Kathryn Goldsmith

[Brissles]

Beatrice - not a name that fills me with joy. But then Honey Bee (Ali K's grandchild) just made me laugh - and cringe. I had a new great nephew born in April, and they've named him Caspar , I said "oh, like the ghost then ! he'll get Cassie at school no doubt.

Mind you, I took my parents to task in middle age as to why I was called Linda - apparently they only had a boy's name thought of and I was 2 weeks old when Dad took himself off to the pictures and after seeing a film with Linda Darnell in, that was a name decider ! Being 1948 there clearly was little choice about as there were 4 other Linda's in my class ! Honestly, parents !!!! My Dad said "well what did you want to be called then?" to which I replied "you could have been more inventive, I was born in October so perhaps Octavia would have been different". They both laughed. See?

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

my dad was sent to register my sister (first born) with 3 names, one he forgot (the one she was to be know by) one he changed the spelling of and one he got right! It has caused no end of problems as the name she used doesn’t exist on official documents. I have to remember this if I am sending something which need identification to collect.

 

[Brissles]

Like I said, parents !!! My dad did something similar, he registered my younger brother with the middle name of himself, then when registering his second son, he did it again much to my mother's disgust, giving both his sons the middle name of James !!!

 

[Kathy]

Congratulations to Kathryn and Husband on the birth of their lovely Daughter.

 

[grovesy]

My son's year when he started school there where at least 4 Carly's there were at least 4 different spelling of it too! This would have been early 90's.

 

[merryone]

Just a random thought on names...Does anyone remember when in one's teens/early 20's when in the pub or disco (it wasn't called clubbing in my day) what a wheeze we'd have by telling guys who tried to chat us up that our names were Edna, Ivy, Dot, Mavis and the like? (I was always Beryl). I was thinking that these old fashioned names are what our kids are being named these days...(Little girl over the road no more than 4 years old is called Olive.) Will this generation in later years be telling others for a laugh "I'm Susan, and these are my mates Deborah & Lynne"?!

 

[Silver Fox]

I am still waiting for me name to come back in to fashion, don’t think it ever will! My Father hated his very biblical name & got a lot of ribbing when he was in the Army during the War.I cringed when in school they went round the class asking your parent’s Christian names,Mam’s was very old fashioned then too.Why did they do that?!

 

[Twilight]

I love the stories of befuddled dads & considering the number of children I've taught with 'wrong' names it's something that just keeps happening. I think it's a huge responsibility to give a child a name but along with many people there are names I love & those I don't, unfortunately my Mr T didn't like any of my loved ones & HIS surname meant others didn't work either; our younger daughter was Baldrick until a few days before she was born when a hurricane appeared with a name we liked & she had hers. At the start of all the recent madness I decided to clear out the paperwork I had following my parents' deaths & bizarrely found all my baby cards, I love my name & now know that it was my parents' fourth choice. I'm also aware that my mum had told everyone that she wanted a boy & several cards were full of commiserations rather than congratulations, including the line from my aunt - 'I'm sorry for your disappointment but knowing you you will love it just the same'. IT!!!

I am still waiting for me name to come back in to fashion, don’t think it ever will! My Father hated his very biblical name & got a lot of ribbing when he was in the Army during the War.I cringed when in school they went round the class asking your parent’s Christian names,Mam’s was very old fashioned then too.Why did they do that?!

That wouldn't be allowed now & good job too because it puts a child in a difficult position & can even cause bullying.

Beatrice - not a name that fills me with joy. But then Honey Bee (Ali K's grandchild) just made me laugh - and cringe. I had a new great nephew born in April, and they've named him Caspar , I said "oh, like the ghost then ! he'll get Cassie at school no doubt.

Mind you, I took my parents to task in middle age as to why I was called Linda - apparently they only had a boy's name thought of and I was 2 weeks old when Dad took himself off to the pictures and after seeing a film with Linda Darnell in, that was a name decider ! Being 1948 there clearly was little choice about as there were 4 other Linda's in my class ! Honestly, parents !!!! My Dad said "well what did you want to be called then?" to which I replied "you could have been more inventive, I was born in October so perhaps Octavia would have been different". They both laughed. See?

I agree & think Beatrice is a hard name, probably because my mum had a tungsten friend with that name. I feel the same about Honey Bee & I won't divulge our new granddaughter's name just say that my husband shakes his head slowly when it's mentioned. I'm also an October person & when I was a child I went through a fad of wanting to be called either Autumn, Penelope, Lady was optional or Anne - with an E.

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

Another Anne of Green Gables fan?

Because of the royal connection i think Beatrice is not as unusual as it was in my youth when it was definitely an odd name for anyone. I fear she may be shorted to Beattie and then progress to Batty. If it is possible to get a cruel nickname out of your name kids will find it like a heat seeking missile.

