New Post
Search
HelpRe: "fresh" vs. familiar
in reply to a message by mirfak
Interesting. First of all, I can't make sense of 'name' versus 'bearer of name'. I'm quite capable of disliking a name, eg Pearl and Ruby, but liking the Pearl and Ruby people (sisters!) that I know. But using a name to honour someone gets more complicated: then I'd only use a name if I liked it, regardless of how many worthy relatives etc might have had it. But, given a choice between two names I liked equally, I'd go for the family one.
As there are more, and more usable, female names than male, I suppose, my list contains male names where I know and like real people with them, but female names from more varied sources. I think. Let's see:
David - my birth ln is derived from David; distant relative, quite a nice chap; good friend's wonderful husband; celebs would be David Gower and David Lloyd, England cricketers, and David Niven the actor.
Ian - former BIL, pleasant enough; my two very dearest male friends; I've taught more Ians than I can keep track of, most of them OK and one very nice; the only celeb I can think of is Sir(!) Ian Botham.
Peter - my son; a good friend; former neighbour and his son; Peter in the Narnia books and of course Lord Peter Wimsey!
Thomas, nn Tom - both my grandfathers, neither of whom I met; nn of a former colleague whom I like and respect.
William - family name, especially my dear, deceased cousin; he was Bill but I'd use Will; William the Conqueror I suppose, and Will in the His Dark Materials books.
Alice - I had an aunt Alice whom I hardly knew; lots of Alison people, but DH couldn't face it because of a dodgy relation! And of course Wonderland and the Looking Glass. I was at school with three Alices, all cousins, only one of whom used the name.
Cecily - call it a family name! My father was one of the last Cecil people, and I'd never use it for a boy, but for a girl it's just so darn beautiful. I've never known one, and the only fictional one I can think of is in The Importance of Being Earnest!
Helen - a friend of my mother's, and the sister of a friend of mine. Nobody particularly famous except Helen Keller. I had a Nellie aunt and another Nellie great-aunt, both of whom had it as their birth names; I wouldn't use it, but I like Helen much better than Ellen and a bit better than Elinor/Eleanor ...
Laura - I taught a very pretty Laura once; never met one apart from her. It's a name I've always loved but could never use because of using Beatrice (my mother's name) for my daughter, and the combo is too Italian 101.
Lucy - never met a human one, though I was delighted to have a Lucy as my godkitten once! Black and white, and charming. In fiction, back to Narnia again, and I think there was an unpleasant one somewhere in Jane Austen, but who cares? I've always wanted a Lucy daughter and never achieved one.
Alice, Cecily and Lucy have the -c- sound in common, and Cecily and Helen share the same -e-. Might be a factor.
As there are more, and more usable, female names than male, I suppose, my list contains male names where I know and like real people with them, but female names from more varied sources. I think. Let's see:
David - my birth ln is derived from David; distant relative, quite a nice chap; good friend's wonderful husband; celebs would be David Gower and David Lloyd, England cricketers, and David Niven the actor.
Ian - former BIL, pleasant enough; my two very dearest male friends; I've taught more Ians than I can keep track of, most of them OK and one very nice; the only celeb I can think of is Sir(!) Ian Botham.
Peter - my son; a good friend; former neighbour and his son; Peter in the Narnia books and of course Lord Peter Wimsey!
Thomas, nn Tom - both my grandfathers, neither of whom I met; nn of a former colleague whom I like and respect.
William - family name, especially my dear, deceased cousin; he was Bill but I'd use Will; William the Conqueror I suppose, and Will in the His Dark Materials books.
Alice - I had an aunt Alice whom I hardly knew; lots of Alison people, but DH couldn't face it because of a dodgy relation! And of course Wonderland and the Looking Glass. I was at school with three Alices, all cousins, only one of whom used the name.
Cecily - call it a family name! My father was one of the last Cecil people, and I'd never use it for a boy, but for a girl it's just so darn beautiful. I've never known one, and the only fictional one I can think of is in The Importance of Being Earnest!
Helen - a friend of my mother's, and the sister of a friend of mine. Nobody particularly famous except Helen Keller. I had a Nellie aunt and another Nellie great-aunt, both of whom had it as their birth names; I wouldn't use it, but I like Helen much better than Ellen and a bit better than Elinor/Eleanor ...
Laura - I taught a very pretty Laura once; never met one apart from her. It's a name I've always loved but could never use because of using Beatrice (my mother's name) for my daughter, and the combo is too Italian 101.
Lucy - never met a human one, though I was delighted to have a Lucy as my godkitten once! Black and white, and charming. In fiction, back to Narnia again, and I think there was an unpleasant one somewhere in Jane Austen, but who cares? I've always wanted a Lucy daughter and never achieved one.
Alice, Cecily and Lucy have the -c- sound in common, and Cecily and Helen share the same -e-. Might be a factor.
Archived Thread - replies disabled
1