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Help"Old man names" ... Is a resurrection in order?
Some I like, some I don't... but how lively do you think these names would be today?
Homer
Leon
Walter
Mortimer
Cecil
Bernard
Edgar
Floyd
Harvey
Milton
Ralph
Stanley
Milton
Earl
Alvin
Lester
Melvin
Gus
Calvin
Felix
Clarence
Roger
Otis
Wallace
Julian
Leslie
Norman
Garfield
Randolph
Gilbert
______________________________________________
"How wonderful it is that no one need wait a single moment before starting to improve upon the world." -Ann Frank
Mama to my "bright star" Clarisse Bituin and Wife to Julius. Mahal na mahal from our little family to yours!
Homer
Leon
Walter
Mortimer
Cecil
Bernard
Edgar
Floyd
Harvey
Milton
Ralph
Stanley
Milton
Earl
Alvin
Lester
Melvin
Gus
Calvin
Felix
Clarence
Roger
Otis
Wallace
Julian
Leslie
Norman
Garfield
Randolph
Gilbert
______________________________________________
"How wonderful it is that no one need wait a single moment before starting to improve upon the world." -Ann Frank
Mama to my "bright star" Clarisse Bituin and Wife to Julius. Mahal na mahal from our little family to yours!
Archived Thread - replies disabled
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Replies
I would love to see Walter, Cecil, Bernard, Edgar, Harvey, Ralph, Stanley, Earl, Alvin, Calvin, Clarence and Julian being used again. They are fantastic names. So masculine and wonderful for boys.
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I like: Leon, Walter, Mortimer, Felix, Edgar, Bernard, Milton (for a Paradise Lost vibe), and I used to like Julian.
I dislike: Gilbert, Wallace, Otis, Roger, Clarence, Calvin is hideous, it actually makes me feel a bit sick, Lester, Alvin, Earl, Ralph, Stanley is laughably hideous as are Floyd and Ralph, I pity anyone with those names, Harvey is brainless sounding, Homer is too Simpsons and will be as long as the cartoon is around/known, and Cecil is weak and watery and wimpy.
I dislike: Gilbert, Wallace, Otis, Roger, Clarence, Calvin is hideous, it actually makes me feel a bit sick, Lester, Alvin, Earl, Ralph, Stanley is laughably hideous as are Floyd and Ralph, I pity anyone with those names, Harvey is brainless sounding, Homer is too Simpsons and will be as long as the cartoon is around/known, and Cecil is weak and watery and wimpy.
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Calvin is my sister's favorite name... but maybe because we have the John Calvin association. He was a preacher who started the Calvinists, which happens to influence a lot of our theologies today.
I also think of Calvin and Hobbs, so it has always had an intellectual vibe to me.
Clarence will always make me think of angels.
My husband works with a young guy named Lester. I was shocked. I find it a dislikable name too, but the Lester we know is a decent guy. I still feel bad for him though.
Harvey - does anyone else think of "Casper, the friendly Ghost" on this one? Wasn't he the boyfriend of the girl who terrorized Cat, Casper's crush?
I fully agree that Earl is laughable. I just can't take it seriously. Homer too.
I also think of Calvin and Hobbs, so it has always had an intellectual vibe to me.
Clarence will always make me think of angels.
My husband works with a young guy named Lester. I was shocked. I find it a dislikable name too, but the Lester we know is a decent guy. I still feel bad for him though.
Harvey - does anyone else think of "Casper, the friendly Ghost" on this one? Wasn't he the boyfriend of the girl who terrorized Cat, Casper's crush?
I fully agree that Earl is laughable. I just can't take it seriously. Homer too.
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Wally is an inoffensive way of calling someone an idiot basically. My dad used to call me a wally if I did or said something daft when I was a child. And I sometimes call my brother a wally if he does something that's a bit stupid. I like the sound of the word but not as a name!
As a child I thought it was hilarious that our elderly neighbour married a man named Wally. Saying that, the "Where's Wally?" books are popular now so maybe it could work.
As a child I thought it was hilarious that our elderly neighbour married a man named Wally. Saying that, the "Where's Wally?" books are popular now so maybe it could work.
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There are a few really lively ones in there. I think these have potential for awesomeness today:
Cecil
Bernard (thank you, Bear, for making me love this one)
Milton - nerdy, but that's a plus in my books
Felix - isn't it already hipster-cool? I don't like of Felix as old-man at all
Roger - maybe? I know a little Roger. I still find it weird, but maybe.
Otis - and Otto too.
Gilbert - totally
Mortimer - is this an old man name? I think it's goofy because of Robert Munsch.
Gus - yeah man
Cecil
Bernard (thank you, Bear, for making me love this one)
Milton - nerdy, but that's a plus in my books
Felix - isn't it already hipster-cool? I don't like of Felix as old-man at all
Roger - maybe? I know a little Roger. I still find it weird, but maybe.
