#78278
08/15/2002 3:15 PM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,773
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,773 |
In the US, the custom of using traditional names has abated. Beginning with the black subculture in the 1960s, which revived a tradition of inventing names, the of nontraditional names has spread throughout the culture, to the point at which less than half of babies are now given traditional names. And girls are at least ten percent more likely than boys to be given unusual names.
According to a survey of social security data of the past ten years, fashionable girl names now include:
Cameron
Drew
Taylor
Alexis
Dakota
Venice
Sicily
Rio
Troy
What are the popular names now where you live?
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#78279
08/15/2002 3:57 PM
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
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Re:to the point at which less than half of babies are now given traditional names.
This is something like "standard tranmissions" in cars... nowdays most cars come with automatic transmission as a "standard option," but "standard transmission" has become a syn. for Manual transmission.
Traditonal names used to mean names associated with the Bible, Christian saints, an few name from Classical greek and roman literture; i.e., Ann/Anne, Sara, Rebecca, (B), Helen, Jocalyn, Livia,(C), Theresa, Margaret, and Christina (CHR).
At the time of the US revolution, Old testiment names were very popular, at other times, Christian (saints) names have been more popular-- I don't know anything about the history of made up names, except, Wendy was a name made up by Barre for Peter Pan, and Heidi was a made up name too, by the author.. so made up names have been around for a while.
-- i think if i were have a kid today, i would like Wyoming as name, for a girl. maybe because, of all the places i have been on this earth, Wyoming struck me as the most beautiful place.
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#78280
08/15/2002 9:28 PM
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Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 11,072 Likes: 2
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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-- i think if i were to have a kid today, i would like Wyoming as name, for a girl. maybe because, of all the places i have been on this earth, Wyoming struck me as the most beautiful place.
Robert Heinlein beat you to it ! In "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" the important woman character is named Wyoming Knott, known at times as Wy or Wyo.
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#78281
08/16/2002 8:08 PM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 544
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My older son, who will be 5 in a couple of weeks, is named Aidan. When we chose the name, we thought we were picking an unusual name, but one that some people would have heard of. To my amazement, it's unusual for a week to go by without my meeting or hearing of a young boy named Aidan. It's the weirdest thing. I wonder if others here have come across this name more commonly than in the past?
That said, my one-year-old is named Simon - and I have yet to run across a single kid named Simon since his birth, and only one adult, I think. So this doesn't seem to be a matter of my noticing the name of my child more simply because it's more significant to me than before - I honestly had never met an Aidan in my life before my son was born, and now I have met dozens.
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#78282
08/16/2002 8:20 PM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 137
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My brother claims to have made up the name MaKenna, by changing a name he saw on a resume, when his daughter was born. He now knows more than one MaKenna. In fact it seems to be more and more common as time goes by.
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#78283
08/16/2002 8:24 PM
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Posts: 544
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My boss' daughter is named Makena (pronounced as MaKenna probably is), from a Hawaiian word, so your brother can add another to his list.
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#78284
08/16/2002 8:27 PM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 137
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What does it mean?(Makena)yaknow?
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#78285
08/16/2002 8:45 PM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 544
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green]What does it mean?(Makena)
I feared you might ask this, and I've been trying to recall. It's got something to do with water and waves (big surprise there, eh?).
I'll send him an e-mail and ask, but I'll be away for a couple of weeks, so you won't get an answer right away.
Query: Why, oh why, did this come out in Times rather than the traditional Arial? I din't do nuffin' to it.
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#78286
08/17/2002 3:02 PM
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 475
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I know so many Simons they all have prefixes to distinguish them from each other: orange Simon, bitter Simon, neighbour Simon, Nome Simon, Si, Sim, and countless more. In my neck of the woods and in my age group it is only surpassed in number by Ben, Dave and Karl. My sister had four girls with the same name as her in her class at school, despite my mother having decided on her name some thirty years previously when she was a little girl herself. I have only ever met one other person with the same name as me, though it sounds like a common name, Sally seems to have dropped out of use.
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#78287
08/17/2002 10:42 PM
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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makena - short "a" = 1. mourning, wailing, lamentation 2. calm, of the sea, atmosphere.
makena - with a long "a" = many, numerous, often, much.
makena wai = place where a stream disappears in the ground.
