Why did Audrey "come back" so soon?

[ckevans]

A discussion on another board prompts me to get input from you all, too.

In general, names that were previously popular in the past (especially for girls) seem to need to have been "out of fashion" for about 90 to 120 years before they are available to really "come back" into style. That seems to be because most young parents will not give daughters names that they remember having been the names of living women. If the name is popular in your own mother's or grandmother's generation, it sounds "old", "ugly", or "boring"; if it's from back in your great-grandmother's generation, it can start to sound "retro", "cool", and "fresh" again.

But there are exceptions to every general rule, and one of the most striking to me is the career of Audrey in the USA. Audrey's previous high point of use in the USA was in the late 1920s and early 1930s; there are lots of Audreys still alive who are in their 60s, 70s, and 80s. But the name began to revive again in the 1980s, and for the last 4 years has actually been back among the top 100 names for American girls. Why is Audrey such an exception to the general rule? What is it about this name that allows young parents to see it as being a good name for a baby when most of the other female names of its previous time period (Ethel, Wanda, Irene, Marjorie, Beverly, etc.) still seem beyond the pale to the average expectant mother? What are your ideas? :)

[snow]

My guess: It's is because of Audrey Hepburn being such an icon of cool simple style. Young women admire her greatly and think of her as timeless. So her name gets that association.

[speechykeen]

Ditto snow ... it has Old Hollywood charm. And she was in those Gap ads a few years back, remember? :haha:

[Jenaphora]

No real insight, but I've often wondered the same thing. I was, and still am to an extent, shocked by its sudden popularity. I personally still can't get 'into' it yet.

[IDreamOfPhoebe]

I have no idea, over here it is in the top 1,000 but nowhere near the top 100 :no:.

[PrincessL23]

Yup, I'd guess Audrey Hepburn too.
Plus that's Faith Hill's real name, isn't it? And it seems that some celebs are using it - Faith & Tim's daughter and Sara Evans' daughter come to mind.

[KNY]

Because Faith Hill's real name is Audrey Faith. And then about 4 years ago, she named her 3rd daughter Audrey Caroline. (ETA just googled - turns out it was about 6 years ago)

(or, ditto Lauren)

[kbear23]

I would guess b/c of the Audrey Hepburn correlation also. And since celebrities do have such an influence on our lives, Faith & Tim using it could def. increase a names' popularity, imo.

Is Audriana/anna popular at all right now? Some people could like that name but prefer a "simpler" version. I know there is a soap opera character named Audriana . . .

[live_love_laugh]

I agree with the Audrey Hepburn and Faith & Tim associations. My theory though probably way off is that when Aubrey came onto the scene it helped bring Audrey back in a way.

[MrsKappy]

I'd have to reiterate what everyone else is saying.

Audrey Hepburn.

She has come back with a vengeance in my opinion. Old Hollywood is really in right now.

IMO, it doesn't have the same "old" feeling as Ethel, Wanda, Beverly etc. It still seems young and "in".

Also, the Faith&Tim association, I could see it but not everyone will know it because of this unless they're big Faith&Tim fans. The first person that pops in my head when you say Audrey is Audrey Hepburn.

[PapillonBleu]

Audrey was one of my top 3 girl names for the longest time... mainly back when I was in middle school/high school. (Mid - late nineties.) Still like the name a lot, but not to the degree that I loved it before. I'm trying to remember what it was that drew me to the name initially. I wasn't into Audrey Hepburn at the time, so that wasn't it. I think MrsKappy hit the nail on the head with her observation that the name simply doesn't have the same "old" sound/look to it as names such as Gladys, Nancy, Betty, Beverly, Barbara, etc. It's an established name that isn't overly common... and it's beautiful to boot!

[tamtam81]

Ditto the others on the Audrey Hepburn correlation. But I also think in a way, the name never really went away. I remember back when I was about 7 (so 1988) I told my mom I was going to have a daughter named Audrey one day. It was not overly popular back then, and I didn't have any family members or friends with the name...but I must have heard it from somewhere! It's an ageless classic to me...like Sarah or Katherine.

[Sobes]

That's the deal, though, it's not a classic, Audrey hasn't nearly as widely or for nearly as long as either of those names.

[KohlOwenPark]

I don't have much to add as I feel the other gals covered a lot of the reasons. But I want to say I am in my 30s and I remember watching National Lampoons Vacation movies as a youngster and thinking Audrey was the weirdest name for a preteen/teenager. It was in the same category for me as my friends named Bernadette, Barbara and Maxine all born in the early 70s - and whose names stood out like a soar thumb among the average girls name in my class.

Maybe because of this I am with Jenny I still can't get into it though it is my new nieces mn, after my dh's grandmother ;)

[tamtam81]

That's the deal, though, it's not a classic, Audrey hasn't nearly as widely or for nearly as long as either of those names.

Sarah and Katherine were just examples of classics, albeit popular examples. Jane is another example of a classic...a name that hasn't been above the popularity of #395 on the SSI index in over 15 years. Yet I don't think most people would argue that it's not a classic name just because it's not very popular right now, and hasn't been for a while. Audrey has been hovering at the 100/200 mark or higher for decades now. In fact, in the last 100 years, it has never been below #279, and has usually been much higher. In my opinion, that qualifies it as being around enough to be a classic, and to me, proves my opinion that it never really went away.

[lunastar]

A lot of it has to do with the sound, imo. It has a popular feminine ending to it, the "ee" sound, similar to Ashley, Chelsea, Katie, etc. It also (to some people) might have kind of a "prepster" similarity to Aubrey (like Megan said), Courtney, etc. I knew two Audreys in high school (born in early 80's), but their names were unusual.

[WillCall]

this one caught my eye since we are considering Audrey for #3.

i'd agree that the Audrey Hepburn connection is just timeless, but like a couple other posters mention that those of us of a certain generation grew up watching the National Lampoon movies w/ the daughter named Audrey. so both the actress and that character are what pop out at me when i hear the name. I also agree that the crossover of Aubrey to the girl side may have spurred Audrey back on the charts. Aubrey might have been too trendy for some who like the sound but preferred like I do the more "classicness" of Audrey.

another reason we like the name though is that as Catholics, Audrey is a saint name. so it gets kind of that bonus point of not only fitting in current trends but having long standing roots in our faith.

[Kestrel]

I have no idea why it's so popular; it still sounds SO old and dated to me :shuffle: