BEETROOT!

I have met an African called 'Doctor' after the doctor who delivered him!

Oh!!!! I get it!!!!

Sorry to be slow.

Oh yes. DD's pony was called T**a

A Methodist minister I knew travelled around Africa some years back. He found some children were given a name just because they liked the sound of the word. He came across a Helicopter and a Jam-sandwich!

...there's too many asteriks for it to be Tea.

scratches head...

Certainly not merlot! Actually it's shortened to T**a.

Is her name shortened to Lav?

I read in the paper about a chap who resented having to have a Christian name and changed it legally to Random Switch!

Know what you mean, Lilygran. A little boy at the playgym asked me if I knew his name. I suggested Archie as that's a very popular boys name at the moment. "Noooo" he said in disgust. "Archie's the dog!"

Two of my godchildren (now both in their 30's) were registered as "Annie" and "Tom" not Thomas. The dear little chap next door (now 3) is also Tom.

As for giving animals human names, our much missed first cat was Maurice (I wasn't too impressed when at the vets they had him down as "Morris") and we also had a Lily. (She was adopted, and the first thing we did was change her name, I just couldn't have Mr P standing on the doorstep shouting "Spunky, where are you?" )

At work, 2 weeks ago we gained a workshop cat, 1 year old, who has been called George, but I think he looks like a Kevin.

One of my DGD's name is the name of a herb (not Rosemary!) but it is always shortened. Had she been a boy she was going to be called Rocket - also a herb. I'm glad she's a girl!

My new little GD has a very unusual name, but it isn't 'made up' - it appears in virtually all the baby naming sites, described as Greek in origin and rare in English speaking countries.

My DD and I, while searching these sites during her pregnancy, were actually quite surprised to note that many names we'd previously thought of us 'not proper names' were in fact listed as recognised in various cultures.

When a friend's DD became pregnant in her teens, my friend said she hoped her future DGC wouldn't be given the name of the place he was conceived or he'd be called "4 x 4"!

@Ninathenana - That seemed strange to me at first - Boys registered with names like Bill, or Charlie. But in 'computerising' Birth Marriage and Death indexes, I discovered that it's been going on certainly since registration began in the early 1800s.

It seemed odd that some children were given the names of the places where they were conceived - but then I found reference in Bleak House to exactly that, the old soldier, "Lignum Vitae" calling his children the names of the posting (or battle) at the time of their conception. One was called Montreal, I remember...

I met a mother of twins who called them Jade and Amber. I thought that was rather nice! But there's a general tendency now to call pets by people names and babies by inventions. Cat called Alan, another called Arthur. Dog called Roger. Bernard. Maurice.

Thanks for that contribution Ethelbags.

We had a Raoul moat who shot 2 policemen in Northumberland a few years ago.

When I gave my daughter her name (30 years ago) my grandad said "oh I will call her by her proper name Katherine" I said her name IS NOT Katherine. He wouldn't have it and said "You can't name her THAT it's a barmaids name"

I am sure Prince William would be thrilled about that !

It also seems quiet common now to register a child with the shortened version of name i.e. Sam, Joe, Ben, Beckie. My real name is a shortened version of two possible names. I get fed up being asked "Is that X or Y ?" No just A [sigh]

Heather, Daisy, Rose

Hazel, Amanda (almond), Cashew... maybe not

Thanks Bags

I agree Auntieflo so many strange names now. Some quite cute but some downright crazy. My DGD plays with a little girl called Autumn which is lovely. There is also a Summer in the school. For some reason Winter and Spring don't have the same ring to them do they?

Love this funny thread. When christened, my parents called me Hilary Ann, never shortened, until my brother came along. He couldn't manage all that, so I was 'Eann'. this became my name, so when I met DH, I thought I would lose it, but no, he also adopted it, and so it remains to this day. When called out loud, I used to get strange looks, but with so many unusual names around now, it goes unnoticed, thank heavens.

I thought the boy was called Roar, could be wrong. I nearly fell off my chair when I heard the little girl was called Beetroot.