Professor Albert Mehrabian is pondering the name Princess Tiáamii over the
phone from his office in California. “I don’t mean to be negative but this
is a stupid name,” he says. “Right away you’re going to see what that poor
child is going to have to go through.”
I tell him that Princess Tiáamii is the barely month-old offspring of a famous
novelist, Jordan, and her husband, Peter Andre, and that the consensus in
the British baby-name chat rooms is that calling her that was a good idea;
that Andre is widely considered to be pretty much a genius for having
conjured up the previously unheard of Tiáamii by fusing his mother’s name,
Thea, with that of Jordan’s mother, Amy.
“It sounds like a foreign name,” grumbles Mehrabian, “and it will label her in
a way as not being British, as being an outsider. Princess implies
pretentiousness and most people will assume it isn’t a real title. Right
away it’s a name that says the person is not believable.” He rolls the name
Princess Tiaamii around on his tongue a couple of more times, then surmises:
“People do not react well to strange things. In these days of political
correctness this has been conveniently overlooked. This name is an example
of something that is strange.”
“Label” is the right word to use in any discussion of contemporary children’s
names. Mehrabian, professor emeritus of psychology at UCLA and the author of
The Baby Name Report Card, is not the only expert on the subject who
believes that parents are increasingly, if subconsciously, “branding” rather
than simply naming their children. Pamela Satran, who co-wrote the most
successful series of baby-naming books in Britain and the US, agrees.
“Companies stamp their names and initials on every single item of clothing.
It’s very much in the air,” she says. “It is an influence. A parent wants to
give their child individuality and competitive advantage. People have become
conscious of the power of names and they want a name that is going to stand
out in a world of Williams and Elizabeths. Parents are thinking far beyond
how their friends will to react to their child’s name.”
Satran’s forthcoming Brilliant Book of Baby Names: Cool Baby Names and
Baby Names Now is subtitled “What’s Best, What’s Hot &
What’s Not”. Humphrey is an example of a name that is about to be very hot.
What parents want to know is “the image of the name”, she says. “People want
a name that has personal meaning. When before they wanted a name that was
going to blend in, now they want something that is going to say something
about their individuality. If you call your daughter Anne these days, in a
way you’re making a statement by notmaking a statement. You are
saying, I’d rather have you dress in grey and stand in a corner. I think
there is a feeling among parents that they can help their child by giving
them a distinctive name.”
When did the search for the unique yet meaningful baby name begin? Figures
from the Office for National Statistics show that traditional names –
Olivia, Thomas, Jessica, William, Emily, Daniel – dominate the top ten, but
parents are, as Mehrabian puts it disapprovingly, “increasingly choosing
names from a personal idiosyncratic perspective”. Last year 864 Summers, 55
Autumns, six Blades, 22 Spikes and 94 Myloses were born, plus a handful of
Kofis, Francos, Fds, Kikis, Brontes, Lunas and Cadences.
Mehrabian’s big thing is the Name Connotation Profile, or how other people
react to a name. In terms of empathy, masculinity or femininity, ethical
caring, success, fun and popularity, a person called Georgia, for example,
is perceived to be extremely ethically caring (80 per cent), serious but not
necessarily successful (20 per cent). Parents who envisage highflying
careers for their children should stick to traditional names, his research
shows. Katherine, Victoria, Anne, Corrine and Elizabeth for girls; James,
Charles, Thomas and Robert for boys. Under “Names Headed for Oxbridge”
Satran lists Beatrice, Caroline and Martha for girls; Arthur, Alcott and
Graydon for boys.
So how about Blade? “Names that are outlandish repeatedly score badly on name
connotation profiles,” says Mehrabian. “Blade, I would say, doesn’t have
much substance or stature associated with it. Maybe the parents think it’s
cute and unusual, but it’s the same as dyeing your child’s hair blue. And
when he grows up! Imagine him sending out his CV with Blade on it.”
Mehrabian pulls out two further studies to make his point. In the first, a
group of schoolchildren were shown pictures of the same beauty queen with
different names – “the women with desirable names were considered more
physically attractive”. In the second study, a group of teachers and older
students were asked to mark the essays of schoolchildren. Unknown to the
assessors, they were marking the same essay under different names. The
unconventional names scored lower. He adds: “There is evidence to suggest
that children with made-up names don’t do well at school, they don’t do so
well psychologically, don’t settle in.”