Source : "Hawaiian Dictionary" by Mary Kawena Pukui and Samuel H. Elbert considered the definitive work.
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#78288
08/18/2002 1:26 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204 |
Aidan is fairly popular over here - I know three. Aaron has become extremely popular recently (last ten years or so)
In my life, I have only met two other males with the same forename (Hilary) as me - one was in the same class at school.
I named my daughter "Rebecca" some thirty-plus years ago, thinking it was unusual - she was one of three in her school year and we have since met hundreds. However, my son was named Samuel, and this is still pretty unusual.
AS with everything else, these things go in fahionable cycles.
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#78289
08/19/2002 12:43 AM
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Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
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I think you're right about the cycles.
When Jonathan (my son to all who do not know me) was baptized he had the ceremony at the same time as four girls - all named Isabelle.
He was very nearly baptized Isabelle too. I interupted the priest just in time.
He started "and I baptize thee Isa-" "no, Father, no" "it's Jonathan" I interupted quickly. And he said "oh, it's the boy"
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#78290
08/19/2002 12:48 AM
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 4
stranger
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stranger
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I was looking for an unusual (but not too unusual) name for son, and settled on Kelson. It's used more often in Canada than here, but at the time ('95) I had never met one. Now of course, I know of three in my state.
It is also the name of a main character in a series of fantasy books, which probably explains things.
As I was also named after a fictional character-Wendy, It seemed appropriate.
My daughter is named Claire, a name which seems to re-surface around here every decade or so.
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#78291
08/19/2002 12:56 AM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 137
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When the babies in my extended family were named MaKenna, India, and Aurora my Grandmother lamented "Where have all the Marys and Ruths gone? Where do you get these names?" Her son-in-law answered "From the same place Harker and Quinley come from." (her children's names)
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#78292
08/19/2002 10:58 AM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204 |
Whilst out shopping this morning I encountered a delightful young lady (about three months old) named Daisy.
Her proud father assured me that he knew four other "Daisies," all born this year. It was really refreshing to hear that charming old name again.
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#78293
08/19/2002 12:27 PM
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
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in my family, names, and naming conventions are well established. My mother named Nora Veronica, was known as Vera all her life -- Many do not know her legal name is Nora.
her brother was supposed to be Thomas, but at babtism, the godmother said Timothy, and so he was...
With so many hurt feeling in her generation about who got named after who, she decided not one of her children would be named after someone else, and there would be no nick names.
so my siblings are Deirde, Geraldine, Stephen and Margaret, not Dee, or Gerry, or Steve or Peggy.
i followed the same convention, and looked for uncommon names. Benjamin was somewhat successful, Emily less so. my siblings did too, and we have "new names" (unlike many cousins, at a family reunion, calling for Mike, Dennis, and Billy would have resulted in 60% of the males present!)
Most Emily's are 5 to 7 years younger than my daughter is, Emily as a name reaching its peak of popularity (US)in the early 80's.
my name is wonderful-- easy to spell, and everyone thinks its "common" but, actually Helen's are quite rare in the US. Unfortunately, Helen reached peak popularity in 1948, (the only year it made it on to the top 100 names..and then just barely) So i am sometimes thought to be older than i am!
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#78294
08/19/2002 12:42 PM
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
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Well, my sons names are Chellis, Emerson, and Lincoln. we don't run into many of any of them!
formerly known as etaoin...
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#78295
08/19/2002 1:00 PM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
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He started "and I baptize thee Isa-" "no, Father, no" "it's Jonathan" I interupted quickly.
at babtism, the godmother said Timothy, and so he was
Has this force of law? Would belM's son legally have been Isabelle if she hadn't interrupted?
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#78296
08/19/2002 3:31 PM
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
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In ireland at that time yes... a baptism record is a legal record.. you can get a passport with a baptism record and or a birth certificate..both are equally valid. (and when i applied for citizenship and a passport some years ago, a baptism certificate was prefered.. since it served as an independent legal document that was not controled by (US) government!-- i also needed a form certifying i was of good character, that needed to by signed by 1) local Police chief, or 2) Parish priest, or 3) superintendant of local School. i chose #3, since at the time i was active in PTA, and knew the local superintendant of the local school district.
also, at the time (circa 1920, and traditionally, as well) the mother did not attend the baptism. (mother's as a rule did not appear in public till at least 10 days after the baby birth) and superstition held that the god parents acted for the parents... that way, the devil/evil spirits wouldn't know were to find the child--all the better for his/her safe keeping!
