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Children's names

(129 Posts)
NanKate Sat 25-Oct-14 22:04:59

Is it me or are children given some weird and unusual names nowadays?

Today I was out shopping and heard a family calling for their boy/girl with the name of Coven. Do they know that is a group of witches? Then someone else said 'Come here Anastasia' clearly a more cultured child bit still a bit of a mouthful.

How do the teachers manage to learn all these names as many are just made up. My friend's granddaughter is called 'Sky' as she was conceived in the open air. hmm

Ana Sat 25-Oct-14 22:10:53

Have you only just noticed, NanKate? Celebs give their children ever more strange names, such as Apple, Ivy Blue, Honey Bear etc. And Satchel - poor girl!

Sky, Rainbow, Willow, River etc. were very popular among hippy families in the 60s and 70s.

NanKate Sat 25-Oct-14 22:16:13

Isn't one of David Beckham's children called Romeo ? Can you imagine how he will be teased at school Ana ?

I've been niggled for ages over the silly names but GN has given me the opportunity to moan.

NanKate Sat 25-Oct-14 22:17:29

Oh also one of Michael Jackson's children is nicknamed Blanket !

Ana Sat 25-Oct-14 22:20:20

Yes, Romeo Beckham's 13 now so I expect he's got used to it! David Bowie called his first son Zowie but the lad changed his name as soon as he could - to Duncan...hmm

Purpledaffodil Sat 25-Oct-14 22:45:13

It's not just the wacky names either. Misspelling ordinary ones is popular, Apryll is one I saw recently. I was in a class of eight year olds the other day which reminded me of a fifties Darby and Joan club; Stanley, Ada, Elsie and Agnes among others grin

Anya Sat 25-Oct-14 22:58:17

You were saying about whacky names Purpledaffodil hmm

numberplease Sat 25-Oct-14 23:47:29

And Katie Price has a Princess and now a Bunny! The actor David Carradine named his son Free Seagull, don`t know if the son changed it when he grew up or not.

rubysong Sat 25-Oct-14 23:55:47

I don't think Romeo Beckham etc would be teased as the children these days are used to barmy unusual names and take them in their stride. It's just us (who grew up with classrooms full of Margarets Susans and Jennifers who find it all a bit hard to take.

janerowena Sun 26-Oct-14 00:21:53

We were sitting by the river in Woodbridge on a beautiful summer's day, when we heard a mother scolding her son of about 8 to 'Do hurry up, Oedipus!'

Shocked into even more silent silence, we were!

Now there's someone who hadn't read the book, I thought...

merlotgran Sun 26-Oct-14 00:33:01

We used to have a cat called Eedy.....Geddit? grin

Kiora Sun 26-Oct-14 03:00:42

Ive heard many strange and odd names. I think the worst was 'sorrow' what's wrong with people! Honestly poor mite. I'm always amazed that people get so offended when I miss spell or mispronunce these wacky names. The tick-a-tape in my head says "well pick something easy then" but of course I smile ever so sweetly

absent Sun 26-Oct-14 06:57:07

When my mother booked my sister's baptism, the priest was very concerned that she had a first name – Wendy – that wasn't a saint's name, but my mother suggested that there was a first time for everything (clearly wishful thinking). He was less cross about my baptism, but still not a saint's name. Our second names are. Why should it matter? If the name sounds right, why not use it?

Ariadne Sun 26-Oct-14 09:31:06

"Sorrow" was the name that Tess gave her dead baby in "Tess of the Durbervilles". It was apt then and in that book, but today?

Tegan Sun 26-Oct-14 09:37:30

One of the most beautiful but gut wrenching bits of writing ever, that. Makes me well up to think about it.

kittylester Sun 26-Oct-14 09:45:32

I have an unusual name which I have only come across about half a dozen times. I have always hated it until I met a girl with the same name who served us in a national trust tea room. I asked if she also hated it or if she shortened it, as I do! She looked totally baffled, so I have decided that it can't be that bad really.

DD3 called her youngest by a very different name but it is getting more common now. It really suits DGD3!

Jane10 Sun 26-Oct-14 10:01:57

In my class at school there were 4 Janes, 4 Ann (e)s and 4 Susans. A friends GD was recently called Elsie Norah Jessie. Would fit right in with that 1950s class mentioned earlier!

grannyactivist Sun 26-Oct-14 11:58:25

My sons and grandsons all have 'traditional' names, but my daughters have slightly unusual names chosen for their meanings.
My youngest daughter was once out on the town and met a girl. It turned out that the girl and her sister had the same names as my eldest two daughters - apparently their mother had met me at some stage and loved my daughters names. I took it as a great compliment.

NanaCorinne Sun 26-Oct-14 13:12:55

I encountered a Tewsdae at the school where I worked - a lifetime of spelling it out lay ahead poor child.

Anya Sun 26-Oct-14 14:02:10

I knew an Arora Pandora -not joking.

NanKate Sun 26-Oct-14 15:12:48

Our neighbour's son is called Jaz (just one z).

Eleanorre Sun 26-Oct-14 18:07:53

My DD childminder a little boy in Canada called Dusty Rhodes.

rosesarered Sun 26-Oct-14 18:28:26

It's all to do with the parents need to feel 'special'. Why, God only knows.
It's moronic.

Valbeasixties Sun 26-Oct-14 18:33:32

Dusty Roades! I have taught a Carol Singer and a boy called AJ whose baby brother was Wolf. My mum once showed me a school photo from the 1930s and there was a girl in her class called Norah Window. I am sure that many fellow retired teachers on here will also have names which they would never have used for their own children as the said pupils were so 'challenging'!

olive2709 Sun 26-Oct-14 19:06:39

Dusty Roades is a WWE Super star ,so they must be wrestling fans how do i have this info well been a closet fan for 50years hmm