Names never to return?

Thank you, Auntieflo, that's interesting. I hadn't come across any small Pearls!

Not heard of any babies called Wendy now, thankfully. I've always hated the name, but then again, my mum wanted to call me Dawn.

DD1’s favourite unusual name is on a gravestone in the next village to mine: Carswella.

No relation to Duncan I trust?

Doris, my aunts name. Sheila, don't think that's so popular now.

I'm reminded of an episode of Kath and Kim (remember them?). Here's a short clip in which they talk about baby names.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO0tf7GEkx8

mcem- that's very common up here and in the Hebrides-i once met a Peterina and have known a few Williaminas, Thomasina, Jamesinas etc. I've always wondered if the fathers wanted sons or was it just to carry the family names on to another generation?

I also know of a littlie called Agathe-sounds better in French! Oh and a Perdita, pretty name.

anno Brilliant! I actually think I'd prefer to be called Enema than some of the names popular at the moment!

In Scotland a lot of surnames became used as boys names - Gordon, Graham, Ross, Russell, Craig, Cameron, Stewart, Scott, Duncan, Douglas, Kieth, Kerr, etc but not many are used as girls names. I can only think of Leslie and Lindsay.

However in America lots of girls are given surnames as first names, such as Madison, Mackenzie, Cameron, Taylor, Harper, Piper, Stockard. I don't think any of these sound at all feminine.

I know a Cameron Stewart whose name could easily be reversed.

My mother was German and my father thought it would be fun to call me Eva, our surname was Brown! Thankfully my mother put her foot down! I know of Mabel, Ottilie and Sidney (a girl ) also know I fa couple of Wilfreds and an Audrey!

I haven't come across any little Sybils or Prunellas. I wonder if these names will be revived by parents who haven't been exposed to the dreaded Mrs Fawlty?

I hadn't thought of that possible connection, maw. Carswella died quite some time ago so, if she was one of Douglas Carswell's ancestors, even he might not know. Has he been on that Who Do You Think You Are? programme?

I was being what my DGS would call "iwonic", thatbags!!

Yes. I know.

And I was being straightforward, as usual.

I suppose if I'd said that I hadn't connected the name Carswella with the surname Carswell my straightforwardness might have been more apparent. That is, essentially all I was saying.

It's called conversation, this kind of chat.

anno when I was working I was very wary of people whose names could be reversed. It's not just masculine names either - Ruth, Rose, Allison and Leslie are all fairly common first names as well as surnames.
The potential for embarrassment and/or error was quite high!

Have a friend with a grandson called Horace...!

Luckygirl, when my dil was pregnant, they said if the baby was a girl they were going to call her Agnes. I thought they were joking and I'm afraid I rather put my foot in it by laughing (they were serious). Anyway, she ended up with it as a middle name and is quite proud of it.

My name, Meriel, is a family name going back at least to my great, great grandmother. I hated it as a child but don't mind it now and, at least, it made researching the family tree much easier.

The men in my family tended to have maternal surnames as first names, Bowes, Milner, Lawer, Foster, starting in the 1800s. There were still little Milners in the family tree as each generation perpetuated it.
As you say, Meriel, it makes searching the family tree much easier.

Constance seemed to be a name that surprised me by its constancy - although often supplanted by Connie.
Are there any little Connies around these days? I was surprised at Connie Fisher. She seemed quite young to have that name, but there is also a 16 year old Welsh singer called Connie.

My grandmothers were called Gladys and Mona. While I would have liked to call my DD after one or other of them on a personal basis as I loved them, I just couldn't!!

My eldest son called his daughters by names that were not in either family so he would not offend anyone.
Doing the family tree we discovered they were all in his dad's mother's family. Her generation, as well. She had a lot of sisters he did not know about.

I think the ugliest names ever are Agnes and Agatha, both now being used again. Old names come around every few generations but made-up names like Marilyn, Debra or Harper are not likely to come back (I hope).