While Satran thinks that our newfound mania for original names started at
about the time that the Duchess of York named her children Beatrice and
Eugenie, Mehrabian puts it down to a combination of the cult of
individualism in Britain and the US, lack of government interference where
baby-naming is concerned (in France the law prohibits all names except those
on an approved list, while in Germany invented and androgynous names are
banned) and the influence of celebrities. Last year the name Cruz (the
Beckhams’ youngest son) experienced a 245 per cent rise in popularity.
Maddox (adopted son of Angelina Jolie) rose 88 places; Jayden (Britney
Spears’s youngest) rose 16 places to number 68; Lexie (Steven Gerrard’s
daughter) by 234 per cent; and Peaches jumped 2,948 places. For a short
while last year Sienna became so popular that the people who write
baby-naming books are now straight-facedly backing Vienna as a trend-bucking
alternative.
Or Trinity, Musetta, Cecily, Eudora, Myrtle, Delaney, Romy or Lark – names of
the medium, if not necessarily the long-term, future. Or Daisee, Deisy and
Daysi (any variation of the 25th most popular girl’s name provided that it
has an “original” spelling). Jeff Wadley, director of the brand-naming
company Nomen, cites the influence of new technology in parents’ love of
abbreviations and deliberate misspellings. “There’s the whole text and
internet culture in which spelling is unconventional. And there is a
friendliness, a lack of formality, that’s trickled through to the general
population. Parents name their son Sam and think ‘Well, he can always change
it to Samuel when he grows up’ – that’s a real reversal.”
Prospective parents in search of a baby name should bear in mind the HobNob,
says Graham Hales, the executive director of the corporate branding company
Interbrand. Emotionally, it’s a name that conveys so much more than
chocolate-covered biscuit. Interbrand invented HobNob, Prozac and the
Gillette razor Mach3. “When we think up a new name the primary function is
for it to stand out, and I think the same can be said for how parents view
children’s names,” he says. “Every parent wants their children to be
successful, but how do we define success? Successful in our society is the
ability to stand out from the crowd. That’s not saying everybody wants their
children to be a celebrity, but to call your son John would be very grey.
John has become the Ford Mondeo of children’s names. Our Jameses, Andrews
and Johns are less popular now that you can take anything down from the
shelf. I think that’s to be applauded.”
In the US the marketing men have gone one step further. I talked to Burt
Alper, one of the founders of the corporate branding company Catchword, who
hosts baby-name brainstorming sessions in his spare time for friends. “As a
professional in the business, people expect great advice from us,” he says.
Alper called his son Becket because of “the crispness of the ck sound, like
you have in Kodak”, and says his background in phonetics has helped
him to identify why some words sit better with the general public than
others. “Those consonances, the P and T sound, create an image or
association of athletic dexterity whereas softer syllables are more
emotional and sensitive – the Fs and Ss. ”
Alper encourages parents to apply the three golden rules of brand-naming to
children’s names: “1. Don’t tell people about what you are thinking about
calling your baby or product. 2. Choose a name for your target audience as
opposed to yourself. 3. Wait till you meet the baby before you choose the
name. In the corporate world it would be like naming a company before you
know what personality you want to give it.” That’s all very well, says
Mehrabian, but “some brand names are successes, others are terrible
failures. A parent is in no position to do the profiling it takes to create
a brand. Corporations have enormous resources to do that. What do parents
think they are going to do? Personally educate everyone in the world that
Thor is a good name with positive associations?”
Alongside the obsession with originality, the contempt for convention, the
deliberate misspellings, the inventions and the abbreviations, are the
sorely regretted mistakes. The Uniques. Yes, there are children in Britain
called Unique. Through some universal law of irony, two eight-year-old
Uniques are in the same class at a London prep school.
Does Pamela Satran regret having called her daughter Rory? “No, it has worked
very well. But at least once a year I get a deranged parent on the other end
of the line telling me how much they shouldn’t have picked Lily. The names
that we like are the names that everybody likes. If you want to be original
you have to pick something that is not so easy to like, and a lot of people
are going to wrinkle their noses and say, ‘Oh, you’ve named her Florabella’.”
In the chat room at babycentre.com
one woman regrets having settled on Joshua when her son was born five years
ago. “It is just too damn common. Days after leaving hospital I was hearing
the name everywhere! I wish I’d had the guts back then to change it. ”
She wouldn’t have had that problem with a Harley, a Vice or a Scorpio. Or,
indeed, a Fox. “Is Fox cool or weird?” one British expectant mother wants to
know. “Cool!” chorus most of the assembled bloggers.
