To think the people in the baby name forum are on crack!?

A registrar of births should have the right to refuse to accept some names. The French went a bit too far when they had an approved list, but I get the sentiment.

Stupid names is child cruelty in a way.

It matters to the child who lives with the name, and the parents who say it constantly for at least the first twelve years or so!

If course names matter.

Is his brother called Collect?

Maverick is very popular now. My midwife friend says the parents say they're choosing it because it's unusual and she doesn't like to tell them she's delivered three already that week.
Likewise Phoenix and Skylar.

I am reliably informed by DP that the glamorous female jet fighter pilots in Captain Scarlett were Destiny, Harmony, Symphony, Melody and Rhapsody.

And this is exactly why the forum is useful! Particularly with first DC, it's really hard to know what names are actually popular/gathering traction.

I don't even go on that board, I don't know why I'm defending it so much. Just seems like people have a really odd, superior attitude to it.

I remembered that too! <sad>

They were from the US x2, the UK, Japan and France.

Melody Angel also voiced the indomitable Lady Penelope.

In fairness, the baby names board is useful to check that you aren’t being crackers in suggesting a name. If pretty much everyone says “God Lord, no, you can’t possibly call a baby Keith” then it is useful to know that.

I love the French names like Ottilie and Aurelie but I understand that, in France, they are quite old fashioned - a bit like Pauline or Barbara here.

I am fairly conservative on names. Not everyone should be called Charlotte or Elizabeth (say) but, if a name really is “out there”, it is worth considering whether the name Toadfish is going to serve the parents or the child more. A name that is fun and interesting for the parents of a two year old may end up being one that a fifteen year old ends up repeatedly mumbling “Yeah, I’m not being funny, it is Toadfish” to people.

When I named my first child 30 years ago the midwife said they'd never delivered a child with that name and how unusual it was. By the time he was at school there were three in his class and it's been very high in the popularity lists every since. Luckily we still like the name 😊 You never know what's going to become popular.

I think there's a resurgence due of my parents generation and thereabouts: Barbara, Carol, Elizabeth (Liz/Betty), Sue, John, Michael, Stephen. I'd have said I can't see names like Geoff or Graham coming back but I've seen boys recently called Bert, Roy, numerous Erics and Ernests/ Ernies, several Arthurs and a Kenneth.

We are going through a resurgence of names people may think of as old fashioned like Edith, Elsie, Mabel and Maude. Things work in cycles and, whilst, personally, I really prefer more classic names from all eras rather than general nouns or strangely spelt mashups, it's nice when you hear people's choices and it's something a bit unusual.