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Will British Baby Names Rule?
British Invasion of Baby Names
Yesterday, I wrote about the Top Ten Retro Baby Names for Boys. Some of the names on the list — such as Harry — are already popular in Britain.
Given that Americans tend to want to give their kids upper crust-sounding names, it’s a safe bet that names that are popular in Britain will soon catch on in the United States. So what are some popular British names?
Nameberry.com creator and author Pamela Redmond Satran came up with a list of British names based on supremely unscientific research — she simply looked in the birth announcements of The London Telegraph.
In addition to spotting the trend of names that start with “R” (Rufus, Rex, Rory, etc.), Redmond Satran also noted “there are always plenty of eccentric three-name combinations, lots of charming sibsets, and a collection of names not often heard in my neighborhood of New Jersey.”
Here are some examples:
Girls:
1. Clementine Annabel Emily
2. Daphne Olga Amelie
3. Eliza Miranda Rosemary
4. Isabella Allegra Jessica
5. Jemima Alice India
6. Ella Persephone
7. Loveday Celestine Primrose
8. Henrietta Daphne Mabel
9. Hermine Halcyon Margaret Isabel
10. Matilda Daisy Margery
Boys:
1. Ezra Martin
2. Rex Patrick Wood
3. Alasdair Lorne Leonardo
4. Wilfred Rocky Otto
5. Ignatius Mungo
6. Hugo Rupert William
7. Rory Sinclair Willasey
8. Augustus George Barden
9. Rufus Alexander
10. Albert Thomas Harry
Of course, some of these names — Isabella, Rory, and Ella, for instance — are already popular here. And others, such as Albert, Hugo, Daphne, and Matilda, seem destined to catch on stateside.
But Jemima will never be able to lose its Aunt Jemima image and names like Alasdair and Ignatius just sound too pretentious (and British?).
What do you think? Is this the beginning of the British invasion when it comes to baby names?
Other baby name posts by Paula Bernstein:
Does Your Baby’s Name Predict Her Future?
100 Cool Baby Names You’ve Never Heard Of
Does Your Baby’s Name Predict Their Career Path?
Baby Names: Does Spelling Count?
Best Weirdly Popular Baby Names
Ten Most Popular Baby Names of 2009
photo: wikimedia/Mícheál
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0 Comments
bob commented on Sep 28 10 at 10:08 amLame research is a Nameberry hallmark. But they are good at self-promotion.
bob commented on Sep 28 10 at 10:15 amI’ll add that British names down inevitably cross over. See e.g. Rupert and Clive.
goddess commented on Sep 28 10 at 10:21 amOw. Some of those are absolutely hideous! Wouldn’t use some fo those names for an ugly bulldog, even.
bob commented on Sep 28 10 at 10:34 amLooking at these names, I’m struck by how poorly they flow. As sets, they’re just clunky.
JesBelle commented on Sep 28 10 at 10:55 am@bob — Maybe if you try saying them with a british accent?
Elyse commented on Sep 28 10 at 11:22 amWhat? No Fifi Trixibelle?
bob commented on Sep 28 10 at 11:23 amThat’s a great point, JesBelle! Even my ridiculous imitation of a british accent makes them better. That may be the thing that keeps some british names and naming practices from catching on here.
LogicalMama commented on Sep 28 10 at 7:53 pmI love Ezra!!!
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