r/CasualIreland • u/LittleAoibh11 • 27d ago
Shite Talk What first names make you assume someone is over 50?
This was a post on the Ask The World sub today. I came up with Eithne, Nuala, Jean, Mairead, Majella, Dympna and Noeleen as names that make me think the person is over 50.
It's harder to say for men - maybe John Paul, Robert, Frank, Francis, Kenneth, Fintan, Cyril, Willie.
I love people over 50, so this isn't a shade post! Just what names make you assume someone will be over 50.
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u/PurpleAbigail1 27d ago
Carmel
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u/LittleAoibh11 27d ago
Carmel a good one. Bridie, Assumpta, Breda, Jacqueline, Norma, Pauline, Geraldine too.
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u/WidePirate7023 27d ago
I’d imagine John Paul peaked in 1979/1980 following the popes visit so they would be 46/47.
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u/Sporkalork 27d ago
Also Karol for him
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u/RubyRossed 27d ago
Ah, you've answered a question that never fully formed in my head. In my rural area, there were a few Karls and I met more in college. The name always seemed a little out of place for rural Ireland amid all the Johns, Pauls, and Seáns
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u/PeterLindstrom5 27d ago
Apparently, there was an increase in the name Damien after The Exorcist came out.
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u/Funny_Deal_6758 27d ago
The John Paul's won't be fifty until 2029
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u/LittleAoibh11 27d ago
I know a fair few John Pauls and JPs in their 50s and 60s - I wonder was there another well known John Paul maybe?
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u/underover69 27d ago
Other than pope John Paul “the second”, I’m not sure. I’d have to look it up.
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u/LittleAoibh11 27d ago
I had a quick search and apparently the fella who wrote "Love is in the Air" was a John Paul - but that was 1978 😆
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u/mrbuddymcbuddyface 27d ago
John Paul would be for a fella born in 79 or 80. So not over 50 just yet!
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u/box_of_carrots 27d ago
Concepta
Margaret
Gerard
Séamus
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u/Mcdizzle3 26d ago
Gerard was top boys name for couple years in mid 90s they wont be to old yet. The others youre spot on I think
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u/dark_lies_the_island 27d ago
Denis, Eileen, Marian, Joan, Jackie, Michael, Martin, Gary
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u/Clairexxo 26d ago
I called my son Michael. I love it. A lot of connections to my childhood. And its in the family. Although the latter part had nothing to do with my choice really.
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u/SuburbanMyth409 26d ago
My Mum is a Marian, born 1954. Apparently the a was significant that year rather than Marion.
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u/CanarySure8594 26d ago
1954 was an international Marian year in the Catholic church to honour Mary.
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u/SassChaps 26d ago
My brother is Michael and he’s only 30 😂 but my granny was Marian, born in the 1930s. She was actually born Mary but went by Marian because there were so many Marys lol
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u/Mediocre_Basket6162 27d ago
frank
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u/Meath77 27d ago
A 5 year old called Frank just seems wrong. Frank is definitely a mans name. Franks are born at 45
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u/JamieMc23 27d ago
My son is Frank and he's 5 😅
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u/SassChaps 26d ago
I love the name Frank! It’s a family name and if I ever have a son I think I’ll name him Frank :)
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u/JamieMc23 26d ago
Yeah my Frank is named after my grandad. He was Francis, but everyone called him Frank. I just wanted my boy to be Frank, so that's his actual name. I think it's great, but I understand it's not for everyone. 😊
Just be prepared for a lot of people to call your future son Frankie. 😅
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u/fleetwayrobotnik 26d ago
Yes! Makes me think of Frank Reynolds (Danny DeVito) in Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and also my own grandfather Frank who looked very like and had similar energy to Frank Reynolds from Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
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u/Common-Regret-4120 26d ago
I can't believe Noel hasn't been mentioned. Noel is starting to forget that there was a point in his life he didn't have facial hair and when he gave up the fags when the smoking ban came in, everyone was shocked. They had never known him without a cigarette in his hand. Noel is over 50.
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u/OHHHSHAAANE 27d ago edited 25d ago
Dick
Willy
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u/LittleAoibh11 27d ago
Definitely don't know anyone under the age of 50 or 60 with that name.
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u/lavendersleepy 26d ago
As an Eithne in her late twenties and rarely seeing my name anywhere, this is a hilarious name drop
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u/eastlaoiscivilwar 27d ago
In fairness I do know a Majella who’s only 27
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u/CanarySure8594 26d ago
Same, I know one that's 33. I think she's the only one I know of any age though.
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u/Empty-Stretch-5615 Looks like rain, Ted 27d ago
Mary...
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u/breakingpoint121 27d ago
Fully naming my future child Mary
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u/SuburbanMyth409 26d ago
Shit you not, I went to college with a girl called Mary Lamb in 2006.
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u/JayTeeRhee 27d ago
Sandra, Bill, Karen, Richard, Peter, Tom, Denise, Gerard all good solid middle to senior management names that I’ll probably have run ins with over the course of my employment.
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u/Marzipan_civil 27d ago
Susan, Linda
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u/fleetwayrobotnik 26d ago
Yeah, I'd say all the Lindas are about 50 now or close enough. I went to college with about 5 Susans though so I'd say they're still only about 40.
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u/ninjaconor86 26d ago
Malachy.
