Names never to return?

My DD1 was Horace in utero.

I had an aunt called Mafeking because she was born on the day of the relief of Mafeking. My mother was Evelyn and sister Winifred.

My stepfather`s first name was Wilson, his surname was Charles. When I started grammar school, and the form teacher was getting all our details down, it took me AGES to convince her (I thought) that his name wasn`t Charles Wilson. She kept patiently trying to tell me that she required his Christian name first, and when we got the forms to take home for parents to sign as correct, she`d put him down as, yes, Charles Wilson.

I really love the 'virtue' names. Our eldest daughter has the middle name Faith. My name is a virtue too but not the prettiest by a long chalk!

It's called conversation, this kind of chat

Could you possibly BE more patronising?

Victoria and David Beckham's daughter is called Harper.

My parents had an old family friend called Honour. I think there was an ancient relative called that too, but I've never heard it in recent years.

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).

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.

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!!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

Yes. I know.

And I was being straightforward, as usual.

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

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 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?

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 know a Cameron Stewart whose name could easily be reversed.

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.

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

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.