 

[merryone]

I agree & think Beatrice is a hard name, probably because my mum had a tungsten friend with that name. I feel the same about Honey Bee & I won't divulge our new granddaughter's name just say that my husband shakes his head slowly when it's mentioned. I'm also an October person & when I was a child I went through a fad of wanting to be called either Autumn, Penelope, Lady was optional or Anne - with an E.

I remember when Fergie chose the name Beatrice...and I thought to myself what a stiff sounding name, and then it caught on big time and I warmed to it a bit more, possibly because it became so commonplace that the why on earth would you call someone that had worn off. ..and Beattie sounds quite cool I think. Back in about 1981 my friend's younger sister got pregnant at the age of 17 and said she wanted to call her child Joshua if she had a boy...we were all...NO!!! You can't call him that,you can't...She did..then the whole country seemed to follow suit....happy story though..she married Joshua's father, had two more children..and they're still happily married!

 

[Brissles]

Ah Twilight, the name Penelope ! when Mum was expecting my little brother, she appeared to be more 'inventive' with names than she was with mine, and decided if it was a girl she was going to be called Victoria Penelope. That was back in the mid 50's, funny the things you remember.

 

[Suki 1]

Infuriating! The other thing I’ve seen is in our TK Maxx, mothers going off looking at the clothes, leaving young kids (3-6 perhaps) just playing by the toy shelves, ripping packets open (the ones that aren’t sealed or with those plastic tie things) and applying play cosmetics, drawing with the pens, etc. Then when Mum’s finished her child-free browse, she calls the kid over and all the mess is just left on the floor. Someone else’s problem... and expense.

We have the same thing happen in our Charity Shop we now seal the toys where possible.

 

[Twilight]

Ah Twilight, the name Penelope ! when Mum was expecting my little brother, she appeared to be more 'inventive' with names than she was with mine, and decided if it was a girl she was going to be called Victoria Penelope. That was back in the mid 50's, funny the things you remember.

What a stylish name, I'd have had sibling envy over that! I lived next door to my best friend/greatest enemy for years & we played 'The Game' throughout our childhood; she was a princess, named Victoria, taken from her parents when a baby & I was Lady Penelope who as well as being a secret agent ran the orphanage where she lived. We battled spies, aliens & giant red ants in our quest to find her parents & were much influenced by Captain Zeppos from a children's TV series. There was one never to be forgotten day when we saw her neighbour the other side asleep in his garden so we pretended that he was a spy & had been killed. After looking out of the windows many times, telling both mothers we thought he really was dead & being told off for actually being spies ourselves, her mother decided to look for herself & yes, he was dead & had been for hours. Victoria & Penelope - great names.

I remember when Fergie chose the name Beatrice...and I thought to myself what a stiff sounding name, and then it caught on big time and I warmed to it a bit more, possibly because it became so commonplace that the why on earth would you call someone that had worn off. ..and Beattie sounds quite cool I think. Back in about 1981 my friend's younger sister got pregnant at the age of 17 and said she wanted to call her child Joshua if she had a boy...we were all...NO!!! You can't call him that,you can't...She did..then the whole country seemed to follow suit....happy story though..she married Joshua's father, had two more children..and they're still happily married!

What a lovely story. I worked in a school & boys named Joshua, Jack, Dan, Harry, Sam & Ben all had to have their surnames attached because there were so many.

Another Anne of Green Gables fan?

Because of the royal connection i think Beatrice is not as unusual as it was in my youth when it was definitely an odd name for anyone. I fear she may be shorted to Beattie and then progress to Batty. If it is possible to get a cruel nickname out of your name kids will find it like a heat seeking missile.

I absolutely love her, have all my books & still read them. Marilla, Matthew & gorgeous Gilbert were real to me & my mother said I was the only person she knew who wanted to be a red haired orphan.

We have the same thing happen in our Charity Shop we now seal the toys where possible.

My children were brought up with the expression "Look with your eyes, not your hands", I despise some humans beyond words. From now on the parents need to be told that if their children touch items it could spread this current virus & all others & see if that shocks them into doing the right thing & behaving in a civilised manner.

 

[AndiK]

I love the stories of befuddled dads & considering the number of children I've taught with 'wrong' names it's something that just keeps happening. I think it's a huge responsibility to give a child a name but along with many people there are names I love & those I don't, unfortunately my Mr T didn't like any of my loved ones & HIS surname meant others didn't work either; our younger daughter was Baldrick until a few days before she was born when a hurricane appeared with a name we liked & she had hers. At the start of all the recent madness I decided to clear out the paperwork I had following my parents' deaths & bizarrely found all my baby cards, I love my name & now know that it was my parents' fourth choice. I'm also aware that my mum had told everyone that she wanted a boy & several cards were full of commiserations rather than congratulations, including the line from my aunt - 'I'm sorry for your disappointment but knowing you you will love it just the same'. IT!!!

