Names

[eccentric]

did hear from someone who worked in a local office of Births,Deaths etc. She and her cohorts would stick up on the notice board any unusual names.....such as.....Mr & Mrs Pipe announce the arrival of their son, Dwayne...

[spymum]

I've always found the very pukka girls name 'Candida' to be hysterically funny. Apologies to any Candida's out there, btw.

spymum

(Blog: Posh Mum)

[bagpuss78]

My cousin married a portugese lady called Candida and she is a gynogologist fancy that!

[spymum]

Very appropriately professional! :))

spymum

(Blog: Posh Mum)

[Michael Palaeologus]

My colleague (Mrs Bird) has recently had a baby girl 3 months premature (mother and child doing well.

I suggested "Early" as a suitable name for the new-born. Her husband is "Richard".

[dulwichmum]

Mr Mikewbate,

That really is very cute. :))

DM X

[tiddles]

names.... when I was at school they were

david, stephen, simon, gary,andrew, wayne, dean and sean

sharon, tracey, susan,jane/jayne,cheryl/sheryl

my daughter is surrounded by emily, elsie, lily, jessica, and other assorted victoriana plus bizarre modern ones shereena, kashala etc etc

boys - alfie, archie, max, jo, jack, bill and george, reece, tyreece, kwalana etc

I wait in anticipation of the first grandchilds name..... (i'll be too old to care I'm sure)

[James]

Ruby is getting a bit popular for girls again isn't it? Does this herald the return of 'dinner lady' names like Jean and Betty in an ironic fashion?

My partner works in a South London comprehensive where there are a number of Chanels. I also once read a story in Take A Break (yes, I know) about a woman whose kids were called Bentley, Mercedes and (wait for it) Saab. Seriously. Apparentoly she liked cars.

Personally I would like to see an upsurge of Redneck American names like Chip, Judd and Hank. Am trying to persuade my heavily pregnant sister to name her child accordingly... alas she is unconvinced :'(

[Ant]

Randy... now there's a much-underused name.

[Keef]

True story... A friend of mine used to have a boyfriend called Luke... Last name... Warmwater! Seriously.

[Incitatus]

A friend once met an American called Randy who complained about "you Brits always sniggering at my name?, stifling his own giggles my friend politely reassured him though it had certain connotations in the UK, Randy was a fine name and that not all British people were that juvenile.

The American thanked him but said it happens every time he meets a Brit, they always fall about laughing "all I have to say is "Hi I'm Randy Bender""

[*Bob*]

One of my friends teaches at a college in Hackney.

There are three sisters there: Twins - Delicious and Precious - and their sister, Shanette.

[ratty]

I have an Uncle Boysie and an Aunt Girly as my nana could not think of names at the time!

Classy!

[louisiana]

According to recent research, a girl's name can have a real impact on her career decisions. Girly names, apparently, tend to lead to traditional professions/jobs. 'Alex' may become a firefighter or an architect, but 'Isobel' will more likely become a nurse etc.

Or somesuch. Do not name your offspring Jane and John if you have any ambition for them.

But, as they probably didn't control for other variables (parental wealth and ambition etc), that's probably a load of rubbish.

My grandfather was Cripsin, which I've always liked, and which has never become fashionable. Your child does not want the same name as everyone else (unless they live in a Catholic country, where everyone has the same state-approved, generally religious, names, by law).

And how on earth can people name their children Freddie or Jack? These are not names, they are nick names. That's very non-U.

The one thing I really object to is the books that title themselves 'Choosing a name for your baby' or 'Baby names' or similar. You are not naming a baby: this person has to live with the choice for the rest of their life.

[dulwichmum]

In this post I promise not to exaggerate - just for today I shall post as myself...

My mother had a brother called Joseph and my father had a brother called Anthony. Both were born in the same maternity hospital in Dublin (Ireland) called "The Rotunda" in the 1950's. Any baby born in that hospital around then, immediately had their name entered in the birth register and so on their birth certificate and later their passport.

Some babies were born with the mother not immediately certain of what name to give the child. These children all had their name entered on the birth register as "Mary" so that the Blessed Virgin (RC country) would look after and protect them. Hence I had two uncles called Mary! (Behind their back you understand? - Joseph and Anthony to their faces...)

My uncle Joe was particularly unhappy about this, oh how we laughed around his hospital bed when he was unwell about a decade ago. My lovely cousin Mark begged him not to die, and promised my uncle Joe that if he did dare to pass away when his family loved and needed him so, the name Mary would go on his grave stone.

In a graveyard in Leicestershire, my uncle was burried, his grave stone makes very interesting reading!

[Nero]

I read that one teacher said she had two children in her class called 'Unique'. Nero

[SeanMacGabhann]

DM

Is that what John Wayne's real name was Mary? Oh no wait - that was Marion

Somebody (male) famous has Mary has a name...

[dulwichmum]

You see Mr MacGabhann,

You know this is true!

[Dub]

Sean, there's always Mr Gabriel Mary Byrne, him that used to be on the Late Late....tho that probably doesnt qualify him as 'famous'...

DM, love the story, one of my mates has a father with the name Assumpta....different hospital, same idea....

[dulwichmum]

Dear Dub,

I don't believe I have noticed you posting here before. May I take the opportunity to welcome you to the forum - and say how I admire your name?

You know I could have chosen that name for myself sweetie!

DM

[SeanMacGabhann]

That's the problem with Dublin.. it's not Cork

;-)

[SimonM]

>>>Some babies were born with the mother not immediately certain of what name to give the child. These children all had >>>their name entered on the birth register as "Mary" so that the Blessed Virgin (RC country) would look after and >>>protect them. Hence I had two uncles called Mary! (Behind their back you understand? - Joseph and Anthony to their faces...)

Oh this story has real resonance for me, as my father, born 1923, was almost called "Mary" too, as the Priest (for a reason I have never been able to estabish) thought this a wonderful notion, so he did. This was not Ireland, but South Yorkshire, although my grandfather was catholic and his parents had both been Irish. My grandmother however was Chapel and bigger than my grandfather so the Priest was shown the door...:))

[Polly D]

Same in Spain; many men are called Mar?a. Ex-president was Jos? Mar?a Aznar for example. Big girls' blouse.

[mockney piers]

It's less prevalent these days but Spanish names can be downright scarily catholic. Apart from a penchant for calling chaps things like Angel and Jesus, the girls' names are bonkers.

It wouldn't be uncommon to meet a group of girls called variously

Rosary The Ascension Of Our Blessed Virgin Butcher

Rapture Our Lady of Santiago Baker

Purity The Coming of the Saints Candlestickmaker

poor darlings

*he he Polly, great minds....*

[Polly D]

Hee hee, good one MP. Also, lot's of: "My name's Juan, so's my Dad's, and my grandfather's and great-grandfather's and so on ... and this is my sister Mar?a, mother Mar?a, grandmother Mar?a and so on ... ". Yawn yawn.

On a different note, there was a girl in my middle school called Princess Lazenbee.