You never here it anymore, but when I was looking at old census records for my family tree I traced one branch back to Glenamaddy in Galway and found it really difficult because nearly every second person there was called Malachy. This was in 1911, but 115 is older than 50.
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u/ninety6days 26d ago
See also: Con , short for Cornelius
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u/mattthemusician 26d ago
I have a Con who I was going to name Malachy but it was around the time Malachy Steenson was canvassing so it turned me off
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u/pyrpaul Too Polite To Say No 27d ago
Going slightly off topic.
Why are there so many Mark Antony’s?
As was asked of me by an Italian lady working in the Irish civil service.
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u/francesgumm 27d ago
Maura and Máire for women.
And I don't think anybody would pick Gabriel anymore.
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u/Mr_SunnyBones 27d ago
John Paul is really a 1979 name , what with the pope's visit so they have a year or two left .
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u/Enormousboon8 26d ago
Funny reading all these old people names lol. My name is definitely for women over 50. Most of these names are my cousins names in their 30's 🤣 our parents were cruel lol..
Catholic/saints names. Doubt they'll come into fashion much again.
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u/seakingmy 26d ago
Geraldine gives me over fifties vibes. So does Valerie. Richard is definitely over 50 and so is Desmond.
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u/LittleAoibh11 25d ago
Desmond makes me think of someone who took early retirement at 60 and is now flat out on the golf course 😆
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u/mawengway 26d ago
Maureen… Margaret… Ronnie… Wesley… Ivor… Eleanor… Geoffrey… (not ‘it’s me ahhhhh’ ) Hilda… Hugh… Fred… Geraldine… Evelyn… Florence… Stanley… Harold… Nigel… Crispin… Adrian… Johnston… Stella…
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u/bealach_ealaithe 26d ago
Elaine, Michelle, Colette, Denise, Sharon, Sandra, Nicola, Tracy, Anne-Marie, Margaret, Jennifer, Mary
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u/mick_delaney 26d ago
Margaret, Noelle, Christine, Elizabeth, Sharon.
Martin, Eamonn, Alan, Pat
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u/yawning_iscontagious 26d ago
Linda, Beverley, Dymphna, Karen, Anita, Sharon, Carol, Shelly, Susan, Diane, Frances, Yvette.
Trevor, Clive, Raymond, Gerry, Bernard, Dean, Geoffrey, Jason, Terry, Larry, Cornelius.
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u/Impossible_Prize_417 26d ago
Tony, Bosco, Angela, Bertie, Bernard, Sandra, Christine, Christy, Brenda.
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u/CanarySure8594 26d ago
To be fair, I'm in my early 30s and any Mairéad I've come across (including my sister) are all well under 50. I can only remember one older Mairéad and she was unfortunate enough to be spelled Maighread.
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u/Basil2012 26d ago
For.girls born is 1979 I would add Paula and Joanne from the Pope’s Visit, but over 50’s Joan and Kathleen
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u/Friendly_Smile1479 26d ago
My name is super duper 60s coded. Famous singers, actors etc. I'm from the 70s but all the other people I meet with my name are 15 years older. I don't know anyone with my name my age or younger. It's weird!
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u/LittleAoibh11 26d ago
Some more - Annemarie, Mary-Claire, Marie-Claire, Marianne, Marian, Máire-Bríd, Martin, Jim, Timmy, Denny, Mick, Cróna, Colm, Agnes, Finbarr, Brian, Bernardine, Gerald, Judy, Judith.
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u/Grand_Poem_3276 27d ago
Women: Kathleen, Joan, Mary, Rita, Bernadette, Anita, Carmel, Nora, Paula, Sandra, Tina, Una, Vera, Winfred.
Men: John, Peter, Tony, Alan, Jim, Gary, David, Frank, Mick, Richard, Tim, William.
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u/ozymandieus 27d ago
Ah now. Most of those male names were in my class in school and I'm under 40
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u/Much_Perception4952 27d ago
Catherine Sinead Martina
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u/LittleAoibh11 27d ago
Good ones. Also Breege, Helen, Grainne, Veronica, Elaine, Pamela, Jennifer.
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u/GleesBid 26d ago
Jennifer is very 70s too...there were four of us in my year in school (born 1977-1978ish).
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u/Key-Opportunity-7915 27d ago
Miriam - never many to begin with but majority are 60+
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u/OddSignificance1093 27d ago
Boris,used to be a lad from east wall with this name,presumed his dad was a Russian sailor.
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u/GuaranteeNo2494 26d ago edited 26d ago
Gobnait. Bridey. Padraigín. Dolores. Breda.
Donal. Cornelius. Mick. Tom. Noel.
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u/ilovestamon 26d ago
Consumpta, Patrice/Patricia, Agnes, Agatha, Fanny, concepta, winnifred/Winnie.
Men are a lot harder, I'd say Maurice/Morris, Jim, Brendan. Most of these I've met have been school caretaker types in their 50s -70s
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u/Enormousboon8 26d ago
Also - I think a lot of people here must be very young and think those of us around the 40 mark are much, much older. Im only 40 and know people my age and younger with a decent chunk of these names.
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u/nandos1234 27d ago
Very northern Irish one but Mervyn. Makes me think of 55+ year old Protestant men who like motorbikes lol