I've just seen that a couple in Australia have named their new daughter Kviiilyn as they don't like the traditional spelling of Caitlin. What have they condemned that poor child to? Guarantee that most people will call her K-vill-yn. The parents think that this spelling makes her unique!
Going back to the African theme they often have meaningful names I knew an Innocent, Precious, and Last ( because they thought they weren't having any more children but they did, so he wasn't) and best of all Ringostarr
Not a strange name but one I can't stand is my beloved new grandson's name. He's a beautiful baby (as they all are) and they have called him Samson. On being told his name, my cousin, never one to mince words, said to my daughter in law, have you been watching too much Emmerdale, my dear?
I taught a child called Pagan. But the daftest name I think is Neveah. Because it's Heaven spelled backwards, and that is the actual reason for the name. Better than Lleh, I suppose
I taught a girl whose first two names were Chemise Caleche. We wondered if her mother had been frightened by a French dictionary during pregnancy. Vest Coach didn't sound nearly so.....interesting
I have taught a number of Chinese students over the years and, bless 'em, they seem to have a tradition of choosing westernised names that we can say with ease. For example Venus, Seven, Elvis, Grey, Willy, Star - ain't that nice!?!?
As a teacher in Hong Kong, in my class I had a Balcony, Cinderella and Snowflake. Another chinese girl arrived at the school without an English name so was asked to pick up a text book and choose one. She thought Vagina was quite the prettiest. The nuns quickly found her something else. Also taught a Hitler for a short time
Thumbing through some 1930s books for school-girls, in a second-hand book shop, I noticed that the heroine in one book was called Lesbia. Not a common name these days!
My surname is Grumbley. Luckily I had an only son, as I threatened that if I had a girl I might call her Mona Grizzle, even if they were not names she was christened.
I knew two sisters called Heron and Kestral and taught a family of boys - oldest brother was Shane and the twins were Wayne and Dwayne. My name is Brenda, but my DH usually calls me B. Think that's what started me collecting all things bee related.
Having read this thread and having a smile about some of the names reminded me of a poem book that I wrote some time ago with all proceeds going to my local Childrens Hospice. Any poems that I have written are ALL based on true tales either comical or serious and during my 86 years on this earth I have come across some peculiar monikas for some offspring but the one that REALLY stands out in my memory is in this poem out of the book I wrote.
NAME THIS CHILD
During all my years on earth I have heard many a peculiar name Did parents think that this would help bring their offspring fame? I have lived next door to a Dickie Bird and a Dusty Miller too And I used to know an Ida Downe believe me this is true
There was an Ivor Lott a Will Power and a Robin Hood Also Rusty Locke and Blackie Smith and a girl named Bebe Goode I have worked with Eva Stone and Lydia Potts and an Eileen Back All of them have had to live with such a great amount of flak.
There was another girl I worked with whose name was May Trump You can well imagine how she felt and why she often had the hump. One name imprinted on my mind from many years gone by Was of a girl starting work and I swear that this is no lie,
Of all the names that I had heard this was the unkindest of all When the boss asked her for her name she answered Ophelia Ball. The look of horror on his face was a picture to behold It left a vivid memory in my mind that I have often told.
So Mums and Dads pick a name to do your children proud And when asked what it is they will shout it clear and loud.
Thingmajig - My dog was called Ceitidh (the Gaelic for Katie) for a few months. I much prefer the spelling, and where I live is a very Gaelic area so most people knew exactly what it was!
However online it was causing confusion, and at the vets, so we changed it to Katy.
I think Gaelic names are very common and not at all strange in the right areas, especially when a lot of kids grow up with the Gaelic as their first language. But in some places, they're just out of place.