Chronologically incongruous names in books

[CormoranStrike]

Anyone ever bemused by this?

I’m reading a crime novel, set in Edinburgh in 2018.

There are three 11-year-olds in it, called Alan, Jimmy and Rick. Are any kids of that age Calle debate these days?

I expect 11-year-old boys to be Jack, Lewis and Jayden.

Any other examples?

I met an American Andrew who would on his 40s now. He came over to the UK in his late teens and was surprised how many Andrews there were in the U.K. in America it was a relatively uncommon name.

I also thought Harry was an old name when Prince Harry/Henry was named.

I did actually go.to school with an Hermione in the late 70,s and early 80,s I t thought it was a very unusual name at the time.

I remember watching a documentary a few years ago about teenage parents one couple had a daughter called Lisa , there were left loads of Lisa,s when I was growing up (I'm 45) but I wouldn't have thought it was popular now?

Mary Balogh, who should know better being Welsh even if for much of her career she's been writing in Canada, is awful for anachronistic names in her novels set in the British regency period. It's odd because she otherwise manages to avoid anachronisms, certainly with historical events, inventions, foods, plants, buildings etc.

Someone may already have mentioned this, but Barbara Taylor Bradford’s latest novel, set in Victorian England, seems to feature a woman called Alexis. Er, no.

Also the Georgia Nicholson series by Louise Rennison, which was written and set in the late nineties/early noughties but featured teenage girls called Jackie, Alison and Pamela. The author was born in the 50s and clearly didn’t bother to research what modern teenage girls were actually called!

Going slightly off topic, but it always grated on me slightly when watching Frasier that his British physio was called Daphne, but had a northern working class accent. Just wrong. To me, Daphne is an middle/upper class name from the 1920s.

Hermione had Muggle parents who were dentists, but it’s the sort of quirky rare name that I can imagine a middle class couple picking in almost any year. It’s not like Barbara or Beryl, or Sharon where you’d think “really? Dentists? In 1980?”

All the wizard family names get a pass because wizard fashions are different.

Dean Thomas was muggle-born wasn’t he? but Dean seems a reasonable name for a boy born in 1980 - I think he’s implied to have more working class parents isn’t he?

I honestly had never met a Harry of that age, all the ones I know are 5 and under.
Coronation Street used it as a baby name a couple of years ago, I thought it got more popular when Harry Styles did?.

I sent an 18th birthday card to a Harry yesterday (godson), and there were several on the class lists at primary when dds were there - 2003 to 2010.

Daphne is a rather lovely name that deserves reviving.

^Utterly misses point of thread.^

Not a name, but I was watching a Korean drama that had a very long lived character (over 900 years) and there were scenes set in c 1200s and, when he was thinking about his early life, he referred to the influence of “American” on the Korean language, which was anachronistic because it was hundreds of years before the pilgrims left for New England. 🙄 Plus, its English, not “American.”

I am really enjoying this thread! Cannot remember the book but it was by an American author about a group of teenagers in UK early 2000's. Main characters were Blake and Oakley! Who went out to buy liquor (not booze!). Poor research!!

I'm in Scotland and never met a young Jimmy. Plenty of Jamies - mostly middle/upper class ones. Never met a Rick either. Know a few Alans but all over 40.

DS's teen friends are - James, Angus, Andrew, Fraser, Rana, Beth, Erin...and Guy. Love the name Guy but he's the first one I've ver met.
At school prize giving last year (state school) was staggered at the number of Hannahs.

There was a crime documentary I was watching a couple of years ago and it was about teen killers , it covered a very tragic case that happened at my old school (about 20 years after I left ) in the North West of England the only thing was it was an American documentary and it talked about the students ,Home room, and the principle of the school , it also talked about the forest surrounding the town there isn't a forest , but there is a few wooded areas , also the dramatization had al! The pupils in their own clothes at school whereas the school has a very distinctive uniform that has ent changed in the sixth odd years it's been open.

.

Friends was odd because Ross had said when he was dating Rachel the first time round that he wanted to name their theoretical child Emily. Then he met and married an Emily.

But yes it’s silly- no one would call their child a version of their ex wife’s name.

Harry was very rare before Prince and surged after the HP books then films.

Friends is very inconsistent though and it's only when you stay all the series,s together you realise that.

In Scotland in 2009 there were 48 baby boys named Alan, 15 Richards and 4 Rickys, and 472 James. Most young James are either James or Jamie IME, I've not met a young Jimmy in years. And I like in Edinburgh!

It would certainly be a fairly unusual combination for 2018!

That’s what I thought - three very random middles aged men’s names.

Was Harry really that rare? I’m mid 30’s (but a year older than PH), there were 2 Harry’s in my class and 1 other in my year group.

I'm rereading a Susan Howach book at the moment. It is set in the late 19th/early 20th century and there is reference to 2 Irish characters who are supposed to be from a middle-class, well-off, merchant family in Dublin. They are called Dervla and Seamus. It is highly unlikely that a woman like that would be called Dervla.

I was surprised by the names of the kids in The Affair - Whitney, Stacey, Trevor (and Brian, I think....not sure).

There was a baby Leanne in Holby City about 8 years ago, born to a teenager. I tend to regard that as a 1980ish name and not one that a modern teen would select. Also surprised by a Leanne/Eva sib-set in Coronation Street, they don't seem like names that would both appeal to the same person. I like the use of the celeb-inspired names Kylie, Toyah and Chesney though - very appropriate for the ages of the respective characters.

The fourth child in The Affair is Martin (hugely popular in my year group at school 30 years ago!)

There is a baby Leanne at my DD’s nursery, which I always find rather incongruous. Her sister ages about 3 has a similar 80s-vintage name.

I didn’t know any Harrys/Harries at school (in my 40s).

Names such as Harry, George, etc were considered old fashioned growing up.

I know stacks of 18 yr olds called Harry and actually there were quite a few all through his primary school when he was in reception so all in their twenties now. It was like Oliver, just really popular and normal.