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HelpRe: Best and Worst Names listed in the "Ladies Home Journal" from 1945
in reply to a message by diamanda
I love the drawings. Very funny take on beauty standards. I'd be interested in seeing more comparison charts like this one from different years. I like most of the disliked girls' names, with the exception of Abigail, Purity, Petunia, Anastasia, Olive, Bridget, and Prudence. I like boys' names from both columns.
Edit: and what is the reasoning for disliking these particular names? Were there negative connotations at the time or were they "negative" connotations? (I'm thinking xenophobia and maybe racism, at least in Mamie's case?) Not sure.
Edit: and what is the reasoning for disliking these particular names? Were there negative connotations at the time or were they "negative" connotations? (I'm thinking xenophobia and maybe racism, at least in Mamie's case?) Not sure.
This message was edited 8/10/2024, 2:47 PM
Replies
Mamie was the name of the First Lady in 1953. I don't think it was associated with any race.
What I notice the most is that many of the names on the "disliked" list, were popular 50-75 years before. So I think the names just sounded frumpy and outdated, or didn't seem "modern" or "refreshing" enough for a young girl. Many of their "liked" names sound "old" to a lot of us today. Not because anybody's bigoted, I think it's just because the names got used a lot and became associated with ordinary real people ... often now middle-aged and mediocre ones.
What I notice the most is that many of the names on the "disliked" list, were popular 50-75 years before. So I think the names just sounded frumpy and outdated, or didn't seem "modern" or "refreshing" enough for a young girl. Many of their "liked" names sound "old" to a lot of us today. Not because anybody's bigoted, I think it's just because the names got used a lot and became associated with ordinary real people ... often now middle-aged and mediocre ones.