From BBC News Online

Some traditional names such as Edna and Norman are in danger of dying out in England and Wales, research suggests.

Gurgle.com studied the most popular names of 1907 with those that have made the grade over the past five years.

In 1907, 1,048 babies were named Gertrude but none were in 2005. Baby Normans declined from 1,991 to two.

Many babies are named after celebrities or given made-up names now, rather than being given relatives' ones, as often happened in the past, Gurgle.com said.

The two Normans named in 2005 were in Shropshire and Tyne and Wear.

Richard, which was the most popular name 200 years ago, has also declined.

A total of 4,671 babies were named Richard in 1807, but the number fell to 2,289 in 1907 and 538 in 2005.

However, the researchers for the social networking site did find that names such as Thomas, Jack and William have remained in vogue for 200 years.

The survey also suggests a royal connection has kept names such as Elizabeth, Philip and Charles consistently popular over the past 100 years.

It also found that some names which have lost popularity have been replaced by something similar, with Olivia replacing Olive as a popular name.

Similarly, Lily has become a modern-day Lilian and Alfred has become Alfie.

Sarah Stone, editor of Gurgle.com, said: "Not so long ago it seems we all knew a Great Uncle Harold or Aunty Irene, but sadly it seems these names could soon be lost forever.

"It is clear that modern parents are increasingly being influenced by fashions and celebrity. However we also need to remember that there are now more choices available."

The Office for National Statistics says the most popular baby names last year were Jack, Thomas and Oliver for boys and Grace, Ruby and Olivia for girls.

Yes...but what about in the rest of the world?

It's true all over much of the world.  In France they have a law that states a child's name must be approved by the government.  It's to prevent bullying.  Names are getting more unique.

I actually like the "older" named like Agnes and Cornelia. If one day I have a child, I'd like to give her an older name.

I'm stuck wit the name Tiffeny and trust me, I know at least five other Tiffanys. (And Brittanys, Whitneys, Stephanies and Stacys! Cheers to the 80s) LOL.

Personally I think there are alot of really nice girl names - even outside of the more popular ones.  However, with boy names, there arent too many good ones imo.  I dont like the popular boy names such as Mike, Joe, Jim, and John. 

Personally I think there are alot of really nice girl names - even outside of the more popular ones.  However, with boy names, there arent too many good ones imo.  I dont like the popular boy names such as Mike, Joe, Jim, and John. 

The names Mike, Joe and Jim are an abridged form of a name for Michael, Joseph and James, which are more respectful names.

The names Mike, Joe and Jim are an abridged form of a name for Michael, Joseph and James, which are more respectful names.


Oh thank you sir for bestowing your wisdom on me once again.  Mike = Michael?  Good stuff.

LOL

In France they have a law that states a child's name must be approved by the government.  It's to prevent bullying.  Names are getting more unique.


  Get outta here..!

Yesterday I met a little girl named Eleanor. I asked her parents how it was that they named her that.  They said "It is a name she can grow into"  I told them that that was exactly what I did.  ;)

(little Eleanor was excited to meet someone with her name  :) )

a good friend of mine has a daughter named McKenna which is a untraditional here in the US, but it's a pretty name and sounds Irish and the family is not Irish at all.

a good friend of mine has a daughter named McKenna which is a untraditional here in the US, but it's a pretty name and sounds Irish and the family is not Irish at all.
McKenna is popular as a surname, in Ireland and the UK, the name might be a fore-father in the family tree.

Wall Street Journal article.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118247444843644288.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

McKenna is popular as a surname, in Ireland and the UK, the name might be a fore-father in the family tree.
yes, it's primarily a surname but here in the US, people are using it as a first name. the family I know is neither English or Irish

Wall Street Journal article.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118247444843644288.html?mod=googlenews_wsj


  Check this out:

  "In Germany, the government still bans invented names and names that don't clearly designate a child's sex. Sweden and Denmark forbid names that officials think might subject a child to ridicule. Swedish authorities have rejected such names as Veranda, Ikea and Metallica."

  LOL..!

  Check this out:

  "In Germany, the government still bans invented names and names that don't clearly designate a child's sex. Sweden and Denmark forbid names that officials think might subject a child to ridicule. Swedish authorities have rejected such names as Veranda, Ikea and Metallica."

  LOL..!


Metallica is a cool name.  Ikea could pass for a proper Japanese name.

  Check this out:

  "In Germany, the government still bans invented names and names that don't clearly designate a child's sex. Sweden and Denmark forbid names that officials think might subject a child to ridicule. Swedish authorities have rejected such names as Veranda, Ikea and Metallica."

  LOL..!


So I suppose I would be breaking the laws with Addison (old traditional "boy" name) Brelynn, and Kennedy for girl names.  Man I am glad I am not german

When I named my daughter my main plan was to pick a name that you could see an 80 year old named.  I think Sarah fit that.

I wouldn't be able to make any assumption of age just from the name Sarah, but I haven't spent much time among very young people lately so I don't know if there are many very young children with that name. My name is actually a lot more common among pre-schoolers than any other age group, and Tom Cruise probably deserves a lot of the credit/blame for that.  So  "dying" traditional names could possibly see a resurgence if they show up in a prominent pop culture piece.

There was a time when Beverly, Evelyn, and Carroll were boys names.