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#78297
08/19/2002 4:15 PM
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 4
stranger
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stranger
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My husband's name is Lincoln. It's nice because people seldom forget it.
What is the origin of Chellis?
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#78298
08/19/2002 4:40 PM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 771
old hand
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old hand
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I have a friend from high school & college whose children are *all* named for presidents. The two boys, Jefferson and Jackson, and the girl, Kennedy. Oddly enough, he works in DC now... And I've yet to meet another Dagny. Although it was a big day when a friend of the family pointed out Atlas Shrugged. Still haven't read it, though. And I love Daisy too, Rhuby! One of these days when I have children, that might just work its way into a girl's name: Manya Daisy. Eh, I'll think about it. But flowers are good. Jumping all over the map here ~ since I saw Hyla's initial post, I've been meaning to bring up Aidan Quinn, the only Aidan I had ever heard of until now! But he's hunky.  
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#78299
08/19/2002 5:26 PM
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
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In reply to:
What is the origin of Chellis?
it was his great-grandfather's name. unfortunately, we've had no luck finding out any background about it. we do know a woman whose father was named Chellis, but they're pretty far and few between.
formerly known as etaoin...
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#78300
08/19/2002 5:56 PM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
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When I was in the Navy I had a friend named Elchard. To make matters worse, he was Elchard III. Greatgrandma claimed she read it in a dime novel and liked the sound of it. Family lore had it that greatgrandma needed reading glasses.
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#78301
08/19/2002 6:40 PM
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
Carpal Tunnel
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Many years ago I read about a guy who was drafted into the Navy during WW II. His name was R. B. Jones. His parents gave him initials only. The Navy recorded his name into their system as R. (only) B. (only) Jones. yep. You guessed it. He went through his entire hitch as Ronly Bonly Jones.
TEd
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#78302
08/19/2002 8:51 PM
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Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 131
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What are the popular names now where you live?
I am constantly hearing Haley, Jordan and McKensie for girls. I'm about SICK of Haley!!! Boys names that seem 'in' right now are Tyler and Parker. I can live with those.
When I had my two daughters over the last three years I wanted traditional and classy - not 'gee, wonder where her parents got THAT name' kind of names. I chose Sara Elizabeth and Emily Grace. It was also important that ______ looked good in the sports pages as _______ Spencer, All-State Shortstop. Never knew a Chloe or a Cybil that could take down a liner off her feet, ya know??
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#78303
08/19/2002 9:48 PM
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 475
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Having sat down and thought about it, the most common girls names (occuring more than three times in one year in one school) in my school years were: Rachel, Jennifer, Aishia, Kelly, Gemma, Catherine (or Kathryn, Catrin etc) and Sunita. The most common boys names were Benjamin, David, Paul (or John-Paul of course) Jamain, Karl, Darren and Ashley. The current fashions amongst my friends and relatives having babies seems to be old 'granddad' names like Jake, Alfie or Sam for the boys and old, generally flower based names for the girls: Lily, Rose or Grace. I suppose these things must come in cycles. Old fashioned names lose the negative connotations they must have once had and become neutral again. Maybe it's just where I'm from in ever class conscious England but names bring up different images and different expectations, no matter how many times those prejudices are shattered (rightly) by meeting people first hand
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#78304
08/20/2002 8:06 PM
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Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
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He started "and I baptize thee Isa-" "no, Father, no" "it's Jonathan" I interupted quickly.
at babtism, the godmother said Timothy, and so he was
Faldage asked...Has this force of law? Would belM's son legally have been Isabelle if she hadn't interrupted?
In Québec, the Catholic stronghold in Canada, he would definitely have been named Isabelle. This until the early 1990's when the laws were changed. Before then, and like OT says, our baptism certificates used to be used for all manner of legal proofs, i.e. getting a passport.
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#78305
08/20/2002 8:19 PM
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Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
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>>I suppose these things must come in cycles. Old fashioned names lose the negative connotations they must have once had and become neutral again.
Ooof, I'm not sure about English names but most old-old French names are definitely not coming back. French names like Boudrias or Hormidas are relegated to the memories of my Granny's generation.