I know someone whose dad was so “befuddled“, largely because he went straight from the hospital to the pub to wet the baby’s head (pretty much drenched it), that he didn’t get to the registry to register the birth until the next day, when he gave the wrong date! It wasn’t noticed for some time. It wasn’t this country and it was the 1950s so I don’t think the error has ever been corrected. To this day, she still celebrates both days - only gets one present though

 

[Glamourkitty]

Neither of my parents spoke welsh but my father wanted me to be named Myfanwy. Born with ginger hair, Mum said I would have enough of a hurdle without being called Fanny. She got her wish and I was called Jacqueline, the French spelling and pronounced jac-q-lean. I've always been called Jacqui.

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

Not having had children is it true that.as soon as baby is born you know exactly what name he /she should have? IME some don’t really settle into their “look“ for a few days so don’t quite know how a screwed up red face is portraying Whitney/Beyonce/Fred/Oliver immediately after birth.

On the other hand some people seem to wait for ages after the birth before finally deciding to the point of changing their minds more than once during which time family members don’t know how to address the wee mite.

Pity the poor kids saddled with a name in order to appease relatives, and you will never win especially if there is mum/MIL/stepmum etc to keep happy. I believe all children should have a name all of their own and not named after anyone as I’ve seen the ridiculous squabbling resulting from slighting great auntie Sally.

Neither of my parents spoke welsh but my father wanted me to be named Myfanwy. Born with ginger hair, Mum said I would have enough of a hurdle without being called Fanny. She got her wish and I was called Jacqueline, the French spelling and pronounced jac-q-lean. I've always been called Jacqui.

Parents can agonise for months over the name and as soon as you go to school your name is altered and remains that way your entire life unless you start anew in a different place.

 

[Brissles]

Not having had children is it true that.as soon as baby is born you know exactly what name he /she should have? IME some don’t really settle into their “look“ for a few days so don’t quite know how a screwed up red face is portraying Whitney/Beyonce/Fred/Oliver immediately after birth.

On the other hand some people seem to wait for ages after the birth before finally deciding to the point of changing their minds more than once during which time family members don’t know how to address the wee mite.

Pity the poor kids saddled with a name in order to appease relatives, and you will never win especially if there is mum/MIL/stepmum etc to keep happy. I believe all children should have a name all of their own and not named after anyone as I’ve seen the ridiculous squabbling resulting from slighting great auntie Sally.

I'm also without offspring, and equally screw a face when learning of names. Yes, a few years ago it seemed that every male child was named Joshua - I always found the J and the SH as in JoSH to be a bit weird to say, but hey ho. Like Tim, a word thats over before you've said it. Then there was a spate of Lily's about. Naming should be given a lot of thought, and more importantly the surname needs to sound 'right' with it. One little lad I knew was called Joshua Bushell - say that after a few gins !

Someone once told me that a first name of 2 syllables should be given with a short surname, as in, um Alexander Pope - even Timothy Pope sounds finds, but Tim Pope, nah ! At the end of the day its the parents choice, but the kids are the ones saddled with it.

 

[grovesy]

Not having had children is it true that.as soon as baby is born you know exactly what name he /she should have? IME some don’t really settle into their “look“ for a few days so don’t quite know how a screwed up red face is portraying Whitney/Beyonce/Fred/Oliver immediately after birth.

On the other hand some people seem to wait for ages after the birth before finally deciding to the point of changing their minds more than once during which time family members don’t know how to address the wee mite.

Pity the poor kids saddled with a name in order to appease relatives, and you will never win especially if there is mum/MIL/stepmum etc to keep happy. I believe all children should have a name all of their own and not named after anyone as I’ve seen the ridiculous squabbling resulting from slighting great auntie Sally.

No.

 

[merryone]

The thing that makes me wince, and I apologise if anyone here has, or has kids with bizarre spellings of regular names. I've met a Serah (Sarah), Liesa (Lisa), Natashia (Natasha), Krystyna (Christina) and on the other end of the spectrum I came across the name Leah which was pronounced Laya - I don't know what these alternative spellings serve to do, other than to confuse the reader and irritate the person who's constantly having to correct other people.
Although I must say I also wince when I see names spelled differently to the norm..eg, Aimee, Chelsee, Symon at least you can actually tell how the name is supposed to sound.

 

[Brissles]

I know what you mean. Even at school in the 50's and 60's I had a school friend with the name Marie. Easy one might think. But no, it was pronounced Maarrreee ! And of course not forgetting those with a hyphenated first name, as in Sarah-Jayne - do you stick to just Sarah or spend valuable time quoting the whole name ? Like I said, naming is a minefield.