I worked with a woman whose name is Echo and she’s a total, complete, batshit crazy flake! Think of all the most inane glurge that has ever come thru your email, and I guarantee she was within six degrees of its forwarding! It was so nice when she quit that job… sorry, off topic. :o
I had an aunt who was born in Poland - her name was Stanislawa, but as an American, she became Stella. My dad’s name was Thaddeus - one doesn’t hear than very often. My mom is Loretta - another that seems to be rare these days.
I can’t stand cutesy names - yeah, your baby is tiny and soft and gurgling adorably, but that little bundle is going to be an adult some day, so pick a reasonable name that yields the nickname you want. My father in law is Bobbie. Not Robert, or Bob, but Bobbie. It doesn’t fit him at 85, it didn’t fit at 55, and I expect after he was 5 or so, it ceased fitting him.
I also can’t stand names with bizarro spellings: Khrystyne instead of Christine - really? My daughter’s a teacher - she’s seen some really, um, interesting names over the years.
Dolores and Dorothy are both depressing monikers. Anything in the Ethel- family must go. We had a family friend named Ethylene. My mother never understood when I warned her about smoking in her presence.
Definitely Ralph, Rowdy, and Randy. Just awful first names.
I dearly want to see the fad of place names used as human names go away. The nice thing about place names of Native American origin is that these seem immune. I know no Oconomowocs, Chicagos, nor Oshkoshes.
The lovely names I think need revival are Charlotte, Fern, Ruth, and Louise. For men, Leo and Albert need revival.
Delores is one of those that I think is “objectively” pretty, even though it has certain connotations / seems era specific. I’d like to see it revived. Dorothy does not sound good.
Charlotte and Louise are quite pretty, Fern is neutral, but Ruth? The initial ‘roo’ sound is not good (to my ears) and that abrupt ‘th’ is just awkward. If ever there was a perfect example of an unpronouncable restaurant name it’s Ruth’s Chris.
Those “creative” spellings always give me fits. And I almost mean that literally. They bother me so much so that I should probably get myself checked. It’s one of the many reasons why I can never be a school teacher. So, anyway, I met an Amy, spelled “Ami”. Not the worst example ever, by a very long shot, but still enough to give me a weird eyebrow twitch. Which really bugged me, because she was a perfectly nice person, and I liked her just fine otherwise.
Imagine my intense relief, then, when I happened to glance at the mailbox outside her apartment, with her full name on it, and I realized that “Ami” was actually a nickname for “Anne Marie”.
So, Ami, I guess you get a pass. Everyone else: Get that willful dyslexia sorted out, would you?
Both “Ashley” and “Tiffany” peaked in the 80s. They are not nearly as popular today. That means that there are far more 30-year-old Tiffanys around now than there are babies with that name.
E.g. Tiffany Chin, the ice skater, is 47 years old.
What I used to consider really old fashioned names are now extremely popular in the UK - Oliver, Esther, Ruby, Jacob, Eleanor (Ellie), and on and on. Nobody called their child John or Dave any more.
My aunts were all Betty, Nancy, Joan. But the best was Dorothy. Because she was universally known as Dof. Dof! Aunty Dof! When was that ever an attractive abbreviation?
As a side thingie, my friend has two old uncles (in their 80s) who are twins. Their whole lives, they have been known in the family by their childhood nicknames which referred to their hair colour (blond and brunette). So, uncle Fairy and Uncle Darkey it is. Innocent times!
I like that as a name. If my son had been a girl I was leaning toward that name, although my ex-husband hated it. It was my grandmother’s china pattern, by the way, and my mom has it now. Eventually it will be mine. I used to find the pattern kind of gaudy, but it has grown on me over the years.
Aren’t Dorothys usually shortened to “Dot”? Aunty Dorf just cracks me up though
The part about your uncles is adorable. I shall now have to get two cats, one light one dark, and name them accordingly.
**Martian Bigfoot’**s joke aside, I think Marian / Marion has a beautiful ring to it, male or female. Of course now Marian is considered an old lady’s name and Marion for a guy is just not done. Shame.
Charlotte was the tenth most popular baby name last year. So it’s being revived. Chelsea Clinton used as did the heir to the throne in England.
That is a really pretty pattern! I was grateful eldest was girl. DH and I argued about boy’s names. He wanted some very Irish names I hated. I threated him with Yitzcock or Yankel.
What I think is weird is that so many of these names started out as having understood meanings. The names changed (or didn’t) separately from the language and so now we’ve lost the connection. Names like “Ashley” which meant [something] along the lines of Ash [tree] lea [tract of open ground].
Same with the name Wesley and Stanley (West Lea and Stone Lea respectively).
The name Albert from æþel-berht meaning Noble-Bright, or Edgar meaning wealth-spear, also Edwin meaning wealth-friend, and Winfrid meaning friend-peace (from friþ meaning peace).
All these names started out as actual words or phrases and most of that is lost to us (aside from names like “Hope” and “Faith” where we still understand it)
It probably wasn’t the best joke of my not-so-illustrious career of lame quips and one-liners.
Although, John Wayne was actually who I was thinking of. There’s a reason he went by John Wayne. Being a macho western star called “Marion” is practically like being a boy named Sue.
I DO let them call me whatever they want. It is a hassle though. Cashing a check made out to Lisa Simpson can be dicey. A former bank of mine would not cash a check…even with a Drivers License, Birth Certificate, Governent issued (photo ID)health card; my passport, a credit card issued in my full name and a credit card with middle name only. They refused to cash a “third party check.”
It’s me dammit.
I went to a credit union, opened an account, and Never looked back.
Still… I advise parents. Unless there is a really good family reason, just plan to call your child by his first name.
My son has an old English name that is a plural of a noun. He likes it and puns with it. I hope he always appreciates it. His middle name is my surname.
My paternal grandmother and grandfather gave all their childrenn two middle names. Some of them worked well together, others…not so well.
Ruth Esther Dorothea? Individually ok, but together, not so good.
Amanda Hilda Pauline? grrrrr
But their sister had a lovely, almost royal combo, Charlotte Sophia Louisa
The brothers did better, except for my own father. All of his names started with the same letter, Harold Harry Herbert. I can’t say much for my grandparent’s naming conventions.
I once knew a woman named Floydene Earlene, by a father who despaired of getting a son.