“Weird,” says Mehrabian. He applies his foolproof rule of thumb to the name in
question. “Imagine you’re going to meet somebody for the first time and all
you know about them is that they’re male and that they’re called Fox.” He
lets this thought dangle in the air while I imagine what incarnation a
prospective Fox might take. In my mind’s eye I am about to meet a casualty
of the Summer of Love who plays the tambourine. Isn’t it obvious that John
is, in fact, the only name to call your son in 2007?
When I ask Satran about Fox she says that again parents are following the
trend for “word”, “nature” and “animal” baby names. “I don’t think there is
a line any more,” she says. “I think there should be.”
No Celeste, just Abby ever after
Maryanna Korwitts is a “professional nameologist”. I am an amateur about-to-be
parent. My baby is not born but she has a name. But is it the right name? My
partner and I find so much to worry about right now – such as the next 18
years – that it is a long time since we fretted about whether Abby, or
Abigail for long, is going to suit our daughter.
Maryanna sounds shocked when I hint as much. The former teacher from Chicago
who noticed that the Davids in her classes were usually studious and the
Jasons a handful takes this naming business seriously – so seriously, in
fact, that she even renamed herself: as Mary Ann, she says, she was a
“scattered procrastinator”. “Worry,” she says. “Worry about the name you
give her.”
She charges clients $150 (£74) for leading them towards a first name for their
child, and $350 for a full set that will synchronise with a surname. The
process can take as many as four telephone conversations. It is not a matter
of cold-reading her clients’ personalities. She asks about their hopes for
their children’s characters and suggests names that she believes will help
to induce those traits. Look up a name in a book of babies’ names and you’ll
find their “meaning” (Abigail means “father’s joy”).
She asks me the qualities I’d like to see in my daughter. I want her to have a
sense of humour, to enjoy reading and to learn self-discipline (I should
have said that I want her to be content, but that would have been dull). “So
what name have you been thinking of?” she asks. I imagine I hear an intake
of breath over the phone line when I tell her. It seems that the child my
partner and I want and the name we want her to have are incompatible.
Maryanna gives it to me straight. “An Abigail will bring people skills but
will not respect traditions. Do you have a family that respects traditions?”
I tell her that we Billens respect traditions more than we pretend. Well,
she says, Abigail will not do what she is told without a good reason and she
will not be the type to come home and settle to her homework. She will be
fun, but she will also be inclined to perform her own domestic dramas. It is
funny, I say, how one can go off a name.
There are alternatives. Natalies, she says are kind and caring and have
subterranean strengths: Natalie Billen would do her homework. And then there
is Celeste: academically inclined, earthy, questing and questioning. Or
Jemma: “Lots of good qualities: creative, intelligent, someone with balance
and harmony in her life, the type to take charge in an imaginative way.”
At home, Natalie or Celeste or Jemma’s mother is not impressed. Oh, Abigail!
What have we done? Will we forever repent picking a name because we think it
sits prettily upon a doctor from ER?
namestructures.com
Andrew Billen
My name is Lorna and although I am often mistakenly called Laura, lauren, etc, or believed to be a 60 year old rather the 27 year old that they meet me, I like my name as it is unusual but not too ridiculous. I do feel sorry for the future teenage and adult Shakiras, Destinys, and Chardonnays!
Lorna, Tavistock, England
It's not strange in any Antipodean, but my name, Fiona, gets all sorts of comments and compliments in the US, where I now live. Hint to "creative" parents: pick an old name from a country in which you don't live. It's a winner.
Fiona Fiona, New York, USA
When children are born in a upper middle class family, parents probably will choose a traditional name for their children. If not, those children still have the benefit of their background. When you are born in a different background, it's better to choose a traditional middle class name
T. van den Broeke, Duiven, The Netherlands
I don't think it matters what you name your child, certain kids will always be a target for bullying. Kids will make up ways to tease other kids about their names - I got teased for my name at school, and I hardly have a weird name. I was a small, quiet girl and so was an easy target.
Bianca, London,
I think certain kids get bullied no matter what their name is. I got teased at school for my name - and it is hardly weird - because I was a small, quiet child. Some kids are just easy targets - I knew a Sarah who was bullied at school and kids made up ways to tease her about her name.
