Re-naming ceremonies

Yes! I suspect that the ones with traditional names decided they wanted to be one of the 'cool kids'. However, their families seemed happy with this. Only last month, at a 100th birthday celebration, did I find out the 'birth name' of a woman in our village; also thinking about it, my grandmother (born 1895) had several friends whose names were not their birth ones. So I wonder if it was an older tradition that died out during the 20th Century.

I've also known quite a few women from Africa who do this, and I have a British-born friend, now 60, who changed her name when 30. She told me that it was a common tradition among Native Americans (for whom there was a fashionable following in the 1920s)

So, no surprise, there's nothing new under the sun! And of course, any excuse for a party!

Tribal societies often have name changing as you grow up and your talents manifest themselves. I am still waiting for my talents to manifest.

I live in Glastonbury, we have myriad Merlins, Lilleths, Wolfs, Stars, Rainbows and one poor girl 'Luminous'.

I wonder if they secretly want to be George or Betty?

I'd like to change my GN name but I know it's not allowed.

I have always detested the name my parents gave me. I was named after a godmother. I had two others...I could have been Emily or Alice. I could have been named after one of my grandmothers...Victoria or Cecilia. My choice would be Cecilia. I never met her...she died very young. From what I have found out about her she was a catholic girl who eloped with my protestant grandfather who was in the British Army...they met in Dublin in 1909. Her parents disowned her. She had to have been rebellious. I think I take after her. I would so love to have met her. My grandfather died young as well so I never met him either.

when my youngest son (3rd child) was about 3 he asked one day why he wasn't called Claribel............so of course that's what we called him for a few years!!

When I was young I wished I had been named Phyllis, now I am older I am really pleased that I was not, always think of the character who used to be in Coronation Street

I didn't realise that it was common for women to choose a different name from the one they were given at birth. This would explain why my Gran was known as Daisy when her real name was Alice (which I didn't know). It caused me no end of problems when I started to try to research family history---couldn't find any official records.

I have taught both Euphemia and Mercedes! DH has a friend with 8 Christian names, after his father's rowing 8!

I'm still twittering at Hebe's Dh being called Gertrude!

I'm not twittering - I'm flaming tittering!

Teetime Many thanks, you had me in stitches.

These days, as I loathe the diminutive of my first name, and DH insists on using it, I quite fancy my third given name of "Alix". It is elegant and rather "fin de siecle" like the Tsarina...
Doesn't really suit me as although tall, I am fat, and not that feminine. Shame.
Wonder what DH would be? Love Gertrude - perhap, DH would be a Dora?

My name is Frances, better known as Frankie, so I'm gender neutral, depending on how I'm feeling!

At school I knew a girl called Charmaine. I thought it was the most wonderful name in the world. Funny how your tastes change.

Dirty Gerty

I would actually quite like to be really called Phoenix, or failing that, Devon.

I'd love to be Chrysanthi. My dad grew those huge chrysanthemums. When I worked with students, I had a girl called Chrysanthi, and I was so jealous!!

I rather fancy Talula for my new name.

I will take Salome as a new name

Jane ten I called my daughter euphemia, well oighrig, it's the same thing! She didn't like it.

Don't ask me why, but before my children were born theor dad and I always referred to them as 'Englebert Needlerooser' ...so there was a lot of renaming at birth for our 2DDs and 2DSs.

But the people I know who changed their names went from rather outlandish/unusual names to very ordinary ones as they didnt like being mad un of! You can't win when naming your children!

But if you give them normal names to start with they will not need to change.

DDIL and DS bump currently know as 'Endymion Mungo Davidoff Jnr! We just have about 3 weeks until we know real name. Can't wait!
DD was a day pupil at a boarding school and due to what was going on politically at the time, the school had a lot of girls from Hong Kong with barely pronounceable names and they always adopted an English name for ease, however they tended to use names from slightly old films of the fifties so there was always a couple of Graces, and Doris(es)

I worked with a nurse who had been named Hortensia at birth after her father's barge - she like to be called Tensia which was much better.