Mildred

The dred ending just reminds me of dread.

Reminds me of really old grandmas.

I’ve come to learn as I grew up that Mildred is considered “one of those” names—like Gertrude, Bertha, which are associated with stereotypical old ladies and considered unusable for today’s children. I never really understood Mildred’s inclusion in that list—I have never met anyone of any age with the name and I think the first time I heard it was as the name of a CHILD in an old 1920’s show. I thought “Hmm, that’s kind of cute.” I categorize it more with names like Beatrice or Dorothy-names that are appealing, but also have substance, consonant sounds, and hence the effect of the name overall is kind of a more eccentric, distinctive cuteness rather than say Bella or Sophie.

The contrarian in me can’t help but love this name—I get that if you think of it a certain way you can hear “dread” in it, or mildew (which incidentally is a pleasant sounding word disregarding what it means) but if you say this name as if it were beautiful to you, it actually sounds good. Something mild about this name as opposed to some other Anglo-Saxon names—like a gentle strength. Wonderful meaning. To me, it is easy to picture an attractive woman or cute little girl with this name, especially as it was very popular in the early 20th century. I seem to recall in one of the older silent “Our Gang” comedy shows, there was an adorable little Mildred, in a cute dress and 1920’s era hat. Millie seems to be getting more popular now in the U.S.-already a top name in the UK-why not, instead of neglecting to give her a “grown-up” name, or naming her Millicent which sounds like currency, go for the “real deal” and name her Mildred? I may use this myself—my dad had an older relative he was fond of named Mildred, and wanted to use it, but my mom voted it down—he would be thrilled if his granddaughter were to have the name at last :)

Sounds like Mildew.

It's a million times better than just Millie. It has a certain character and strength that just Millie doesn't have. Also, a really long history.

Can't even imagine this on a girl.

I find this name a bit depressing for some reason. But, I find Millie a cute diminutive.

I like Mildred, although it is true that I can only imagine an old lady wearing it. Imagining an adorable little girl named Mildred is more difficult for me, but of course it's not a bad thing. It has a beautiful sound, is sweet and charming and the truth is that it is a real shame that it is one of those typical old-fashioned names that people no longer like; however they prefer a thousand times more to give their daughters names like Raylee, Kaleigh or Jazlynn. A real shame.

Mildred is an interesting name, full of depth and complexity. It's the sort of name the bearer will define for themselves, rather than conforming to a stereotype. For those who call it a grandmother name, well, what's wrong with that? Elderly women are adorable and worthy of respect and admiration. Just think how difficult it is to survive long enough to have grandchildren and how much most people love their grandmothers. But also, considering it merely an old lady name is short-sighted and superficial. Close your eyes and imagine what Mildred was like as a sexy flapper in the 1920s, dancing in short frocks and drawing the eye of every man in the room. Or picture her as a fashionable woman in the 1930s, dressed in a smart tweed as she works in the office or a curve-hugging evening gown at a dinner party, sipping champagne. Every Mildred of today and yesteryear was once a cute little girl and a vibrant young woman. I think the history of this name adds a lot of character. It couldn't be carried by someone who was vapid, unintelligent or immature, but will sit well on the shoulders of a girl or lady who is self-possessed, confident, trustworthy and is comfortable stepping over the lines. It can also easily be shortened or modernised; as many have said, Millie is a good nickname, or try Milla. My great-grandmother was a Mildred who went by Ildy (ill-dee) and what I remember most is even into her 90s she wore high heels and walked with grace.

I like Mildred. Yes, it certainly is a pretty old-fashioned name, but I don't see it as "heavy" and "strong" either. I think Mildred has a nice sound, very calming, it's nice.

Mildred is a great name. We had a neighbor named Mildred went by Millie yes she was an old lady but she was an awesome old lady she wasn't an old woman who sat in a rocking chair or walked with a cane. She was in great health and had a sharp mind she was a dirty minded woman to think that old women are prudish is a huge misconception. When I hear the name Mildred or Millie I think of our old neighbor who recently moved to California to be near her daughter. I enjoyed talking with her when she lived here as did the rest of my family.

