Do you think first names can reflect your personality?

idamaryrose

Noooooo, not these comments about the name Dylan ... My new little grandson is called Dylan and I would hate for him to be pre-judged like this. True of any child ...

Totally agree. Prejudging someone on their name is very unfair and the bias begins before you have even met them.

There were so many Elizabeths in my year group at school (born 1952) that we all had to have an individual nickname. We were all different in personality and appearance. 1952 was the year of the Queen's accession so hardly surprising there were so many of us!

I am a Susan and can catergorically say I am not sensible and I'm with a Paul who is a complete headcase

Nannagarra.
I have a beautiful unusual name. I was headgirl at school and have had a very successful life. Don’t tar us all with the same brush!!!

I have a very unusual name. I haven’t heard of many others with the same name, although I’m sure there will be in Wales!
As a child I disliked it intensely. No one ever pronounced it correctly, but I love my unusual name now , and receive many compliments because of it.

reply - rely

nanna8

Yes, I do think the Susans I know might fit that description but I wouldn't reply on my views as a reliable source of information!
However, one of my favourite books as a youngster was Susan Interferes by Jane Shaw and that Susan was well-meaning but clumsy and chaotic.

Paul - I know a few and all with different personalities.


Barbaras tend to be a bit bossy (sorry to any lovely Barbaras on here but do know three or four who fit the description). They often come into their own, though, when all around are dithering! Perhaps decisive is a better word than bossy.

The Waynes, Darrens, Garys, Sharons, Tracys and Charmaines are the parents and grandparents of the Tylers, Kyles, Rileys, Jaydens, Jensons, Willows, Kayleighs, Kylies, Chelseas and Chardonnays
Actually they are not. The Tracys are teaching, the Sharons are managing banks, the Darrens are managing a team of engineers.
At least the ones I know (not my DC and not my choice of names but the sheer prejudice in your post is astonishing)
And none of their children have those names.
Riley is a delightful boy too

My mother called me Calamity Jane (not my real name)

My granddaughter is called Alice and has the same surname as Alice in The V of Dibley.
Thus far, she looks as though she's going to grow into a young lady who will get the joke.
Thank God! ...oops sorry, Vicar.

Ouch, I can't help my surname...I married it...

To a certain extent, I agree, but more that all the people I know with a certain first name have a specific personality trait that sums them up

Do some parents realise what embarrassment their offsprings name can be if not thought about sensibly when naming their child.
I refer to such as these in this poem I wrote of folks that I have met and worked with during my 91 years on this earth. There are many more that can be added to these.

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.

Copyright © - Maisie Walker 2000 - All rights reserved

I'm Abby. I absolutely love my name... it's sassy and cheeky, yet friendly and reliable. I can't imagine being anything else!

Does anyone think about the meanings of names? My parents did, and disliked several names because of their meaning, At my interview for my English degree course, the Professor of English Language asked me if I knew what my names meant. Luckily, thanks to my parents, I did

I see my name Kate relating to Kate in ‘Taming of the Shrew’ except I haven’t been tamed ?.

My name is actually Kathleen which I dislike, I imagine myself picking spuds in Ireland and not answering back. Apologies to any Kathleens.

I use my middle name Helen at times, which I relate to Helen of Troy.

I’ve gone all theatrical and unnecessary ?

I like my name well enough, but hate my middle name. If I had my son again today, I would choose exactly the same name, but wish I’d gone with my first choice for my older daughter instead of listening to my mother who said it was a horrible name, incidentally, I have a niece with the same name, I bet she didn’t tell my sister in law it was a horrible name.
My youngest daughters name has always been shortened, she didn’t even know it was her name till she started school.
I really like all my grandchildren’s names, though I’m surprised to see one appearing on the ‘naughty boy’ list.
I think names are important, and naming a child is a big responsibility.

Annaram1 thats my name but I get called Nets,Netty,Nettle and Ann.
My friend from Derby said The Netty is a slang name for toilet there and brought me a sign with Netty on it toput on my bathroom door I had to laugh.?

I've never liked my double first name which is hyphenated. I always felt it was too posh for me, so I shortened it, a lot! If I could have chosen a name it would be Penny.

Musicgirl

I also feel the same way about pretentious names like Tarquin, Candida (I've never understood why you would give your daughter the same name as a yeast infection), Horatio, Persephone, Septimus etc. Some of these children can be the worst behaved and have ineffectual parents. My own name is fine but not uncommon and very much of its generation. Our own children were given names that, hopefully, won't date too much (although they probably will; such is the nature of things) and that would not determine their background.

Why are they pretentious? How can you tell? The parents may just like the names - and no, I don’t have a child with those names.

I think Candida became popular before anyone outside the medical profession knew it was an infection.

I am Fay and when i was at school there wasn't any other Fays. I also had a very unusual second name, Irish in origin. I have always been very quiet and was painfully shy, quite an introvert too. I do think now that my name suits my character.

Initially thought of giving children middle names in case they didn't like our first choice. Common sense won the day when we reaslised they might not like the middle one either so we abstained. Thankfully they're both hugely happy with our first choices for both of them. Some y' win.

We deliberately gave ours names that can be shortened, so that they could decide which version they wanted to use, and we gave them both middle names too, to increase their choices.

They both use the shortened versions we used when they were children, but in the event that their lives take a more formal turn they have the full names (or their middle names) to fall back on.

Idamaryrose. I couldn't agree more.

I only know two Paul’s and they are both terrible human beings

I also feel the same way about pretentious names like Tarquin, Candida (I've never understood why you would give your daughter the same name as a yeast infection), Horatio, Persephone, Septimus etc. Some of these children can be the worst behaved and have ineffectual parents. My own name is fine but not uncommon and very much of its generation. Our own children were given names that, hopefully, won't date too much (although they probably will; such is the nature of things) and that would not determine their background.

Perhaps names are a self fulfilling prophecy, we named our children good solid British names, our grandchildren are mixed race and have exotic but classic names.