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I would love to meet a Gertrude! I can see Linus coming back. It feels quite trendy - like Silas. Leander is handsome.

I think Myrtle is lovely, and would be thrilled to meet a little girl with that name. I also like Leander.

I’m not sure why Leander is listed when it absolutely could come back. It’s similar in sound to other trendy names.

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I’m not sure Linus, Wilbur, Clarence, and Edna will “come back”, but I think they will stay in use. Merlin and Milton will probably come back.

I think in the case of some of these, their time has not come yet. They feel lost to us now, but that's because we can't comprehend anyone finding them attractive again. But once upon a time people thought names like Ella and Violet were too old fashioned to ever really come back, so who knows.

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Some that are associated with characters will probably have a longer wait. I personally love Kermit and would use it, but I am also a sadist with bad taste. Maybe none of my opinions count here

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Edna is one of my favourite names. I think it's super cute and jazzy. Gladys is incredibly fun! I love Gladys because it has this beautiful fresh green colour in my mind.... I'd have kids named Gladys and Kermit. It feels cool in a rockabilly kind of way.

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A lot of these names just need the right kind of handling I think. Like would look weird and unfortunate if a typical beige suburban family named their kids Velma and Wilbur? Yes. It would be very different if a couple of already-weird artists who live in a loft downtown and run a microbrewery named their kids Velma and Wilbur. That just makes sense to me.

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My husband loves the name Ethel, he thinks it's ethereal, and I love it because of his admiration.

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Norman is cute, Linus is adorable, Clarence is fantastic. Lots of gems here! But of course I would say that.

I like Leander, Kermit, Elmo, Milton, Merlin, Abner, Wilbur, Clarence, Linus, Norman, Edna, Verna, Velma, Gladys, Gertrude, Ethel and Myrtle, and I think Leander, Merlin, Abner, Wilbur, Clarence, Linus, Norman, Gladys and Myrtle will make a comeback.

I like Garfield, Grover, Floyd, Wilbur, and Ethel. I don't know what "ruined" Wilbur and Ethel though? Only one I can think of for Wilbur is the son from Meet The Robinsons, and Ethel I only think of Ethel Cain. Neither could be classified as "ruined".

I think Leander and Linus sound plenty youthful to me. Abner too, the -er sound is still popular.

One of my great aunt's was a Bernice that went by "Betty". When I was a little girl one of the woman my dad cheated on my mom with was a Bernice, but I think she felt guilty, because she would buy us candy, treats, and take us on little trips all the time and always seemed apologetic 😅🤣 like "sorry I'm breaking up your family! Can I interest you on a lake day boating trip to heal the wound??" Lmfao. (He married a "Carol" instead, but I would have preferred Bernie, at least she was nicer to us, but Bernice was married to another man and I suspect didn't want to break up her own marriage to be with Dad more permanently.) *sips on tea 🍵 *

This message was edited 8/9/2024, 8:15 PM

I don't think that Bernice is ruined it all. I think it needs to sit on the shelf for a bit longer but I think it's going to come back in time just the same as a few others. I actually quite like Bernice. I think it's kind of cute and Spunky. I've actually met a couple little boy Linuses so I'm not sure what you're talking about with that one. Linus has already proven it's come back use.

There's also Garfield Logan AKA Beast Boy in the DC Universe. But I would suppose a green man that can animorph might not be much better than the cat. But it's worth mentioning. I think he makes it slightly cooler and more usable... but maybe better as a middle name perhaps

I like...

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Merlin (King Arthur magician)

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Wilbur (Charlotte's Web)

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Linus (a pope, a saint, a Biblical figure, the son of Apollo in Greek mythology etc...)

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Clarence (the name of a dear cousin of mine)

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Bernice (aka St Veronica and Berenice who supposedly had an incestuous relationship with her brother, King Herod Agrippa II. Ok, not so commendable).