Bianca, London,
Voron, I'd bet $100 that your little Xerxes is going to change his name to John when he's 18.
Jane, Portland,
There's good weird and bad weird. My father named all his sons "John" (we used our middle names) When I was old enough, I changed my first, and later my last name. My wife changed her name too -- from Tereasa to Tauna. We're going for an unusual name for our son, like Xerxes or Corvin.
Voron, Baltimore, MD, USA
You should pick a name because it has a special meaning to you, or a funny story behind it. When your child asks in 10 years time where you chose its name from, it will not want to hear the boring answer the baby name book!
Phoebe was a really unusual name when I was at school, and everyone envied it. There were no less than five Emma's and four Sophies, as well as six Lukes and three James in my year. I'm really happy with my name, and I hope I do it justice sometimes!
Above all, go with your instinct.
Phoebe, Manchester, UK
I love the old, obscure English names - ones like Avis and Lettice- but would I inflict something like that on my child? No, never! I think traditional names can be some of the loveliest ones, and I doubt any parent has had cause to regret later in life that they named their child Hannah or Lucy.
Victoria Gzebb, Toronto, Canada
Oh my gosh. I couldn't stop laughing when I was reading this article. I have an *extremely* unique name, but it has only gotten me positive attention! People love my name and I love it to pieces, especially my 28 character long middle name! In fact, I know for sure that my middle name has gotten me more than one job just because it looked so unique. More than once I've gone into a job interview and the very first question they ask me is "How do you pronounce your middle name?" I love it!
I plan on naming my kids something really out of the ordinary - I just can't stand boring names that every person I meet has! I'm very proud of my name - I believe its uniqueness has really helped me establish myself as a creative, unique young adult. More than once having a name different from everyone else I knew was a comfort to me in school, when all the other girls would compare their looks. I at least had something special and all my own to love!
Sage, Columbia, Missouri, United States
I still pine to have been able to name my daughter Hepzibah; and after the appearance of a character in Harry Potter the now named Kezia has decided that it would not have been so bad.
Carole, Newbur, Berkshire
To the person writing about the 5 boys named James and their post state school successes. I think that merely demonstrates that the children of the type of parents who choose James do well compared with those who choose Daysee or Tiiaammii.
Emma, Amsterdam, Netherlands
My niece is called Chloe, which was also the name of virtually every baby girl born in England in that year (2002). I think papal names are good for boys: Benedict is one of my middle names, and I like Julius, Leo, Gregory, Clement, Innocent.
Martin, Hereford, England
Oh but don't you love it when you come across 2 'Skyla's and the mothers are horrified that someone else has chosen the name too? Makes you wonder if they're straight down to the register office to get the child re-named......
Sarah Hilton, Radlett, UK
My father wanted to call me Basil when I was born in 1981. He changed his mind when my mother threatened to leave him if he got his way. A close shave !
William, London, UK
Many parents search for names based on meaning, using sites such as <a href="http://www.babyhold.com" title=" baby names">Baby names meanings</a> - it is a personal decision, but parents should keep in mind that their children will have to bear the name all their life.
Tara, NY,
I have a new grandson called Victor Immanuel, how about that for a strong traditional name. As a 50+ year old Vanessa (only one I ever came across at school and not many since) I always wanted to be an Anne or Jane. Most people I have come across with an unusual name wish they had a plain one.
V Saunders, Waterlooville, UK.
Why don’t the parents make a list of all the qualities/attributes they wish to see in their children and look up the Greek or Latin dictionaries to find a suitable one? I have done it from Sanskrit dictionary for the new born in my family.
parimala rao, New Delhi, India
Names will always be a bone of contention.
I was born in the 70's and called Olivia. It was before "Grease!" I hasten to add! Growing up it was totally unique, now I can't go anywhere without triping over an Olivia (most about 5 years old and younger!). I choose to use Liv these days as its more original.
A name does have an effect on the person, but you can overcome whatever moniker you are landed with. Look at Condoleeza Rice....
Liv, Manchester,
Kerry,
If I can offer some advice, a traditional Norwegian name for a boy would be perfect for a young Brit born in 2007. Please call him Nosmo.
Dav Olson, Oslo, Norway
Always felt that an Anglicised version of a Biblical name was a safe bet (providing it's not too Jewish), but I suppose that really dates me, and obviously there are exceptions.