Otis - and Otto too.
Gilbert - totally
Mortimer - is this an old man name? I think it's goofy because of Robert Munsch.
Gus - yeah man
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Once again, I embrace all of these names unconditionally and heartily endorse their revival.
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Liveliness scale:
1 - pathetic or comic, not really usable
2-3-4 - becoming less fusty and more usable
5 - quite eccentric / a statement but quite usable
6-7-8-9 - getting more potential to be hip
10 - positively virile
Homer - 4
Leon - 7
Walter - 6
Mortimer - 3
Cecil - 4
Bernard - 6
Edgar - 7
Floyd - 6
Harvey - 6
Milton - 4
Ralph - 3
Stanley - 8
Earl - 3
Alvin - 6
Lester - 2
Melvin - 3
Gus - 8
Calvin - 9
Felix - I hate Felix - 5
Clarence - 5
Roger - 6
Otis - 5
Wallace - 6
Julian - 10
Leslie - I like Leslie but - 4
Norman - 4
Garfield - 1
Randolph - 4
Gilbert - 10
1 - pathetic or comic, not really usable
2-3-4 - becoming less fusty and more usable
5 - quite eccentric / a statement but quite usable
6-7-8-9 - getting more potential to be hip
10 - positively virile
Homer - 4
Leon - 7
Walter - 6
Mortimer - 3
Cecil - 4
Bernard - 6
Edgar - 7
Floyd - 6
Harvey - 6
Milton - 4
Ralph - 3
Stanley - 8
Earl - 3
Alvin - 6
Lester - 2
Melvin - 3
Gus - 8
Calvin - 9
Felix - I hate Felix - 5
Clarence - 5
Roger - 6
Otis - 5
Wallace - 6
Julian - 10
Leslie - I like Leslie but - 4
Norman - 4
Garfield - 1
Randolph - 4
Gilbert - 10
This message was edited 9/12/2014, 9:39 AM
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Oh my goodness. This...this is my THING. One summer, I worked in an archive where I looked at nothing but old man names, and by the end of the gig I had learned to see the beauty in names like Ralph, Roger, and Douglas. So names like these give me the most beautiful nostalgia. I loved that job and I love these names. I think they are definitely revival-worthy.
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Ralph is just so awful that my disgust turns to pity and then tenderness and then love. Douglas I always hated, but I had to write these names down so many times over the summer, I fell in love with how the "Douglas" flowed from my pen; it became so beautiful, so rounded and smooth and gentle. That's the summer I realized I loved Douglas and hated Alexander, which I also had to write a million times.
Dougie is THE perfect name for a creepy kid. Like Hollywood perfect.
Dougie is THE perfect name for a creepy kid. Like Hollywood perfect.
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Felix and Julian are 'old man names'? I think they're timeless.
I think these are resurrect-able:
Leon
Walter
Harvey
Milton
Alvin
Gus
Calvin
Felix
Julian
These are especially dated and frumpy, though:
Mortimer (makes me think of death)
Cecil
Clarence
Earl
Lester
Melvin
Norman
I think these are resurrect-able:
Leon
Walter
Harvey
Milton
Alvin
Gus
Calvin
Felix
Julian
These are especially dated and frumpy, though:
Mortimer (makes me think of death)
Cecil
Clarence
Earl
Lester
Melvin
Norman
This message was edited 9/12/2014, 6:44 AM
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I like Walter, Stanley (it's a family name for me), and I love Calvin. I'd like to see these three come back.
I hate all the rest. Re: Milton. Back in 1975, when my nephew was born, I was a sophomore in high school. My sister and brother-in-law were living in a town in New Jersey named Milton. I went to school the day after my nephew was born and told a friend of mine, "My sister just had a baby. It's a boy." There was another girl there whom I didn't really know well. My friend asked, "Where does your sister live, anyway?" I said, "Milton". The other girl asked, "What's your sister's last name?" I said, "Anderson." The other girl then said, "Milton Anderson. That's a nice name." She had misunderstood when I had stated the town my sister lived in. So I then said, "OH MY GOD no, his name isn't MILTON, that's where my sister lives!" She then said, "Oh. I was actually thinking" and then she made a face. Years later I told this story to my sister and my by then grown nephew and they thought it was hysterical, my sister said she was going to start calling her son Uncle Miltie.
I hate all the rest. Re: Milton. Back in 1975, when my nephew was born, I was a sophomore in high school. My sister and brother-in-law were living in a town in New Jersey named Milton. I went to school the day after my nephew was born and told a friend of mine, "My sister just had a baby. It's a boy." There was another girl there whom I didn't really know well. My friend asked, "Where does your sister live, anyway?" I said, "Milton". The other girl asked, "What's your sister's last name?" I said, "Anderson." The other girl then said, "Milton Anderson. That's a nice name." She had misunderstood when I had stated the town my sister lived in. So I then said, "OH MY GOD no, his name isn't MILTON, that's where my sister lives!" She then said, "Oh. I was actually thinking" and then she made a face. Years later I told this story to my sister and my by then grown nephew and they thought it was hysterical, my sister said she was going to start calling her son Uncle Miltie.
