So, the Mitchell Corens have called their new daughter Barbara Elizabeth June. I don’t imagine any of those are in the current top 100. But somehow fitting for that quirky couple.
If you were having a child in the Sixties or Seventies right now, what name would you choose?
Norman Stanley Moose, or Candice Marie Moose.
I was born in 64. As a child, whenever I complained about my very ordinary name, my dad would say, “We could have called you Clarence or Marmaduke!”
My mum was what would now be called a teaching assistant. An Indian child at the school was called Lenin. This was around 1979.
Incidentally, my mum’s name was Daphne which I don’t think will ever be popular again.
I dont know if it retro, but my favourite girls name is Emma, which (surprise surprise) is the name of my daughter.
If I were to ever again choose a boys name, my choices would be either Sam or Stanley.
When I was born in 1966, my parents were dabbling with the idea that if I was a boy I’d be called Darren, if a girl, Samantha. No prizes for what my Mum’s favourite show was back then?
Luckily, my four year old brother got to christen me with a good name.
Was listening to a radio doco on the weekend which was about a couple and their two sons Tolly and Azi.
Short for Ptolemy and Azimuth, of course.
I know from previous experience that hardly anyone on here agrees, but I think that unusual names are a GOOD THING.
My daughter used to go to nursery with a little boy called Geronimo. And why not, after all? I’m sure he’ll be “Gerry” by the time he’s 40, but in the mean time I don’t see much wrong with having an unorthodox name: a bit of extra variety is always good. I’ve also met a “Merlin”, know a little boy named “Storm” (brilliant name) and used to work with a lawyer whose middle name was “Moonbeam”.
I know that difference can be hard for kids, but it’s also what makes us beautiful.
All this is increasingly “normal” depending on whereabouts in the country you live. Greater ethnic diversity means kids no longer sit and listen to a school register 80% comprised of the names of the disciples. That, in turn, seems to have liberated people to call their kids what they want. I think that’s all for the better. Even if you end up with a “Ptolemy” (and I’ve so far met three kids with that name).
We had our first child in January and called her Lydia Harmony, her first name quite old-school and her second “a bit hippy”, according to my mother. We went for Harmony having looked at a list of musical names for children. It was never a runner for a first name. Had she been a boy, he would have been called Carrig for reasons I won’t go into. It’s the Irish word for rock but that’s just coincidence. We had other Irish names for boys on our shortlist – Art, Iarla or Ferdia.
As for Lydia, she’s an absolute delight…
Barbara (in the OP) is my mother’s name and I’ve always liked it. She had at least three friends with that name so obviously back in the 1920’s it was hugely popular. I’m surprised it hasn’t come back.
The Mum, born 1921 was christened Mary but everyone knows her as Molly. She hated it until the mid 90s when it she finally conceded I was right, it was a cool and friendly name. Then two of our friends named their first born (female) children (different folks) Molly and Mollie.
I always thought it was a keen name.
My mum’s name. Glad it’s back in vogue a bit now.
Gladys?
My Mum’s another Molly. It has got a new life as a name now which is great but she does get a bit disgruntled that whenever she hears it in the street it is usually someone talking to their dog.
Clement, anticipating shortening to Clem, or Seth, the latter doubtless becoming popular again with folk children.
When I was a nipper it was all David, Stephen, Michael, Richard, John, and Barbara, Linda, Carol, Susan on the other side. Even George and William seemed a bit outre.
My grandmother was called Amelia, and her sisters were called Violet, Daisy, Emmy, Lily, Minnie… all back again after a couple of generations.
My favourite girl’s name is Grace, but it’s a risky thing to call your baby daughter, especially if she takes after her dad. So we backed away and went for Rachel.
This is adressed to me, right? (OK, or arguably Retroman)
In the 80s it was Mat and Fi but if they were born in the 60s it would have been a pinch as I was still only 12 in 1969. Just supposing I had managed to spill some in a willing and/or fertile* by the age of 22, probably similar. Always disappointed I was talked out of Barney and Wilma, my pooch now having the latter.