One idea is to add the title "King", "Queen", "Prince" or "Princess" before the name. King Spike, Prince Blade, Princess Luna... see what I mean. Star Wars is a little last season.
Andrew Milner, Yokohama , Kanagawa
I'm 5 months pregnant and this whole baby naming thing is a MINEFIELD. I have bought no less than 5 baby names books and each one has a percentage of names different from the next. My surname is King. This makes things EVEN MORE complicated. For instance, I like the name Lucas. But it will get shortened to Luke. Luke King. You do the phonetics. Are you luke king? At me? I also like Jack. Jack King. Hi, Jack King. Not funny in a terror-minded age. I cannot name the baby Lee, Joe (male or female or anything that would therefore be shortened to Lee or Jo), I cannot call it Berger (if I were so inclined, which I am not)... I also cannot call it Faye, May, Bayley (shortened to Bay), or Kaye (Caking. How attractive!) I also cannot name the baby Hayden, which I rather like, because we live in a place that rhymes with that name. Hayden from Theydon. That's not funny when you're
9! Last and most importantly of all, I cannot name the baby after my father. His name is Wayne
Kerry King, Theydon Bois, Essex
As a victim of 'weird' baby names I'm all for it. Although I still thank my mum for not letting dad call me Storm, my name has given me a sense of individuality that I value. When I was picked on at school I didn't care, whereas my friends Sarah and Elizabeth crumbled as they were used to being 'normal' and part of the group. And my friend Katie Jane Smith tells me every day how fortunate I am not to be cursed with her 'normal' name...
Zandra, Numpty,
I'm sorry, but Fox just sounds like the parent was a little over-obsessed with the X-files. I hate the 'made-up' sounding names. Unfortunately, my parents didn't want to go down the religious/Biblical name route, ruling out lots of conventional names. However, at least my name isn't made up or new.
Sylvia
SW, Southampton,
You are not correct on one point - there is no pre-arranged list for babies names in France. It used to be that children would only be named after saints - each saint has a day and therefore each child/person would have a birthday and a saint's day. Often the saints day was more celebrated than the birthday....
However,this is not the case today - traditional names still popular but the 'individual, sligthly made up' versions are coming into the forefront .............
Leevan , Jade anyone?
sarah , lyon, france
It does not make sense that a name can dictate a person's character and the way people view them to such an extent. In fact it is certainly the reverse. It is far more logical that the character of the individual changes others' perception of the name. How many people have liked a name until they met someone they hated called it? From then on the name has bad connotations. You don't think 'this person is marvelous as I love their name.' Instead, the meaning and feeling of a name varies completely depending on its connotations to each individual.
Kat Slowe, Dorchester, Dorset
My children are named Elizabeth Dianne, Robert William and Samuel Benjamin. All are family names. I guess we're terribly boring.
Kim, Edmond, Oklahoma, USA
There were 5 james' in my class at a state school in Maidstone aged 13. 1 read at RADA, 1 at LSE, 1 at Oxford and 2 at Cambridge. The name definitely helped.
James, london,
My son and daughter-in-law have named our first grandchild Woody (Wilkes-French). How can I comment when my name is Sid (Snot, Vicious, Hissing, Evil, little) ?
sidney french, canterbury, kent
The French law you mention was repealed years ago and parents are free to choose the silliest possible name for their child (a man called his twins Rambo and Rocky...)
A.S., Lyon, France
The 'expert' suggests 'Alcott and Graydon' for Oxbridge?!? You don't get many of those in Welling. They sound decidedly American.
Will Duffay, Welling,
I am going to Cambridge this fall/winter. My name is not Oxbridge friendly. Should I change it? Because I'm going to fail my course, am I not? I don't think a name makes you a success or failure. Only your efforts can.
Marné, Johannesburg, South Africa
This is the 'judge a book by its cover' culture, that is in vogue, rather than judging people by what they say or do. Yes, it's just like dying their hair blue, or other replacements for a personality. Why not encourage children to get a personality instead of giving them a silly name?
Pete, Newcastle, Europe
How does the rule of normalcy apply to folks who are recent immigrants? They're here to stay, but come from cultures that have odd sounding names when written out in English. Their children are going to grow up more or less like their British/American/Australian etc counterparts and aspire to all the same things the average young person would - good schools, college, a good job. Will their success be limited because their name sounds made up?
