Don’t dismiss Nanna's name, she's on trend - and it's all thanks to Taylor Swift

This baby-naming expert shares 'vintage maximalism' names with a modern twist. 

Vintage girl names are back in fashion - and we have Taylor to thank for it. Photo: Instagram

When it comes to decisions that parents make for their children, choosing a name is one of the most important - and stressful.

There are endless names to choose from and can be a point of contention whether you choose a trendy or traditional name. Ultimately, we want their names to fit their personality, be a name that ages well and is easy to pronounce.

Sounds simple enough, right?

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Vintage names have been gaining popularity among new parents for a few years now. They are classic, charming and often a nod to beloved family members. Baby naming expert Jenn Ficarra, @nomdebloomingnaming, has gone viral on TikTok for her take on modernising "old lady names".

And yes, we’re a little obsessed with these modern nicknames. 

Beautiful old names, but with a modern twist

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“They’re classic, they’re effortless, they’re timeless, they’re chic… they work. Old lady names are growing and I'm obsessed with it,” she says in her video with almost 2 million views. 

In two separate clips, Jenn breaks down how these names have come into the zeitgeist again, and how to give them a cool nickname. "I love a grandma name with a modern nickname. They're classic, they're effortless, they're timeless, they're chic, they're fun, and they're trendy," she says in her TikTok.

Jenn's top pick? Beatrice with Bea as the nickname. She also loves Wilhelmina - Billie/Hellie for short. 

Many of the “old lady names” have become popular again thanks to Taylor Swift and her Evermore album, Dorothea and Marjorie - who is Taylor’s grandmother.  Plenty of celebs have also jumped on board the vintage trend - Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds named their third child Betty; Keira Knightley's two children are named Edie and Delilah; Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner's daughter is called Violet. 

"I think this whole vintage trend is about people wanting something bright and bold and fun and not being as muted anymore, coupled with — it still offers a singular identity because people are really interested in their kids being one-of-one in a class," Jenn said in a recent podcast. 

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The American naming expert mentioned Gladys as one of frontrunners - which we'd love to think could be in honour of our very own Gladys Berejiklian, the former NSW Premier, who gained popularity during the pandemic. Jenn even spins her modern wisdom on Gladys with nicknames, Addie and Daisy.    

New parents are loving the old-school names 

The naming expert has many followers, expecting couples and even those not planning for babies who are loving the new trend. While some of her followers were surprised to learn that their chosen names had been labelled as nanna names.

"Girl I'm going to need you to gatekeeper these, five of them are literally in my notes app from the last two years 😅," someone laughed.

“Not me just recently naming my daughter Hazel. #OldLadyNameGang,” another mother contributed. 

Expecting parents are now looking further back in their family trees to name their children, with the stigma of the dated names slowly lifting. According to BabyNames.com founder Jennifer Moss, this trend isn't going anywhere and once the Swifties are behind it, you know it's going to be a trend! 

Originally published as Don’t dismiss Nanna's name, she's on trend - and it's all thanks to Taylor Swift