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I don't think I agree that names like Hiltrude are not in use today or that they have never been in use in a notable capacity throughout history.

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Hiltrude has been used in my country, but had less than 5 bearers in 2014:

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http://www.meertens.knaw.nl/nvb/naam/is/Hiltrude

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It may not be much, but those bearers count.

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A stroll on Facebook yielded several people that are named Hiltrude, some of which are from Germany (or of German descent), others from France and yet others from other countries. Here is a small list:

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- https://www.facebook.com/hiltrude.hohler (from Germany)
- https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007698975494 (from Germany)
- https://www.facebook.com/hiltrude.knedel (from Germany)
- https://www.facebook.com/hiltrude.dansereau (a German living in the USA)
- https://www.facebook.com/hiltrude.loesch (American but of German descent)
- https://www.facebook.com/hiltrude.nussertelfer (American but of German descent)
- https://www.facebook.com/hiltrude.bourg (from France)

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I could go on - there are many more bearers on Facebook. But clearly, the name is still sufficiently in use today to be relevant, at least where the Germans are concerned.

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Don't forget about historical bearers, either: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiltrude (in Dutch, but you can click on the English version there)

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The same thing applies to the name Gilbertine: I can find modern-day bearers on Google as well as on Facebook.

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- http://copainsdavant.linternaute.com/p/gilbertine-dubaille-8075568 (born in 1984!)
- http://www.nosorigines.qc.ca/GenealogieQuebec.aspx?genealogie=Jovette_Duguay&pid=999827&lng=fr (in someone's genealogy; the time period is unclear)
- https://www.facebook.com/gilbertine.grenier (from France)
- https://www.facebook.com/gilbertine.dubaille (from France)
- https://www.facebook.com/gilbertine.wafeu (from Cameroon, where French is an official language)
- https://www.facebook.com/gilbertinechristine.biwoleevina (from Cameroon)
- https://www.facebook.com/gilbertine.maffo (from Cameroon)
- https://www.facebook.com/Bananatus?ref=br_rs (from Rwanda, where French is an official language)
- https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008508998706 (from Rwanda)
- https://www.facebook.com/angelagilbertine.ramanandraisoa (from Madagascar, where French is an official language)
- https://www.facebook.com/gilbertine.ndombala (from Congo, where French is the official language)
- https://www.facebook.com/gil.shanae (from Canada, where French is an official language)
- and so on.

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I think that you have to take the entire French-speaking world in account: just because a name might be rare in modern-day France, doesn't mean that it will be rare in other French-speaking countries. In fact, a lot of names that have gone out of fashion in France tend to continue to thrive in e.g. French-speaking Africa.

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So, all in all, I think that you might want to reconsider these names and put them back into the main database (classified as 'Rare' or 'Archaic', if really need be). Of course, it's your website and database, so I will fully understand if you don't - although I will continue to respectfully disagree.

This message was edited 7/28/2015, 12:32 PM