-1960s, but it seems somewhat early 1970s to me too.
Brenda - 1950s and 1960s.
Kathy / Cathy - Katherine is a classic, though.
Carol - I automatically think of the 1930s-1950s.
Donna - 1930s-1960s.
Lindsay - 1980s-1990s.
Diana is a name that is on the cusp of dated and borderline in my mind. I think of the 1940s-1960s when I hear it, but it is still regularly used and has been in regular use for quite some time. Diane definitely seems more dated to me. Aside from a friend with the middle name Diane, I don't know of anyone who was born after the 1960s who is named Diane. I have met people in their twenties named Diana, though.
Dakota, Mackenzie, and McKenna will eventually seem dated. They already strike me as 1990s-early 2000s names.
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A name can be both classic and dated. Sarah is a classic but will never be dated, because it has always been more or less popular, it never fell out of fashion.
Agnes is a classic, but it is dated, because it did fall out of fashion, in a big way, and it will take many more generations for it to become a revived classic, if it ever does.
Brandy and Heather are not classics (Heather might be considered more classic in the UK) and they are now dated, because they went through a brief period of great popularity and then rapidly fell off and are rarely used anymore.
The same thing happened to Brittany in the eighties and nineties.
Agnes is a classic, but it is dated, because it did fall out of fashion, in a big way, and it will take many more generations for it to become a revived classic, if it ever does.
Brandy and Heather are not classics (Heather might be considered more classic in the UK) and they are now dated, because they went through a brief period of great popularity and then rapidly fell off and are rarely used anymore.
The same thing happened to Brittany in the eighties and nineties.
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I guess it's someone's personal opinion. For me classic are names that have been around for ages but keep going: Elizabeth, Victoria, Edward, Henry for example.
Dated names are a little harder, some sound okay to me, Albert and Edmund which are both on my list, but others I don't: Doris and Dorothy for example.
Dated names are a little harder, some sound okay to me, Albert and Edmund which are both on my list, but others I don't: Doris and Dorothy for example.
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Overlapping categories ... some classics are also dated.
To me "classic" means it has been used as a name since, eh, the middle ages? or longer ... and for me to feel like it is classic it has been used by English speakers with at least moderate frequency, for longer than living memory. (since I'm limited to English speaking culture and think of classic as being English language usage ... I'm sure there are classic Japanese or Indian names and whatever but I'm not able to distinguish that)
Classic names can BE dated, though, since they are subject to fashion within a lifetime. Like Patricia. It's totally classic ... and totally dated. Or Barbara. Or Matthew and David, even, are dated. But the most dated names to me, are the ones that were practically new usages (in US English) and became popular. Like Denise or Brian. What makes names even more dated, is if they were pretty popular within living memory and aren't used much anymore. It's true for non classics like Brittany or Kelli, or classics like Mildred.
To me "classic" means it has been used as a name since, eh, the middle ages? or longer ... and for me to feel like it is classic it has been used by English speakers with at least moderate frequency, for longer than living memory. (since I'm limited to English speaking culture and think of classic as being English language usage ... I'm sure there are classic Japanese or Indian names and whatever but I'm not able to distinguish that)
Classic names can BE dated, though, since they are subject to fashion within a lifetime. Like Patricia. It's totally classic ... and totally dated. Or Barbara. Or Matthew and David, even, are dated. But the most dated names to me, are the ones that were practically new usages (in US English) and became popular. Like Denise or Brian. What makes names even more dated, is if they were pretty popular within living memory and aren't used much anymore. It's true for non classics like Brittany or Kelli, or classics like Mildred.
This message was edited 1/13/2013, 12:28 AM
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David is dated? Huh. I think I know Davids in every age group, so it's weird for me to think of it as a dated name.
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Well, sure it has a baseline usage that is fairly high - I know Davids of all ages. But it seems like I know an army of Daves who are my age and a little older. So the name isn't unusual on a kid but it's still a dad name ... not as bad as Kevin or Steve or Mike, but still. Dave = dad name. I think younger Davids just don't call themselves Dave, so it's not as noticeable.
Hm I just looked at this http://www.behindthename.com/top/search.php?terms=david+michael
and I thought, wow - Dave was actually almost as big as Mike. For some reason it does not seem AS dated as Mike though.
Hm I just looked at this http://www.behindthename.com/top/search.php?terms=david+michael
and I thought, wow - Dave was actually almost as big as Mike. For some reason it does not seem AS dated as Mike though.
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Agree with all of the above
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I'd call something a classic if A. upon hearing it I'd have no guess what age the person would be and B. if it didn't stick out to me at all.
So, like
William
John
Michael
Paul
Robert
Thomas
David
Daniel
Benjamin
Joseph
Isaac
Jacob
Peter
Andrew
Samuel
Katherine
Caroline
Elizabeth
Anna
Sarah
Margaret
Laura
Julia
Lydia
So, like
William
John
Michael
Paul
Robert
Thomas
David
Daniel
Benjamin
Joseph
Isaac
Jacob
Peter
Andrew
Samuel
Katherine
Caroline
Elizabeth
Anna
Sarah
Margaret
Laura
Julia
Lydia
This message was edited 1/12/2013, 9:37 PM
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Hmm, and I think of Caroline Margaret and Lydia as dated. But I don't think of Dorothea that way, maybe because I only knew one and know that it was used on a previous generation as well... maybe it's in where you are and who you've known.
I will say that Caroline improved when I saw it on one of my daughter's gymnastics classmates, though I still think of it as Laura Ingall's mother's name.
I will say that Caroline improved when I saw it on one of my daughter's gymnastics classmates, though I still think of it as Laura Ingall's mother's name.
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Interesting. I know like 100 Carolines my age (22) and all around it, and several Lydias, and tons of Margarets...
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Dated = a name that was trendy in its time that has fallen out of favor
Classic = a name that has been used consistently and may even be popular, but NOT trendy or dated
Classic = a name that has been used consistently and may even be popular, but NOT trendy or dated
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I define classic as a name that has had fairly steady usage over time. Generally, not a name that has spiked massively for a certain decade or time period, even if it is an old name in it's own right.
Dated names are names that are tied to a specific age group due to them being trendy in that time. For example, I'd consider Victoria to be a classic name if you look at the popularity graph (http://www.behindthename.com/top/name/victoria) but the nickname Vicky/Vicki is dated as it was very trendy in a certain age group.
Dated names are names that are tied to a specific age group due to them being trendy in that time. For example, I'd consider Victoria to be a classic name if you look at the popularity graph (http://www.behindthename.com/top/name/victoria) but the nickname Vicky/Vicki is dated as it was very trendy in a certain age group.
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In my opinion:
Dated is when a once more popular name has decreased a lot in usage over the years. This usually results in mainly 'old(er)' people having that name. I also consider a name dated, when I can only imagine an older person having a certain name, rather than a baby or small child.
Classic is when a name has been around for a very long time, but is relatively stable in popularity.
Though I must say, that what some people define as classic, I often consider a bit boring.
Old and new again is sort of a dated name, which I can very well imagine on a child. Or when many people at the same time give their child the same dated name, which makes it more usable again.
Dated is when a once more popular name has decreased a lot in usage over the years. This usually results in mainly 'old(er)' people having that name. I also consider a name dated, when I can only imagine an older person having a certain name, rather than a baby or small child.
Classic is when a name has been around for a very long time, but is relatively stable in popularity.
Though I must say, that what some people define as classic, I often consider a bit boring.
Old and new again is sort of a dated name, which I can very well imagine on a child. Or when many people at the same time give their child the same dated name, which makes it more usable again.
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