Here's a name that has to be almost completely dead: Dick.

50 years ago, Dick was a good, normal, manly name. You had famous people such as Dick Clark, Dick Van Dyke, Dick Gregory, Dick Butkus, Dick Tracy (and the best one of all: Dick Trickle), and it was perfectly all right. I remember there were a few older men in my town named Dick, and they seemed to carry their name around as well as any Joe or Tom or Bob or Harry.

Then it all changed. I once heard a man named Dick doing a commentary on NPR about this very subject. He said that he was a teenager in the Sixties and he was good until about 1965, when suddenly the slang meaning caught on and people have been giving him a hard time ever since.

It's funny how Dick is the one name that really gained the stigma, because you can still name a boy Peter or Rod and while they might get a slight amount of ridicule they'd generally be all right. And you can still name a boy Richard and call him Rick or Rich for short and no one would think twice about it.

But naming your kid Dick today and sticking him in a public school? That would almost be cruel. I've often wondered how many (if any) men under 35 today are named Dick.







You know, if I ever have a son, I think I'm gonna name him...Bill or George! Anything but Sue!

Or Dick.  :o

Here's a name that has to be almost completely dead: Dick.

50 years ago, Dick was a good, normal, manly name. You had famous people such as Dick Clark, Dick Van Dyke, Dick Gregory, Dick Butkus, Dick Tracy (and the best one of all: Dick Trickle), and it was perfectly all right. I remember there were a few older men in my town named Dick, and they seemed to carry their name around as well as any Joe or Tom or Bob or Harry.

Then it all changed. I once heard a man named Dick doing a commentary on NPR about this very subject. He said that he was a teenager in the Sixties and he was good until about 1965, when suddenly the slang meaning caught on and people have been giving him a hard time ever since.

It's funny how Dick is the one name that really gained the stigma, because you can still name a boy Peter or Rod and while they might get a slight amount of ridicule they'd generally be all right. And you can still name a boy Richard and call him Rick or Rich for short and no one would think twice about it.

But naming your kid Dick today and sticking him in a public school? That would almost be cruel. I've often wondered how many (if any) men under 35 today are named Dick.







You know, if I ever have a son, I think I'm gonna name him...Bill or George! Anything but Sue!

Or Dick.  :o
Dick is a shorten version of the name Richard, so no one is christened with the name Dick. So those with the name Richard, watch out!

I knew one person who would be in his early forties now who was known as Dick.  Somehow it suited him.  :P

The best one was my Guide leader's husband - Dick Whittington!



Dick is a shorten version of the name Richard, so no one is christened with the name Dick. So those with the name Richard, watch out!


Mostly I'd agree but I do know of some people who were registered with the 'shortened' version of a name i.e. Jenny, Tom and Harry (never worked out why that's 'short for' Henry  :-\\ )

Dick is a shorten version of the name Richard, so no one is christened with the name Dick. So those with the name Richard, watch out!


My husband and his father both have Richard as their first name.  Their middle names are both different, so thankfully there's no 'Jr.' or 'Sr.'.  To avoid confusion, my husband was always called by his middle name (the very common Michael - or Mike, for short).  But his dad, who goes by the name of Rich, used to be addressed as Dickie Joe when he was much younger.

Dick is a shorten version of the name Richard, so no one is christened with the name Dick. So those with the name Richard, watch out!


Back in my football supporting days, there was a centre-half who played for Harlow Town (I think) with the name of Richard Head...

You can probably guess what happened next!  :D

Back in my football supporting days, there was a centre-half who played for Harlow Town (I think) with the name of Richard Head...

You can probably guess what happened next!  :D


What on earth were his parents thinking?!

What on earth were his parents thinking?!


Perhaps they didn't realise the unfortunate connotation...

Took us lot about 4 seconds!  :D

Perhaps they didn't realise the unfortunate connotation...

Took us lot about 4 seconds!  :D


Heh!  ;)

Back in my football supporting days, there was a centre-half who played for Harlow Town (I think) with the name of Richard Head...

You can probably guess what happened next!  :D


Surf guitar king Dick Dale's fans refer to themselves as "Dick Heads."  ;D ;D ;D

I wouldn't be able to make any assumption of age just from the name Sarah, but I haven't spent much time among very young people lately so I don't know if there are many very young children with that name. My name is actually a lot more common among pre-schoolers than any other age group, and Tom Cruise probably deserves a lot of the credit/blame for that.  So  "dying" traditional names could possibly see a resurgence if they show up in a prominent pop culture piece.


There aren't many Sarah's in her school but I have seen some at church.    I think it comes in waves.

I knew one person who would be in his early forties now who was known as Dick.  Somehow it suited him.  :P

The best one was my Guide leader's husband - Dick Whittington!


Mostly I'd agree but I do know of some people who were registered with the 'shortened' version of a name i.e. Jenny, Tom and Harry (never worked out why that's 'short for' Henry  :-\\ )
On ancestry.com there are on the England & Wales, Birth Index: 1984-2005 53 recordings of the name Dick.

Theres' a musician named "Magic Dick Mouth Organ"....... Can't remember what band he is in though :-[

Theres' a musician named "Magic Dick Mouth Organ"....... Can't remember what band he is in though :-[


Does he play the skin flute?