It’s very sad to read comments on “old-fashioned” names and see all the hate and bitterness there is for no reason. Such little respect for our elders and when life was better... Age is just a number and time is a human construct. One day you will understand... until then, Peace.

Marvellous name!

I do like this name a little bit, but it has a lot of teasing potential. Mildew and mil-dread are the first to come to mind. I wouldn't really recommend naming a child this, but it does seem like an incredibly strong yet feminine name, like Matilda, which is interesting.

It’s not too bad, but kind of outdated for my taste. (P.s if you get offended by the term “Ok boomer” then you should probably get off the internet).

I love this name! It's so... beautiful! Millie is a great nickname and Red would be also.

An absolutely beautiful name that is unappreciated. Plus "Millie" is such a sweet nickname. Now that "old" names are making a comeback, I hope this one will finally get its due.

I think this name is very ugly.

People who comment about old people in such a horrible way are horrible people! You should all be ashamed of yourselves! Have a heart you idiots, if it weren't for old people you wouldn't even be alive you selfish brats! I love Mildred along with Margaret. I think both are wonderful names. Older names have a story, and people used them so much because they're special. Besides, who wouldn't want to name their child after a sweet grandmother?
(I'm a part of Gen Z (I'm 15), and I think it's very rude to say "Ok, Boomer." have some respect people.)

Seems like it was popular in the U.S. in the late 1800s & early 1900s, but it's not a very pleasing name to 21st century ears. If you're wanting to nickname a child Millie, I'd recommend a name like Millicent, Camille, or Camilla instead.

Pretty obviously a very old-fashioned sounding, and, possibly, outdated name. And controversial, going by these comments. Honestly, I used to be of the opinion that it was a bit too old-fashioned to ever use as a name for anything other than an old lady character or a character from 10th century England, certainly not something I'd name any hypothetical children, even if I do have a soft spot for odd or oft-maligned names (Russian names are beautiful, fight me). I used to think to that. In all honesty though, my opinion completely changed, like, extremely suddenly, when I read the name meaning. I don't know why, but there's just something so beautiful to me about a name that seems to recognize that gentleness and strength are not mutually exclusive, and, in many cases, are complimentary.
And besides, every name we think of as a stuffy old lady name was once a fashionable name for young women. And many names we use today were once thought of as stuffy old names, until people revived them, and made them fashionable again. No name is inherently for old women. If society so chooses, the name Mildred could easily have a different association, much like it did in the 20s. We have the power to shape the impressions of this name. I would implore you to do so.

Sounds like mildew to me. It's pretty dated.

This is a truly awful name. It wouldn't even work for a dog, with the possible exception of a bassett hound (for some reason it seems like an appropriate name for that kind of dog to me, lol.)

Unattractive and dated name in my opinion.
Also reminds me of the word "mildew".

It makes me laugh that people have such harsh things to say about a name, my name! It's just letters put together to make a sound, relax people!

My name is Mildred and I love my name. I love the meaning as well. I'm going to name my daughter Mildred the second. I still do not know how my mother came up with it here in Africa.

Mildred is my middle name and I personally think that it’s beautiful and has a wonderful meaning! Calling it a “granny” name is weird because obviously people named Mildred aren’t born as old grannies, lol. My friend whose middle name is Catherine says she’d much rather have Mildred and you can always turn it into Millie. And it seems “old” because it is and most names are! We’ve had names as a thing for a long time and so there are lots of old names just some sound different to the ones most used today.

Knew 2 Mildred's, one went by the nickname Millie, which is okay, the other used Mildred, which to me, is plain dreadful.. I can't believe how many here actually like this horrible name.

It’s musty, sure, but it also has a certain charm, I think. I like the nickname Millie, too. Vintage and sweet, albeit outdated and slightly musty.

