British people using former priministers' names??!!

[Bandwithering]

Will this ever catch on here, and what names are usable? It's big in America obviously. Madison, Jackson, Quincy

Churchill - ruined because of that nodding dog

Cameron is ruined because of Cameron!

Why would we want to?!

There would have to be at least a flicker of admiration and that's not likely!

We do name children after Kings and Queens though. Sometimes.

Winston yes, Cameron noooo!!!!

Britain has a history of not trusting its politicians, so this has never been popular, while America loves its politicians until they do something wrong.
We name our children after family and royalty, and I doubt this will change at all soon.

I agree that Winston has the potential of catching on, but I doubt it'll be because of Churchill.

[Love Cameron (name) :(]

It's a different dynamic there -- it's not the politicians that are loved, or even know much. It's to identify as 'American', as opposed to expressing any kind of admiration for them as individuals.

History is taught in the US as a march of progress towards liberty and happiness, with Anglo Saxon/Scottish immigrants filling in the vast country. This sort of history teaching was especially in vogue in the early 20th century, and as more and more people arrived without a word of English, to face suspicion and hostility, they gave their children what they saw as quintessentially American names that they gleaned from rudimentary readings on American history.

Excellent portmanteau.

Using first names of Prime Ministers has never really been an issue, maybe because many of them are very obscure --

Robert
Henry
William
John
George
Thomas
Charles
Frederick
Arthur
Edward
Benjamin
Archie/ Archibald
David
Andrew
Stanley
Clement
Anthony
Alec
James
Gordon

Herbert is a bit unfashionable, as is Harold. Augustus is seldom used. Spencer is ususual. But many of the first names are in the top 100.

Ramsay, Neville and Winston -- not so much used, but I think Winston has a lot going for it. And Margaret is a marmite name thanks to MT.

I think it's a great idea, and so do my four lovely DCs, Thatcher, Major, Blair and Brown

Victorian Brits loved naming their children after politicians -- especially using their surname/firstname-and-surname as middle names. "John William Ewart Gladstone Baker" is one example. I wrote an article about the topic: here

I agree with previous posters that their is a different cultural dynamic and emphasis on education now. Politicians are no longer the heroic leaders of an empire, forging the industrial future of the country. It's unlikely that parents would deliberately name their children after living PMs, but some might be tempted to use long-dead PMs as namesakes if their legacy has passed favourably into posterity.

...to identify as American. Yeah that's the vibe the Americans are going for. Interesting.

I'm going to read that article, thanks BBNElea.