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I'd think that in 30 yrs time the number of people who knew who Esther Williams was would be limited... unless your unborn DD turns out to a new swimming sensation
I think it's lovely and I think in the general population the awareness of Esther Williams as in the swimmer must be around 1% and falling all the time.
If you like the name Esther go for it. I like the name, although it is a little old fashioned. Your dd might not like it much though. I have a dear friend called Esther (who is now 25) who hates it. As soon as she went away to uni she reinvented herself as Tess.
Lily Williams is a bit illy. It's not terrible, though -- if I think about it in a "what do I think of this name?" kind of way then the repeated ..ily..illi... does seem too much, but if I just met someone called Lily Williams then it wouldn't strike me as a bad name.
Nothing wrong with Lily Williams, rolls off the tongue nicely I think. Prefer Esther though, no idea who the famous Esther Williams, so I couldn't laugh.
I love the name Esther. DS2 was going to be an Esther. I would smile a bit to be introduced to an Esther Williams but she was gorgeous and I would just assume parents had not heard of her....I don't think many of my mummy friends would know who she was.
i would think 'oh, really?' but then not much more. plus it must only be old bastards like myself who've even heard of her. i did know a helen hayes once who i believe did suffer a little.
My sister is called Esther and I have never heard of Esther Williams. Her name was quite unusual when we lived in England but here in Southern Spain there are loads. My dd thinks her aunt is very naughty as she keeps seeing her name graffitied [sp] everywhere.
My2 DS's have 'famous' names, and i Know people snurk but don't care. One is a big movies star, who wasn't soo big when DS1 was born. The other is a not so well known show jumper - which always gets a snurk from people my age and above!
My brother shares a name with someone famous, but that person only came to fame when db was about 10. So imho it doesn't matter whether you name your children the same name as someone famous or not - they may end up with a snurky name anyway.
Another thought, the OP's Esther Williams may well change her name due to marriage when she is an adult.
I think it would be a shame to avoid a name you love just because someone famous has it.
My brther was at primary school with a (girl) Rowan Atkinson who was presumably named shortly befor the rubbery-faced one rose to prominence. I suspect she got heartily sick of it fairly quickly.
(Nothing to do with Esther Williams, but this thread made me think of it)
