Can I name my baby after a long running soap star?

[NiceCuppaTeaAndASitDown]

Think
Emily Bishop
Rita Tanner
Audrey Roberts
Sally Barlow
Annie Sugden
Etc

The first name was my grandmothers so it's very special to me, but I don't know it I can use it as the soap character has been around for almost 30 years.

Do you think it would be too silly?

[NiceCuppaTeaAndASitDown]

I should add that I'm only just pregnant and don't know gender yet, so this is all still a bit hypothetical

[Wishiwasmoiradingle2017]

Confess!!!!!!????

[Foldedtshirt]

Dot Cotton?
It's fine- give a lovely middle name in case it does prove difficult.
Eddie Grundy?

[PotteringAlong]

Dirty Den?

[Annesmyth123]

Kylie?

[Foldedtshirt]

I wouldn't have recognised any of the examples you gave btw!
And congratulations!

[Wishiwasmoiradingle2017]

Chastity Dingle??

[Chasingsquirrels]

Do you have the last name to go with the first name?
If so I might give it some thought, if not then it wouldn't even cross my mind as any kind of issue.

[OutnumberedbyFurchesters]

Deirdre Barlow?

I need to know now!

[dancestomyowntune]

I have five children already, my oldest is called Charity. When we discovered I was pregnant with my second, a son, one of our top name picks was Cain, but we felt it was too much already having a Charity! Go for it if you want to, just because a soap character has a certain name doesn't mean no one else can use it!

[NiceCuppaTeaAndASitDown]

We have the surname that the character has. Some lovely guesses so far!
I sort of hope that the character might be killed off so it's less of an issue.

[armpitz]

I have a mate called David Cameron

I think really it does depend though. Some are pretty iconic. It wouldn't necessarily stop me using it but if your surname is Potter and you call your child Harry then they are going to get 'you're a wizard!' following him everywhere. Something like Emily Bishop is fairly innocuous though.

[bionicant]

Hilda?

[LittleMissCantbebothered]

Dot cotton?

[NiceCuppaTeaAndASitDown]

Good point that some are more significant than others, so I'll spill - sadly it's not Dot Cotton!
I'm considering Audrey Roberts

[Wishiwasmoiradingle2017]

Well she is a nice wholesome character!
A Dingle would have been somewhat questionable!! Go for it!!

[1horatio]

Audrey Roberts

It sounds lovely :) I don't know who that character is, never heard of her, tbh...


Add a middle name? Audrey Joy Roberts (for example!). If she doesn't like the Audrey Roberts connection she could go by her middle name,

[MelinaMercury]

As long as it's not Gail Platt, go for it ;)

[PoloZolo]

I was thinking it was Gail Plait too! I think Audrey Roberts is fine, it's a really lovely name and I wouldn't let the soap character put you off.

[ASqueakingInTheShrubbery]

Audrey Roberts has a lovely sound to it. The character must be quite old now, she was well into middle age when my mum watched Corrie in the 80s, so by the time her friends are soap-watchers she'll be long gone. You might get a few comments but she's a nice character as far as I remember so it shouldn't be anything bad and will blow over.

[SunshineOutdoors]

Audrey is a great name

[AuntieStella]

Audrey Roberts is a central character in Coronation Street and has been in the show since 1979 and is still going strong. And as the character is aged mid 70s, she could well be going for years yet.

If it was a lesser character, then people might not get the connection. But I think this one is very well known, for several generations of viewers of the most-watched soap, will last a while longer.

I wouldn't do it. Sorry, not what you wanted to hear.

[Sugarpiehoneyeye]

Yes, you can.

[pipnchops]

No idea who she is but I love the name! My grandmother was called Audrey too and I considered it.

[Hermagsjesty]

I'd do it. It's a gorgeous name and she's a warm, well liked character so it's not like there are negative associations.