AS, Houston, USA
To Alison in Melbourne, Aneuryn is a Welsh boys name, and the man who came up with the idea of the NHS and one of Wales's most famous politicians was Aneuryn Bevan. Aneuryn may have been culturally significant, maybe his parents were welsh.
Aimee, Cardiff, Wales
Geographic naming is not an Americanism. Think "India"
McCullough O'Doole, Baltimore, USA MD
Creating a "brand" for your baby! How rediculous. A child requires love, care and guidance not branding. Children should not be treated like an item of fashion.
Giving your child "unique" and different names to me is just vanity and pretentiousness. An extension of the celebrity based chav culture that seems to have gripped the US and the UK (and Australia judging by some of the other comments).
Calling your child Blade or Fox, or spelling a traditional name differently will make your child stand out but with negative connotations. It may work if they want to become a celebrity but if they want a professional career it will set them back. Would you appoint Xanadu to a crucial position in your company or want Princess Shaznee to be your divorce lawyer?
It will get to the point, with so many people having "different" names, that employers etc will judge those with more traditional names to be the ones from intelligent families of good standing.
Joe, Portsmouth, UK
Hey now, Jyri. My dad was called Sydney, with a Y, and he was born in Jamaica, West Indies, in 1933! :-)
(I like "Jyri," actually.)
P Curtis, New York, NY
I was keen to name my twin daughters Jezebel and Delilah to scare off would be predators - my wife was not in favour.
John Bow, London, England
Hay what about Charlotte thats a nice name isnt it although i do am called charlie by everyone! i love the name charlie.
but i spell it the boys way, i dont know why, i just do.
My friends called Omega, that a nice name.
i also think Floras a wierd name it makes them sound week like a little fairy- its good for little pink loving girls but not ful grown women.
chaz, surrey,
Where I am you can change your name by filing an affidavit and paying a fee. I predict there'll be a lot of that 18 years from now. Local governments will be able to balance their books on the receipts.
Linda(a popular song in WWII), Albany NY,
My name is SusEn, and by the way I'm a he. Caused me numerous problems at school; I'm sure the name inhibits intimacy and friendship. And can you imagine getting a CV with my name; its too just too hard work. And the number of times I have to spell my name!!!
Susen, London,
Alison in Melbourne - Aneuryn is an old proud Welsh name and has been around a very long time - longer than Australia in fact.
Michele, Wales,
I'm a female Jaime, I love my name and couldn't see myself as anything else, I'm not particularly sure what the connotations of my name are other than I obviously get people expecting me to be male which ends up with them being embarassed and apologetic (I'm 23, I'm definately used to it, please stop apologising!) but it doesn't bother me in the slightest.
Jaime, Manchester, UK
To Alison of Melbourne who doesn't know that Aneuryn is a traditional welsh name, and has never heard of Aneurin Bevan, the (welsh) secretary of state who founded the National Health Service in Britain.
Huw Williams, Ruthin, Wales
Be careful of cultural differences - Micheal isn't a typo after all and Aneuryn is just another spelling of Aneurin (as in Bevan, Welsh socialist). Coming from a cross european family (Welsh-French-Italian), my brothers (Mario and Bruno) and I (Anthony Jean-Pierre) had highly original names which were never a problem as they had *meaning*. Perhaps that's the problem with made up names and 'unique' names; if they don't have meaning they will be looked on as weird. Maybe Princess Tiáamii will grow up to be just Tia Amy after all. For her sake I hope so.
Anthony Jean-Pierre Price, St Albans, UK
Now, at last, I understand why parents give their children stupid and embarrassing names that will get them thrown into the wheelie bin on their first day at school. I thought it was just vanity or bubble-headedness. In fact, it is because people are now making moeny out of inventing baby names. Of course, nobody is going to make a living suggesting convetnional names, so they have to create a market for new ones. Never mind that they are daft names, as long as the mug punters keep buying.
Frank Upton, Solihull,
When did the American custom of giving girls geographical names start? Names like Chelsea, Paris, even Sydney (obviously with a "y" so as not to be confused with Sidney). I'd love to meet a girl called Egham some day.
Jyri Kokkonen, Helsinki, Finland
I believe naming any of my future children Fox would cause problems.
Maybe we should go with Reynard , Zorro or Vulpi.
Mark Fox, Shepshed, UK
Let those who wish to name their children Fox, Blade, Mach 3 etc go ahead and do it! In this competitive world it can only help those of us with a clue and a sensibly named child to climb various ladders in life far more easily! My friend just named her baby Tyler ... do I comment?