*Who says romance is dead?
You should have started with Pebbles or Bam Bam, then ‘let’ yourself be bargained down to Barney or Wilma.
“If you were having a child in the Sixties or Seventies right now, what name would you choose?” Try as I might until my brain hurts, I can’t understand that question. (The first bit. The second bit’s easy.)
My name’s heading for extinction. Says so in the papers.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/11511179/The-name-Gary-is-headed-for-extinction.html
It’ll be back, never worry. Possibly not till after our lifetimes, accompanied by Kevin and Martin when they will all seem novel again and full of intrigue. Some people have called their baby Olive in recent years so anything is possible!
If I was having a child in my 60s or 70s now, I’d call it Miracle, with middle names Too, Damn and Late.
When I hear a name I often associate it with someone I know of that name – or at least someone I’ve heard of – and base my like or dislike of the name on that. Daft, really, but there you go. Am I alone in this? Probably.
I would christen my kid Samuel or Samantha, so either way they’d be Sam. I kind of like male (or male-ish) names for girls like Sam and Georgie.
Interested to know if the other teachers on the board are finding Ethan to be the new Darren or Wayne – ie most lads called Ethan are often in bother. It’s true at our place.
I bet the Geronimos are no bother at all.
I’ve always loved the name Shirley, it’s cute & coquettish.
When I was carrying our (now 14 year old) daughter we always referred to her as Betty & were so close to actually calling her that but we wimped out & went with Lucy Grace as we didn’t want to saddle her with a name that she might loathe. She’s definitely cool enough to carry off Betty but she really doean’t like the name, sadly.
Shame you didn’t go for Shirley. When she was born you could have played this.
https://youtu.be/jfKcG3gn3F8
My son was very active before he was born so became known as Jumping Jack. We always tell him he sort of chose his own name.
Friend of ours have a grandson called Harry.
There are other people I know who have children called Harry or Alfie.
They get quite upset when I refer to their offspring as Harold (usually in the Steptoe voice) or Alfred
The name Charlie (which was my grandads name) appears to be becoming popular again – but only in its abbreviated form (and what is wrong with a baby called Charles?).
Haven’t come across many kids called Barry, Terry or Raymond much recently
Nigel Blackwell offers this:
Half Man Half Biscuit – Breaking News
Lillian and Sebastian.
I never wanted to have kids, but my best friend asked for name suggestions when she got pregnant, and went with my suggestion when a girl was born, except they spell it Lilian.
I tried to get my brother to name their son Sebastian, and they both liked the name but “everyone we know have named their son Sebastian!”
However, when writing stories you can name as many people as you like, all the time (and you don’t have to look after them once the story’s finished). So I have given birth to a Sebastian, an Issle (doesn’t rhyme with whistle), a John Quentin and his son Winston, Karsten, Karma, the dangerous Mr Mott, Jerry, Ania and a Lu-Lou who isn’t quite human. And many others.
I was born in 1957 and have often reflected that so many names of children I was at school with must now be mouldering in a museum: Janice, Graham, Pamela, Kenneth, Gary (yes, you, Gary), Brenda, Sheila . . . all damn fine names, but I suppose it was ever thus – names go in vogues. Very conscious of this, when we had our daughter I was determined to give her a name which was, hopefully, timeless and would not go out of date, so Julia it was. That’s a damn fine name too.
There are a lot of Mollys and Mollies in this thread: my mother, b. 1922, is Marjorie Maureen, always known as Molly. It has caused chaos all her life. Inspired by this, when I was born they called me Susie from the moment I burst forth, then put Valerie Susan on my birth certificate. Thereafter, a lifetime of being unable to pay in cheques, or failing to recognise my “name” being called in clinics and interviews and so on . . . most confusingly, in Resusc, in la-la land after a general anaesthetic, with the nurse stroking my hand and gently urging: Valerie . . Valerie . . . WHY do people do this to their children????