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Homer: D'oh! Hate it, always have.
Leon: Has a sly, creepy vibe. Understand it's fairly popular in the UK right now.
Walter: Comically stuffy.
Mortimer: Can't be taken seriously. Mortimer Snerd.
Cecil: Wimp city.
Bernard: Don't like it, but there used to be an older couple living near my mother and stepfather. Their names were Bernie and Rosemary, and they were from New Jersey, or New York, I forget which. Rosemary often called Bernie Beh'Nahd. I never actualy met them but my mother and stepdad thought very highly of them.
Edgar: Creepy and sly. The worst of the Ed names.
Floyd: Ugly sound.
Harvey: Definitely an old-man name, but the kind of cantankerous, opinionated old man you can't help but like in spite of it all.
Milton: Like Walter.
Ralph: The sound of upchucking.
Stanley: The Flat Stanley series is very popular now.
Earl: Ugly ugly ugly.
Alvin: Has a vague fun quality to it. "Alvin. Alvin! Aaaaaal-Viiiin!!!"
Lester: Hate it.
Melvin: AKA Wedgie.
Gus: Hipster chic right now, or seems to be. Good name for an overweight, flatulent dog.
Calvin: Much less old-man than most of the others on this list.
Felix: Not old-mannish to me. Weak and hipster instead.
Clarence: This is kind of nice.
Roger: Went to school with a boy named Roger. I think he might have been a junior. He was very nice. Don't like his name.
Otis: Ug lee. Red neck.
Wallace: Needs a brother named Grommit.
Julian: This is not old-man, it's fairly trendy. Whiny.
Leslie: This is a girl's name now and has been for a couple generations.
Norman: Namby-pamby.
Garfield: Good name for a fat orange cat with a wised-up voice and a fondness for lasagna.
Randolph: Stuffy.
Gilbert: Kind of goofy but not really too bad.
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Leon: Has a sly, creepy vibe. Understand it's fairly popular in the UK right now.
Walter: Comically stuffy.
Mortimer: Can't be taken seriously. Mortimer Snerd.
Cecil: Wimp city.
Bernard: Don't like it, but there used to be an older couple living near my mother and stepfather. Their names were Bernie and Rosemary, and they were from New Jersey, or New York, I forget which. Rosemary often called Bernie Beh'Nahd. I never actualy met them but my mother and stepdad thought very highly of them.
Edgar: Creepy and sly. The worst of the Ed names.
Floyd: Ugly sound.
Harvey: Definitely an old-man name, but the kind of cantankerous, opinionated old man you can't help but like in spite of it all.
Milton: Like Walter.
Ralph: The sound of upchucking.
Stanley: The Flat Stanley series is very popular now.
Earl: Ugly ugly ugly.
Alvin: Has a vague fun quality to it. "Alvin. Alvin! Aaaaaal-Viiiin!!!"
Lester: Hate it.
Melvin: AKA Wedgie.
Gus: Hipster chic right now, or seems to be. Good name for an overweight, flatulent dog.
Calvin: Much less old-man than most of the others on this list.
Felix: Not old-mannish to me. Weak and hipster instead.
Clarence: This is kind of nice.
Roger: Went to school with a boy named Roger. I think he might have been a junior. He was very nice. Don't like his name.
Otis: Ug lee. Red neck.
Wallace: Needs a brother named Grommit.
Julian: This is not old-man, it's fairly trendy. Whiny.
Leslie: This is a girl's name now and has been for a couple generations.
Norman: Namby-pamby.
Garfield: Good name for a fat orange cat with a wised-up voice and a fondness for lasagna.
Randolph: Stuffy.
Gilbert: Kind of goofy but not really too bad.
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I think these could make a comeback:
Walter
Wallace
Calvin
Felix
Julian
Gus
There are some others that don't stand a chance:
Homer is a family name for me, but with Homer Simpson, I think it's chances are slim.
Earl
Garfield
Melvin
Lester
Most of the others I'd say are on the fence. Some of the ones that sound more surnamey I could see getting more popular, like Randolph, Gilbert, etc. since surnames are trendy.
Walter
Wallace
Calvin
Felix
Julian
Gus
There are some others that don't stand a chance:
Homer is a family name for me, but with Homer Simpson, I think it's chances are slim.
Earl
Garfield
Melvin
Lester
Most of the others I'd say are on the fence. Some of the ones that sound more surnamey I could see getting more popular, like Randolph, Gilbert, etc. since surnames are trendy.
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