I have a very hard time understanding how anyone ever found this name attractive, but then again, I have that same feeling about names that are really popular now, such as Peyton and Maverick. If you like it, more power to you, but it's one of those old-fashioned names that I cannot imagine making a comeback along the lines of Emma or Violet. It has the word red in it, but to me it's brownish-gray like dirty dishwater.

Eww old fashioned, grandma-ish, ugly EWWWW. DISGUSTING OLD LADY NAME!

Sounds very old fashioned and it sounds close to mildew.

It's not a bad name, I quite like the sound of it (though I admit, I like strange names). It is outdated, though, but just think... Names that are popular today (Emma, Olivia, Avery, Chloe, etc.) will be considered old-fashioned a few decades from now. Everybody will have or know people with grandmas with these names, making them seem dated. Unfortunate, but that's the way it goes.

My husband gave that name to my gal but it sounded so bad to me at first, like it's for grandma's, but later I realized it's a fine name and I call my gal 'Red' and in my country (Uganda Africa) it's not common and people think it's really a nice name.

Not a fan. Makes me think of an old farmer's wife. I like Mathilda better--which reminds me a bit of Mildred. I wouldn't name a little girl Mildred, not with all of the thousands of beautiful names out there. A name that I think should be retired.

What if it's an old name? Its so beautiful, elegant and very classy. I think it's just for upper class people.

I love this amazing, beautiful name. Mildred is very classy. :)

It's adorable, even if it's so antiquated.

This name will forever sound ominous to me because of the "dred" part. Mildred honestly makes me picture some girl who appears all sweet and innocent but secretly murders people (has a very, very, very dark side).

Yeah, it sounds like an old lady name, but I kinda like it still.

Well, my name is Mildred and I ain't granny, nor some old woman. I'm a 14 year old. Yeah, it is a very uncommon name and indeed kinda weird. This name is very uncommon in my country and I doubt anybody has it other than me. (also, I've never known someone with this name.. I'd be glad to, though) but it's cool you know, having such a unique name because it's awkward when you have a name like Jessica or Grace or any other common names and there's also a lot of your friends named after it too. Like when someone asked 'do you know Jessica?' 'Jessica who? Jessica Simpson or Johnson or Smith?' lol aaaawkward. Yes I think Mildred isn't an ugly name, it's just uncommon. Mildred is one of a kind!

Totally weak and lifeless name.

I very much love the name Mildred not only because I'm called Mildred but also because of the meaning of the name (gentle strength) It's spelling looks more like "Mild Red". I'm certainly no old lady or granny as I'm 22 years old and currently at Law school. Back in my secondary school days I had 4 classmates bearing the name Mildred. It may be termed as an old fashioned, dreaded name but there're lots of educated young Mildred's out there. My friends and family call me 'MiMie'. It's a nice name people, feel free to name your children Mildred. Xoxo.

I love this name. The "dred" part doesn't bother me. It's my favorite "m" name after my own name.

I don't like Millie anymore, at least not very much. Plus it seems it might be overused in the UK. But I just love this gorgeous Mildred. Because people think its ugly, it would have a certain kind of daring to it, and I'm sure people would eventually get used to it and grow to like its sound. And I have never known any old ladies (or anyone) with this name. The one association I have is with a cute little girl on the early Our Gang comedies, when they were still silent, I think.

Mildred has the " dread " sound in the end and the " mill " sound in the beginning. I don' t like the name because it sounds boyish.

Beautiful meaning. Shame about the fusty, mildew/dread sound. Maybe one day it will be fashionable again among trendsetters, but I can't imagine that happening anytime soon.

Mildred sounds like the name of an old granny in a rocking chair. Still, I like the meaning, and at least you can call the girl Millie.

I am named after my great-aunt Mildred and my name is Emily. Connected by our nicknames Milly. I prefer my name as Mildred is a bit old fashioned.

I always think of mildew when I hear the name Mildred. Followed by the thought of mildew, I picture an mean, old woman with a switch.