Sarah, London, UK
What's wrong with William and Elizabeth?
C. Morland, Bath,
This is more about pushy parents wanting their child to be yet another symbol of their neverending success, rather than an autnomous entity separate from them! The names you give your child may be wonderful-sounding words with strings of meanings attached to them, and sound marvellous with your surname but will ultimately have little or no effect on how the brat turns out.
Katie, London,
Here in Melbourne I keep an amused and sometimes horrified eye on the births notices, and blimey, we've had some shockers recently --- the most "special" and "distinctive" being some poor kid dubbed Tuhleesha Jyzz Areol, whose parents I suspect have been watching one too many porn flicks. This kid's sister is called Pryncess Daitoner. Other horrors have been Shakailah-Jayde, Maverick (boy, tho sounds like a four-wheel drive), Jaxon (boy, tho sounds like an engine part), Kyashia, Teyhana, Amiileah Jeanaaliyah, Aneuryn (probably picked up from a hospital waiting room when some bogan overheard "Died of an aneurysm"), Traylor (as in traylor trash?) and Bodelle Elzira. Seriously, it has gone too far, and Australia needs to follow the French example and enact a law against this form of child abuse.
Alison, Melbourne, Australia
My parents named me Emma. Emma was one of the most popular names in the year I was born - 1981. There was lots of Emma's at my school and so we were all refered to by our full name, Emma Jones, Emma Wellham, Emma Keeling etc My sister is called Lauren, you would think that this is slightly unusual but there was still another one in her year!
Emma, Cambridge, UK
Anyone who thinks 'Celeste' is 'earthy' needs a language lesson
Ruth Webb, Bristol,
One source of names that people seem to overlook is old but unique names -- names with a lot of tradition behind them. Here are a few examples: for boys: Alban, Egan, Napier, Vanslow; for girls: Dalena, Iola, Posy, Wilda (taken from a list at http://www.babynamesgarden.com/uniquebabynames.aspx
Neil Street, Wilton, Connecticut
This is basic cause and effect, surely? Has the writer not read Freakanomics?
Your name is determined by your background/class/wealth and this is the major factor in whether or not you become successful and wealthy in the future.
Calling children a name that will make them a target for bullies is irresponsibile. Otherwise, what can it possibly matter? I can't believe that people go to 'experts' to make a decision like this. How about just having some conviction and giving your children a name you like.
Pamela, London,
Fox ? A young smart ginger-haired guy wearing a light grey suit. insurance agent or second-hand car dealer, i assume.
Asta, Hamburg, Germany
I was given the name of Sally at the time of my birth in June of 1940.....not Sara, Sarah, Salli, Sallee or Sale. They were going to call me Polly.....I think I "lucked out" with the spelling and I might add.....I have been very successful.
Sally in Waterloo, Iowa....USA
Sally, Waterloo, Iowa USA
"Micheal" is not a misspelling of "Michael"! It's Irish! See, for example, Micheal O'Siadhail.
Mike, New York, USA
The tendency of younger parents nowadays to name their babys uniquely is frequently seen in tandem with the fashion of tattooing. This trend has its roots in neopaganism. The neo-Pagan pop culture, brought via mass media and professional entertainers, speeds the trend along. Thank God I'm a gay non-parent! I'd be sunk since I prefer outre names names like John and Susan!
MarkJustMark, Shepherdstown, US
I teach a little girl called "Chuntay" ...pronouced 'shuntay"! Another staff member thought her name was 'chutney'... and called her that for a day before she realised! I have another student called Michael, whose parents named him MichEAL - a misspelling, but we all have to spell it incorrectly for the rest of his life. I also teach a child called Britney Spears. I honestly think that parents simply look around the house and name their child after the first thing they see... "floor boards"... "duster"... here in Australia I think we suffer from the made up name syndrome, profoundly. Oh for a few Elizabeths and Katherines!
Catherine, Queensland, Australia
Is Mehrabian implying that Beatrice and Eugenie are odd/made-up names? My great grandmother's name was Eugenie, after the Empress Eugenie. I think it is an entirely appropriate name for a member of a royal family. Beatrice, well, that's been around longer than Dante's Beatrice. It's a good literary name. I guess old-fashioned is the new trendy. Let's face it, there are names that are different and then there are those that are just plain silly.
ShelliShouldHaveBeenAFrances, LA,