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BS: The MOST British given name of all is...
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: artbrooks Date: 08 Nov 07 - 07:33 PM Can't use that one, Snail. LH's rule is names that are pretty much limited to people born in the UK. Heard of Hilary Clinton? (ok - so she spells it with two Ls) |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: number 6 Date: 08 Nov 07 - 07:44 PM what's with the Brits naming their male child .... Viv ?? biLL |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: The Walrus Date: 08 Nov 07 - 08:23 PM Emma, Amelia, Violet, Rita, Nell (as a name, not a contraction) Herbert, Albert Any of those qualify? Little Hawk, "...And the British warships that bore Roman and Greek names! HMS Justinian, HMS Neptune, HMS Hermes, HMS Agamemnon, HMS Achilles...the list goes on and on. This was because the British saw their empire as the natural inheritor of the ancient glories of Greece and Rome, destined like the Greeks and Romans before them to dominate the world of their time...and for awhile they did..." An interesting theory, except that, at the time (late 18th/early 19th Century) most maritime nations named some, or all, of their fleet after classical characters, which could cause problems with captured ships pressed into service, for example the RN had, at the same time, a Nymph, a Nymphe (ex French) and a Nymphen (ex Danish)[OK, not classical names, but the first examples which came to mind]. It's worth remembering that 'the Classics' were an essential part of any European Gentleman's education. W |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: TheSnail Date: 08 Nov 07 - 08:36 PM artbrooks Heard of Hilary Clinton? Oh yeah. Wasn't she married to someone? Any male Hilarys? |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: Greg B Date: 08 Nov 07 - 08:43 PM What about Colin? --- Gregory William Vincent Bullough (how do you pick up one like that in California?) |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: Sorcha Date: 08 Nov 07 - 09:52 PM Oh yes, there are Colins in the US, but they are called Colons usually. If you want a Colin, you need to spell it Collin. American names...Tom, Dick, Harry, Jimmy, Billy Bob, Mary Jane, Mandy Sue, Betty Lou, we seem to be enamoured of the 'ie/ee' sound. Mary,Kathy, Shirley, (wasn't Shirley a male name first), Tommy, Dickie, Rusty, Billy...etc ad nauseum. Not sure about the UK or rest of the world but creative spelling is the newest thing in names here. Jade has turned into Jada, Jaeda, Jaydea, Shayda,Jayedah etc....just make up any combination of sounds and name your kid. Me first...DeJaynee Reevon.And that is not even that unusual anymore. 'Most' of these creative spellings seem to belong to black American people, or is that a racist comment? I've seen the name Deon spelt Deeawwn. Maybe because the parents really can't spell? Or are they just being creative? |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: GUEST,JennieG wasting time at work Date: 08 Nov 07 - 10:01 PM Roderick Jasper My British-born grandfather had a sister named Remillion...surname Eldridge, quite a mouthful methinks Cheers JennieG |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: Sorcha Date: 08 Nov 07 - 10:04 PM Knew a man whose Persona re enactment name was Evelyn Deth. He was kinda weird anyway. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: TRUBRIT Date: 08 Nov 07 - 10:23 PM Art - Peter Wimsey - my favorite sleuth!!!!!! Bil - Viv is the shortened name of Vivian which, while not common in the UK for a male - is certanly not uncommon... |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: Rowan Date: 08 Nov 07 - 10:33 PM Richard Bridge seems to think that my name is found only in UK. Sigh! Actually most of the list of putative UK names (Nigel, Trevor etc; even Tarquin) seem to occur with a fair frequency here. But it's a long time since I came across (in Oz) Cyril Cecil Cedric Evelyn (a bloke) Vivian (ditto) Peregrin (as distinct from Perry). My sister's names are Roslyn & Hilary and I know various wome with Penelope, Daphne, Prue and even Prudence (as well as the other virtues like Faith, Hope, Charity and Verity) so I wouldnt count them as particularly UK. Don't see Beryl, Molly, or Polly often these days in Oz, either. Savannah (as a woman's name rather than a vegetation type) I associate with the US, along with Duke and Earl as given names. Cheers, Rowan |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: GUEST,Phil Date: 09 Nov 07 - 12:11 AM I think ARFUR is terribly British |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: akenaton Date: 09 Nov 07 - 02:49 AM Bobad's message is slightly out of date, Muhammed is now in the "top ten" boys names in the UK. Does anyone find that even slightly disturbing?..Ake |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: John MacKenzie Date: 09 Nov 07 - 04:14 AM Hey at least we don't call kids horny, or Randy as you do. With things the way they are in this PC obsessed country, anybody who comes over here and says, "Hi I'm Randy" is likely to be arrested for sexual harassment. G |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: Catherine Jayne Date: 09 Nov 07 - 04:17 AM My Grandpa was called Walter. Harry is also short (don't know how) for Henry. I've known an Alfred, Beatrice. My Grandma is Marjorie. I know a couple of Penelopes....one is on here although it is her middle name. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: Richard Bridge Date: 09 Nov 07 - 04:29 AM Well, yes, I would have expected Rowan to be pretty well purely Scottish. I never met a Rowan in Australia in the 3 years I lived there. But in the home counties I did know a family with three daughters and a love of the classics. Their three daughters were Theucydida. Lulubelle (not so british!) and - wait for it - Candida! |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: John MacKenzie Date: 09 Nov 07 - 04:30 AM There's an old lady up the road from here called Ada, now that's a name you don't hear often these days. G |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: rich-joy Date: 09 Nov 07 - 04:33 AM Rowan, do you recall that TV comedy skit in Oz from the 70s, where the Supermarket Supervisor, (possibly) Noeline Brown, reeled off the list of Aussie sheilas, with a request to "come to the checkout, pleeeeze!" e.g. noelene jolene raylene kaylene shirlene lurlene marlene sharlene paulene doreen gaylene darlene ..... It was very funny in broad Strine! Cheers! R-J |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: Mr Happy Date: 09 Nov 07 - 04:37 AM From'Famous Five' - 'Uncle Quentin!' |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: Megan L Date: 09 Nov 07 - 04:38 AM What about Euphemia, Hortensia and Eulaly oh and has anyone mentioned Horatio? |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: ard mhacha Date: 09 Nov 07 - 04:39 AM What no Norman, In the north of Ireland, Myrtle, Heather,Violet,Daphne,all Protestant ladies, and I may have left the odd plant out. In most cases we can tell the religion of the person by their name, Cecil, Samuel [wee Sammy],Howard, Stewart,Robert[full title], Campbell, lots of surnames used as first names by the Protestants,Wesley,Ivor, Trevor,William, and there`s more. The Catholic ladies,Aine, Attracta,Aileen,Bridget,Brid,Deirdre,Dervla,Dymphna,Eilis,Ethna,Finola, Ita,Roisin, and there is lots more. The Catholic male can be, Aloysius,Art,Barney,Benedict,Brendan,Cathal,Conor,Donal,Dermot,Eugene, Jarlath,Kieran,Kevin,Killian,Lorcan,Malachy,Manus,Oisin,Patrick,Seamus,and many more. The above name with a few exceptions are the recognizable brands of the north of Ireland divide. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: Mr Happy Date: 09 Nov 07 - 04:42 AM For 'catters in the colonies, 'Famous 5' here: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=g_TiqoEw4sQ |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: Teribus Date: 09 Nov 07 - 06:15 AM Always thought that Vivian was the female version of the name, the male form being Vyvyan. But most of the "typical" British names mentioned are "Norman" in origin, Colin is Scottish in derivation. Torquil is Norse Viking from Torkil. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: GUEST,Dazbo at work Date: 09 Nov 07 - 06:28 AM Hermione seemed to baffle most USians when reading Harry Potter. There certainly seem to be many given names used in the US these days that seem to me to be either made up, spelt in weird and wonderful ways or have peculiar capitalisation. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: Moses Date: 09 Nov 07 - 06:41 AM Has anyone mentioned Doris? Not a popular name nowadays but, as I have a couple of friends of this name who are a 'certain age', it seemes to have been well used between 1900 and 1950. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: John MacKenzie Date: 09 Nov 07 - 07:32 AM It's had it's day. G. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: GUEST,Santa Date: 09 Nov 07 - 07:39 AM Rowan is just another name in the flowers/nature group: I know one from Nottingham. Northern perhaps, because of the spread of the tree, but not just Scottish. The question said British names: Arthur is certainly about as British as you get but were UK names really meant? Anything ending -bert or -ric is going to be specifically English. (Robert the Bruce just shows how Anglicised the Scotish Lowlands were.) The Anglo-Saxon female names do seem to be unfashionable now, but I gather there was a spate of "Anglo-Saxon pride" in the 19th century, so perhaps we're just at the end of that rather than a rather longer chain. Which are the original British names - can they be identified with current Welsh/Cornish/Breton names or have they changed too much with the times? |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: Catherine Jayne Date: 09 Nov 07 - 07:45 AM My partner has an Aunty Doris, lovely woman too with a wicked sense of humour! Don't know any 'younger' people with the name though |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: Mr Happy Date: 09 Nov 07 - 07:54 AM Mountain Ash? |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: fat B****rd Date: 09 Nov 07 - 08:15 AM Doris ? You don't get many Pearls and Glorias in the UK these days. I had an Auntie Rena, whose birth name was actually Victorina. Apparently my French forebears had a short list of Christian names and didn't include girls. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: Grab Date: 09 Nov 07 - 08:21 AM De'ath is a surname - if it's used as a middle name, it'll either be a hyphenated that's lost its hyphen or some similar notation to track ancestry, or maybe a nod to some friend or relative. From here there are apparently 9589 people with that surname. LH, you're unlikely to find anyone in Britain named "Lester". At most it'll be "Leicester" (*) and that'll be as a surname. On reflection, I think the rule of male names involving a Q being posh English is not too far off. Which leads me to my nomination: Farquhar Mind you, surnames are another thing altogether. My personal favourite is from round my way: Fitzherbert-Brockholes. You wouldn't get *that* anywhere else! Graham. (*) Pronounced "Lester", of course... |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: Trevor Thomas Date: 09 Nov 07 - 08:24 AM I am a Trevor, and no, it's not the sort of name Americans tend to use. It's Welsh in origin. There was however, a famous American boxer called Trevor Berbick - it's not unknown. People have mentioned Bert as an English name, but along with Ernie, (another English name) they were as American as can be on Sesame Street! |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: John MacKenzie Date: 09 Nov 07 - 08:47 AM Lester Piggot? |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: GUEST,Santa Date: 09 Nov 07 - 08:53 AM Lester Simpson. But it isn't common. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: Emma B Date: 09 Nov 07 - 08:54 AM Lester Simpson? |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: Emma B Date: 09 Nov 07 - 09:10 AM Ops just beaten to the post there! I would say Wendy has to be a purely British name as it was "invented" by J. M. Barrie for his play Peter Pan. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: Richard Bridge Date: 09 Nov 07 - 09:14 AM David Lester - quite a well known copyright lawyer |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: GUEST,Nigel Date: 09 Nov 07 - 09:35 AM One would point out that Nigel is not common. Bloody Oiks! |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: Desdemona Date: 09 Nov 07 - 09:42 AM If we're talking English, as opposed to "British," I'd have to vote for something like Aelfric, or Aethelfreda, or maybe good old Edith! ~D |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: TheSnail Date: 09 Nov 07 - 09:45 AM Algernon. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: John MacKenzie Date: 09 Nov 07 - 09:55 AM Surely those are Saxon names that begin with Ae like that, and they're originally from Germany. G |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: Desdemona Date: 09 Nov 07 - 10:00 AM Ah, but "English" was originally a heavily inflected, Germanic language; something like 80% of the most commonly used words in modern English are still Germanic in origin, despite the Norman invasion, centuries of loan words, etc. ~D (showing my geeky English major roots) |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: GUEST,Santa Date: 09 Nov 07 - 10:33 AM Alfred would do for a good English name that has lasted. Or Edwin? Oswald was around until recently but not many people called Hengist and Horsa nowadays. It occurs to me that Frederick is another Germanic version of Alfred - does that imply two different Teutonic roots/routes? My mother was Winifred. Sounds Anglo-Saxon, but possibly related to Guinevere, which has British roots - unless old Geoffrey didn't know the difference when he wrote out the old tales. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: Greg B Date: 09 Nov 07 - 10:39 AM What about Ivor Biggin? |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: Desdemona Date: 09 Nov 07 - 10:47 AM My dog's middle name just happens to be Winifred, which was suggested by my Anglo-Saxon scholar partner...someday we're planning to get her a sister called Edith! ~D |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: Mr Happy Date: 09 Nov 07 - 10:50 AM SIT! - Well! Fetch, Stay! |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: Little Hawk Date: 09 Nov 07 - 10:56 AM My goodness! I've set loose a monster here. Wonderful work, ladies and gentlemen. Now let me explain what I was after in this thread. I was not after names which ONLY are found in the British Isles. No indeed. I was not necessarily after names which are very common in the British Isles either. I was simply after names which are MORE common in the British Isles than they are in most other places, particularly North America.....names which, when heard by a North American, immediately suggest "someone from the British Isles". That's it, period. So, "Lester", for instance may not be all that common a name in England, but I suggest that it still sounds more like an English name than it does like an American name. You follow? We Canadians, by the way, had a prime minister named Lester Pearson, but it's a pretty uncommon name in Canada. Here are some typically American names: Tex Hank Zeke Billy Bob Billy Joe Thelma Mae Daisy Mae Emmy Lou Wyatt Jake Elvis Alvin Maizy Mavis Blanche (Note the popularity of the rustic approach for male names...the USA has always been besotted with all forms of frontier primitivism and cowboy mythology, plus a healthy dose of Southern romanticism for female names a la courtin' Daisy Mae neath the Magnolia blossoms, and all that...) ;-) |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: GUEST,Dazbo at work Date: 09 Nov 07 - 11:03 AM Wendy wasn't an original name created by JM Barrie. There are quite a few Wendys in censuses taken before Peter Pan came out (and they're not the names of young girls but of fully grown women so it had been around for at least 30 years before Peter Pan. I believe it is a diminutive form of Gwendoline. There have been very few true Anglo Saxon names that have come down the ages mainly the ones already noted, Godgifu being a favourite of mine (IIR the correct spelling) meaning gift from God. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: Emma B Date: 09 Nov 07 - 11:27 AM Precisely the reason for putting invented in inverted commas Dazbo! The name Wendy is probably a diminutive of the Welsh name Gwendolynbut, in this instance, it is believed to be derived from the phrase "friendy wendy," used by a child named Margaret Henley, whom Barrie befriended in the 1890s. In modern name meanings Wendy is often described as meaning friendly. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: Rusty Dobro Date: 09 Nov 07 - 11:56 AM GregB at 10:39: did you mean Ivor Biggun, wearer of cheap suits, Martin-mangler extraordinary, subject of a 'where are they now? feature in the current 'Mojo' magazine, and generally good sort? If so, I have the honour to stand alongside him in his latest band, the Trembling Wheelbarrows, at least until the restraining order takes effect. I have a sneaking feeling, though, that this might not be his real name. Oh, and a new UK book on unusual names mentions my own forebears, a father and son both named Grimwood Death. |
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Subject: RE: BS: The MOST British given name of all is... From: Grab Date: 09 Nov 07 - 12:03 PM LH, don't upset Spaw now by missing "Bubba" and "Cletus" off your list... Actually, one sure way of telling Americans from their names is if they're called John Johnson the third, or John Johnson Junior. The only person who gets to be called "the third" or whatever in Britain is the reigning king/queen. If a son is named after his dad (which is not uncommon in more rural areas), one or the other will either use a diminutive version (eg. "Edward" vs. "Eddie" vs. "Ted"), use their middle name as their given name, or simply be known to the world as "Ed" and "young Ed" (or maybe later on, "Ed" and "old Ed"). Graham. |
