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.

I have never heard of Antigone. Where is that from?

I had to look it up.

What part of the country are you in?

I love all those silly posh names. Jocasta, Romily, Antigone, Araminta, Persephone, Iliana, Ptolemy, Beresford, Fitzwilliam, St. John. I'd give all my potential future DC names like that if DH didn't go , which he does, alas. We'll probably end up with babies called Dave and Sue.

There was a satirical comic series in one of the newspapers years ago was it Polly Toynbee who wrote it ? There was a Jocasta in that.

The Jocasta Innes cookery book is great, all about eating well on a budget and using up all the ingredients you buy. not helpful, sorry

Ha! Ptolemy was also one of ours, but vetoed because i know an utter wanker called it.

Don't sweat it Manic - i don't have a DD yet but if this one is a girl it will be Persephone, DH likes Pandora - which i also like. But i prefer Persephone. We have pretty thick skin when it comes to the DC names (DS has a classical name and has raised eyebrows). It has been suggested that the middle names for Persephone could be 'pretentious prat parents'

Ah ok, that's probably where it started then thegreylady . Thanks!

I wanted Indio after 7 years of ttc.Dp is normally not one to put his foot down but he did and said no.Still love that name.

I wanted DD to be St John if she was a boy, if Ptolemy had crossed my path at that point he would have been Ptolemy St John Elvis, the Elvis being just for shits and gigles!

Antigone was the daughter of Jocasta and Oedipus iirc. I think she buried her brother and hung herself, but my memory is hazy - i'd have to reread up on my classics.

In Sainsburys (obvs got lost trying to find Waitrose) I overheard "Jocasta darling as you have been sooooo good helping Mummy with the shopping when we get home you can have a whole dish of Olives".

Jocasta was about six. I did snigger

I've never come across Jocasta before and I've been here for years!

Is Antigone pronounced how it looks? Bizarre!

I think the comic strip was by posy Simmons in the guardian the family were the webers and tneir friends had a daughter jocasta

Time warp thread

BeCool It's Ant-i-gon-ee, with the i like in pip, not in pint. I think it's lovely. She did have a rough time in the myths tho.

I wish I was young enough to have more babies to give them all the silly names I never thought of.

Perhaps I can add some middle names to the DD's current lot. Would I need to get new passports?

Ann-Tig-Onee

I do know a Ptolemy, though.

haha, MrsKoala that's just mean!

I agree with you, Persephone is much prettier than Pandora (plus, Pandora was that annoying character on Skins). I knew a girl at university called Henrietta and her sister was Pandora. I guess they are a certain group of names that belong together and are used, mainly, by a particular demographic of people. But they're all so beautiful and there's nothing wrong with being posh or using a posh name whether you are or are not posh!

I know a working class Antigone. I think her parents just liked Greek myths (one of her middle names had a similar origin).

I think Persephone is a very pretty name but it does seem that some names have become synonymous with "pretentious prat parents" these days!

cheers

JK Rowling must be responsible for part of the trend - with Hermonie

"Jocasta darling as you have been sooooo good helping Mummy with the shopping when we get home you can have a whole dish of Olives"

Can I nominate Jocasta's mummy for "The Performance Parent Award 2014" please? :o