Well, there is always the odd weirdo, like my uncle, who insists on making all his kids sport dated names that nobody can spell - to make them unique you understand (Xavierine - pronounced za-vyay-reene - as an example, has never had her name spelled correctly by anybody )
Lily, Rose or Grace.
My Granny is named Rose-Aimée (beloved Rose). My other grandmother, Mammie, was named Anabelle (beautiful Ana)
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#78306
08/20/2002 9:04 PM
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
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Some weeks after Theo ws bon, I needed his birth cert, so I went to the Tri-county Health Dept and filled out a form asking them to sell me a copy of the certificate for Theodore Charles Remington, Jr.
The clerk looked at the form and said, "Oh, sir, you've got the first name spelled wrong." Well, that's one thing a person doesn't do, misspell his own name, so I looked at her blankly.
"I saw this when it went into the computer, and thought it was a strange name, but here's the register." And she pointed at a screen to show me the name "Stheodore Charles Remington, Jr." Immediately I had visions of having to go into court and go to the expense of getting a legal name change. And then I remembered that Peggy had vetted the birth registration form not once but three times because she didn't believe I could resist the urge to name my firstborn male child Theophilus (but that's a YART I won't go back into).
Turns out it was a fat finger problem there at the health department which took about 5 minutes to straighten out.
Whew!
TEd
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#78307
08/20/2002 10:40 PM
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 508
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a fat finger problem
Fat finger indeed if it spanned the distance from s to t on the keyboard! More like ham-handed.
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#78308
08/20/2002 11:38 PM
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
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re: My Granny is named Rose-Aimée
and my grand daughter is Beatrice Rose.. but some times i hear my son calling her Bea! I think she should be Beatrice Rose.. as a child I was Helen Mary.. except for my best friend grandmother who always insisted on Helen Mary Bernadette Patricia... now day i say "no middle name" and don't use any of them. i even changed my passport, since my first one, as a child, had me as Helen Mary.
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#78309
08/21/2002 12:03 AM
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,636
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My daughter is named Zoe. While growing up in Mexico, many people would ask her to repeat her name. Finally, she solved that problem by standing with one hand on her hip and pointing and shaking her finger saying Zeta-Oh-Eh, Zoe, whenever anyone asked her name. Now there are several young women in their early twenties with the name Zoe running around Mexico. I think we started something. My son's name is Nicolás. There was a character on TV in Cd. Juárez, a clown much like Bozo, whose name was Nico Lico. That was my son's nickname for years. We also called him Nicolás Emiliano Zapata, Emiliano being his legitimate middle name. He used to introduce himself that way when he was young. In his senior year of high school, he took to signing his name that way. He has gone by "Nic" for about 10 years now.
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#78310
08/21/2002 12:39 AM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
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Xavierine - pronounced za-vyay-reene - as an example, has never had her name spelled correctly by anybody
So how is it spelled? Oh, I suppose you can't tell us though, can you?
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#78311
08/21/2002 12:49 AM
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 742
old hand
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old hand
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Xavierine - pronounced za-vyay-reene - as an example, has never had her name spelled correctly by anybody
So how is it spelled? Oh, I suppose you can't tell us though, can you?
Certainement, notre cher ramasseur des poux de tête ist in muy goede form today.
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#78312
08/21/2002 1:07 AM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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notre cher ramasseur des poux de tête ist in muy goede form today
Eu ne puedo pas resist.
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#78313
08/22/2002 9:53 PM
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Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
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>>Certainement, notre cher ramasseur des poux de tête ist in muy goede form today. Wow, a trilingual zinger. Merci sjm and  monsieur Faldage.
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#78314
08/23/2002 12:38 AM
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,636
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Certainement, notre cher ramasseur des poux de tête ist in muy goede form today.
Français
Deutsch
Español
Nederlands
English
Would polylingual be a better term, or is there a word that expresses five languages used? Did I miss any?
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#78315
08/23/2002 3:47 PM
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 508
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#78316
08/23/2002 3:59 PM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
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Français
Deutsch
Español
Nederlands
English
And I added
Portuguesa or
Rätoromanisch (Vallader)
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#78317
08/23/2002 4:01 PM
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
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Well, the whole thang is referred to as Europanto, much beloved by Faldage, Hyla, sjm and myself, among others (look out, Esperanto!!) http://www.quinion.com/words/turnsofphrase/tp-eur2.htm
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