Looks like dreadful mildew or mildew is dreadful. A combination of both. Awful name.

I think it has a beautiful meaning, but the name itself makes me think of mildew.

The name itself might look old, but imagine a lovely bearer of it and it could be wonderful. And it has such a beautiful meaning.

The thing that most people fail to realise is that people with 'granny' or 'dated' or 'old-fashioned' names were children once. These names only sound old to you all because they are not popular at the present time. Personally, I think Mildred is a nice name. It has a warm, maternal feel to it but it is not an old lady name only.

I think Mildred is a great name. It's really unique and is perfect for summing up someone's who has a different and quirky personality.

Beautiful! Just love it! I can't see why many seem to hate it. Millie or Milly is nice for a nickname, but most of the time I would want to be called Mildred. I like the meaning, and also that it looks like "mild red".

This name is spunky and is bound to pop up now and then in the next few years in line with the trend toward older, mustier names with cutting-edge baby namers.

How is this one bit spunky?

It goes without saying that this name is outdated. I find it to be one of the ugliest names out there. It makes me think of the word "dread". The only good thing is that you can get the cute nickname Millie out of it.

I might find this name cute and vintage-sounding, if not for the fact that I cannot read it without thinking something along the lines of "dreaded mildew."

Mildred reminds me of a sensible, young, teenage girl. :)

Well, Mildred sure beats all these horrible modern names that are coming up from everywhere. Mercedes, Roxy, Jazz, Trixie Bell. Ugh. And in my opinion, Mildred doesn't sound only like a granny name, it also reminds of a cute little girl from the 1920's. To some people that may be the complete opposite of cute, but to me I think it's attractive.

Hopelessly old-fashioned. In addition to reminding me of old women, it makes me think of wallflower-y girls in old-fashioned and loose-fitting clothes. It's not a very pretty name.

I like it but it is dated so I will not use it.

My car's name is Mildred. I love the fact that it's a bit clunky and uncool, yet still sounds European. My car is a 1994 Peugeot 306 so it suits perfectly.

I think it's really pretty name!

I think it's a beautiful name, but it is unfortunately quite out of date and evocative of senior citizens.

What's with all this old lady stuff? Mildred's a beautiful name! I love it!

I hate to offend anyone who is named Mildred, but the name sounds too tacky. The name will always remind me of a spoiled girl.

I don't like it but it sure beats Madison or some other butch surname used on girls. At least it's different.

I like this name, it's not an old lady name, it's just uncommon that's all.

Personally, I love this name. It does not remind me of some old lady.

When you read it it looks like "mild red" but I should not be saying that because I have a friend named Mildred.

And it is quite likely that some of the posters who have made negative comments on this site about the name Mildred will have granddaughters with the name, because in about 20 years it's probably going to start sounding "cool" again to a lot of people then in their 20s. :)

I cannot see this name on a little girl but I can see it on a little old lady with a walking stick. It would take smoking marijuana for ANYONE to call a child Mildred, despite the cute nickname of Millie, used in its own right and also associated with other names such as Millicent, Emily, and Amelia.

I like this name because it has such a vintage feel to it and it's one of the last names you'd expect to see on a young girl. I think a little Mildred would be unique and adorable! I can't be the only one can I?

When I hear this name, it reminds me of some old lady with 16 cats whose husband died in World War II who has some sister named Mary who comes to check on her. No offense to any body who has the name, though I doubt any body here does.

Absolutely hideous.

Hey! What's all this about it being an old lady name? It just reminds you of old ladies because that's when they were given the name, when they were young and it was popular, but there is no reason to relate this name to them. It is a very pretty name if you think it that, and Millie makes a cute nickname!

Mildred reminds me of a name of a duck who quacks all the day.

I agree, it sounds like mildew and mold. Not likeable.

The name Mildred reminds me of mold.

Mildred is the name of an old lady who sits on a rocking chair, moaning all day. The name is strictly for grandmothers only.