Sponsored by
Gervase Phinn: What's in a name?
Recent research suggests that many traditional names are in danger of dying out. In 1907 Gertrude was very popular, but not one baby was given that name last year. The modern trend is for parents to name their babies after celebrities (Keira, Demi, Britney, Kristen, Sylvester) or give them invented names (Tolly, Canter, Missy, Cobert). Christine and I called our first- born Richard, which has been a popular name for 200 years, but there were fewer that 500 babies called that l
Our second son was christened Matthew, which is still popular, and our daughter we called Elizabeth which is a name which has been in vogue for over 200 years. When third son Dominic was born in 1979, the name was relatively unusual for the time but now it is high in the popularity stakes.
The Office of National Statistics shows that there has been a real decline in names like Edna, Ethel, Irene, Ada and Olive for girls and Norman, Walter, Percy, Herbert and Harold for boys. The most popular names now are Jack, Thomas and Oliver for boys and Grace, Ruby and Olivia for girls.
Christine and I became proud grandparents for the second time last year. My son Richard and daughter-in-law Nina were set on calling the little girl Scarlett. When they told me I kept a diplomatic silence and merely smiled.
"Don't you like it?" I was asked.
"Well it's certainly different," I said. Scarlett Phinn, I thought to myself. It sounds like an exotic fish.
Thankfully, their minds were changed when a work colleague of Richard's laughed out loud when he heard the name and told my son that they called a girl at his school with that name, "Scarlett, the harlot". I made a silent prayer when my son and daughter-in-law decided on Megan Rose.
"I've had requests for Jezebel and Salome and Delilah," bemoaned Gary, my vicar friend. "It's very difficult explaining to the parents who these women were and what their line of work was. One child very nearly went through life with the exotic name of Onacardie. I asked the parents at the christening: 'And what do you name this child?' The mother replied loudly, 'Onacardie.' I had just begun sprinkling the water over the baby's head and intoning: 'I christen this child Onacardie,' only to be quickly interrupted by the irate mother. 'No, no, vicar!' she hissed. 'On 'er cardy. The name's written on her cardigan. We want her to be called Siobhan.'"
Speaking of christenings I was told the following tale by Mark, my editor at the Dalesman. The Methodist minister, conducting a baptismal service, asked the father, a farm labourer by trade, the name of the child to be christened. The proud father announced that the name was Homer. One should never judge people by their appearances thought
the minister. Here was a man of some erudition
who was clearly a great admirer of the
classical scholar.
"Homer was a great poet," the minister told the father after the service. "I too share your interest in the classics."
"Eh?" asked the father.
"Homer. The man after whom you named your baby son."
"Nay vicar," replied the father, "it's nowt
to do wi' that. I keep pigeons."
Email to a friend
Print this page- Leeds lose Ward to Palace: Is there anyone they can afford now?
- Sheffield Wednesday leaving it late to hijack Leeds United over Ward
- As Snodgrass dithers over Leeds, Warnock throws a lifeline
- Ball is in Leeds United’s court over contract - Snodgrass
- Police turning blind eye to Asian voter fraud, says MP
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Yorkshire
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: East
