to think that all these darling Jocastas are mythical?

[manicinsomniac]

Seriously, does anybody actually know a Jocasta?

I know it's the go-to 'mock the middle classes' earnest yummy mummy name on mn but I'm not convinced they're really around.

It only appears of one of the ONS name lists from 2006-2012 (there were 3 Jocastas born in 2007) which means there have to be fewer than 20 little Jocastas walking around the UK.

Does anybody know where the reference to 'little Jocasta' came from? Did it start from a specific thread? I know of other seriously posh names which actually do get used each year (if not very frequently) eg Araminta, Antigone, Persephone.

Rocks the house that rocks the party I'm intrigued now.

Do you think Portia and Lemon who were racing round the supermarket in wheelchairs could actually have Porche and Le Mans?

Could well be. It's like my reverse "Magners".

You'll have to PM her Toys, they aren't my names to share. But a few have been mentioned on here.

I also know of a poster who has a Zebedee which is fab too.

My granny was called Minerva. She was born the day WWI ended and her patents got their goddesses mixed up. She hated it so was known a Jane, but I love it and fully intend to use it if we have a DD.

*parents

I understand, MrsK. DBIL is actually a bit of a rockstar, so has cool names for his boys..

oh no. sorry, they aren't rockster names. That was just an expression we used to say for something really good. They are classical names really - just a selection of lovely lovely classical names.

I think you had to be there Ninja. sad Nobody was laughing at the bloke presenting the awards, believe me.
That's why I said 'in my experience'. I've seen that type of thing a few times and never felt like the kids were laughing at the actual name. (I've been on the wrong side of mispronouncing names as well, and it certainly feels like they're laughing at you. )

No, I didn't think so! Just talking to myself really (on BIL) while reflecting on other names in our family.

That was in a rap song, wasn't it? Was it The Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff or something? Have to ask DH what that was (he us a walkung talking 80s-90s music encyclopedia)..

Possibly 'Boom Shake the Room'? Surely not 'Girls Aint nothin' but trouble' ?

Not Boom shake the room, apparently.. Uh.. for once in his life he doesn't know the aswer. He keeps jabbering on about knowing that someone sampled that with a Diana Ross thing, possibly, Fat Boy Slim, and it goes like this "tydydydydyy, sorry can't do the high notes, tydydyyy dymtydym.."

OK, then, thanks for your input, DH.

Could it have been Portia and Lemoni? Lemoni was the little girl in Captain Corelli's Madolin.

I only remember that because at the time I was a bit at the name.

I can see Persephone enjoying a mild popularity. Pronunciation easy to get to grips with, even if not at first familiar; very similar to Penelope with similar emphasis and pronunciation.

Also I'm a stickler for meaning and origin, so don't get why anyone would want to give their child a random name from a country they have no connections with just because they like how it sounds (assuming they know how to actually pronounce the name).

I love the name Idris but I'm not even vaguely Welsh.

Same as my Jean-Baptiste Pipbin. I'd look a right twonk shouting it over the playground. I just love it so much tho. bastarding french people and their lovely sounding names.

Yeah, Lemoni.. just no.

Manicinsomniac my name is the X name it's a bloody pain in the arse.

I quite like Lemoni

It means "lemon" even in Greek..

We use lots of names from countries we have no connection with, surely. A quick look at the origins of the top 100, for example, names tells us that

Antigone and Persephone aren't "posh" name choices I wouldn't have said - they are from classical Greek mythology, but not the type of names "old" British aristocracy would use - more likely to use much more ordinary sounding, very traditional English names...

Yes, ardomay, that might be the case, but it's different to use a name that has been Anglicised (sp?) or one that has been culturally "absorbed", than just grab a baby name book and go for a random foreign name (possibly without knowledge of pronunciation and/or meaning) on a whim and a fancy. IMO, of course.. But I'm traditional, I guess.

Yes, aristocracy is more traditional and uses family names, as they condifer their family heritage important.

Cons