To all the people asking... "will this name age well"

[nat108]

To me a name that doesn't age well is one that sounds childish or cutesy or nicknamey. It's fine when a kid is young but not when they're older

I worked at a nursing home with residents whose names were Willie, Chrissy, Charlie, Freddie, Jessie, Patty, Sammy etc.
I've had classmates named Bunny, Peaches, and Bambi. They thought their names sounded like strippers
I had a professor named Mickey. He hated his name and went by Mick or Mike
Once I spoke to an older man named Happy. He was not happy with his name

I guess it's hard to explain. I tend to have the opposite problem. There are names I kinda like for an adult, but I could never picture on a cute little baby. It's hard for me to picture a cute little George, Hector, Gertrude, Esther, etc (not names I like, just examples).

I like "old people" names on kids because once they do get older it will fit. While they're young they can us nn. Georgia might be too much for a tot but she can be Gia or Georgie or even Peach while she's little.
Both of my parents have names that I can't even fathom on a child and even when they were young their names were considered "heavy" for children. But as adults they sound perfectly normal. While they were young they had cutesy nicknames

[mrstrivette]

To be quite honest, I don't think certain names you've mentioned have aged well. Janet, for example, is very dated and not many people consider it for babies nowadays. "Dated" isn't well-aged in my opinion; it means the name has aged too much. And I've met adults named Janie and Missy, and it seems a little strange to me. Ideally, I like names that are classic, that won't ever sound young or dated or trendy.

Janet makes me think of Janet Jackson so I would NEVER consider Janet as a possibly for me. BUT, that said, Janet Jackson was once a baby...though with a very weird family. Is Tito really is given name?

[raylan2011]

That's your opinion; many names like the ones you mention are creative. Today we lack the creative genius that create people who can problem solve, resolve conflict, and those that contribute to productive society. Remember at one time your name was made up. I’m highly educated and my daughter name is Raylan, it not your name that defines you it’s what you contribute to society.

[caroline147]

Hmm, we should probably be careful not to conflate two issues: whether the name itself ages well and whether the name ages well with the child. For me, the first issue is about datedness, and I agree that it is hard to avoid the name you choose becoming dated (although I do think there are degrees of datedness; Rachel is not as dated as Jennifer, in my mind). We are all caught up in the naming style of our own generation, and there are very few true classics.
However, the second issue is much more avoidable: it is about whether the name you choose is solid enough for an adult and not too cutesy. When I ask myself if a name ages well, I'm asking if it suits a professional woman (I usually use high court judge, doctor, CEO or politician as examples) as well as an adorable toddler. I don't think a Kaylee or a Bella ages well, just as I don't think Cyndi, Kitty, Queenie, Bunty or Staci aged well for previous generations.

[flick]

Of course your name doesn't define you - but a name should grow with a person. I'm sorry, but Kayleigh is never going to look anything other than silly on a professional adult. It has a lot of "cutesy" sounds and an over the top, ridiculous spelling. I majored in HR, I cannot imagine sitting down and interviewing these kids and taking them seriously. Deborah may have been "trendy" back then, but it's a name with a long history of usage and not a lot in the way "cutesy" sounds in it. Names these days have no substance and all sound absolutely "adorable" and always will, which won't be so hot when you are 38 years old.

[ninanoo]

I believe my name is one of those that hasn't aged well. "Stacy". No matter what, people will always see Stacy as an air-headed cheerleader who doesn't have a single thought in that pretty little head of hers. Trust me, i know. When i talk to people and i say something half intellegent people either, a. Look at me weird.... b. Wait for someone else to confirm what i've said.... c. Ignore me all together.... d. Argue with me.

I have thought about changing my name, but id hate to offend my mom, and it would be too confusing for my kiddo.

[sheflieswithherownwings]

That's your opinion; many names like the ones you mention are creative. Today we lack the creative genius that create people who can problem solve, resolve conflict, and those that contribute to productive society. Remember at one time your name was made up. I’m highly educated and my daughter name is Raylan, it not your name that defines you it’s what you contribute to society.

That actually isn't true because names have history and meaning, and they originate from somewhere. A lot of 'names' being used today do not have any history, meaning and are simply just made up. My post before wasn't to insult parents of Raylan's but it does not have a meaning or any history and therefore will not age very well because as Nameberry states it is a 'modern invented name'.

I understand that a name doesn't define a person but people have an idea, right or wrong, in their head about names and that's just life. Like there are some names that just scream 'naughty'. Although these days with all the kr8ive made up/child-ish/silly spellings/nicknames/boys names on girl's a lot of people will assume things about that child's parents.

[amberdaydream]

I'm on the fence about this. My name is Amber C@it, I always worry about how it'll look on job applications when I'm older, and the kind of impression it gives people. And now I'm doing my exams and GCSE coursework, we have to put our full names on the paper and I am always scared of how it'll look to the examiner. Sometimes I wish I was called something more substantial, like Amber Catherine. But I still quite like my name, I think I actually like the fact it's not all solid and serious.

OK, I'm not so on the fence. I think that if you want to use a name you're concerned won't age well, you should team it up with a solid middle name. I remember a thread about Lexie so I'll use that as an example:
Lexie Elizabeth
Lexie Katherine
Lexie Victoria
Lexie Evangeline
Lexie Olivia
Lexie Anneliese
Lexie Marianne
Lexie Susannah
Lexie Adelaide

A fun fn with a strong, serious mn can work wonders, I think.

[chloe_belle]

I assumed names like Allie, Ollie, Ella were all trendy names from todays time..until I realized that my great great grandparents named their girls Allie Ollie Ella Lilla and Lola, all names I previously couldn't see as old.

[catloverd]

I think any name ages well honestly. I mean you grow up with it and then it doesn't matter. A Lexie is a Lexie whether she is 10 or 80. My fiance' was the same with Luna. He thought it fit better on a little girl, but not an older woman, apparently a lot of berries thought Luna aged fine, better than Lunette. To me it did sound a little cutesy and weird to say Grandma Luna, but when you meet someone with that name who is old, you realize it works.

I think any name can age fine. I'm sure people are going to disagree, but there are people with those names so obviously it works.

On the Stacy thing, I know two Stacy's, both were not cheer leaders and actually very tom boyish. I don't think you can stereotype names. Brittany was thought to be a slutty name by a lot of people, but the Brittany I knew was very kind, caring and generous. She was the exact opposite. I never could imagine it being a slutty name.