Baby Names.

[mytwopenceworth]

Why is it considered bad form to not stick to already known names?

Why is it odd for people to 'make up' names, or to spell names differently?

All we have is a long list of things other people have already called their children and we stick, for the most part, to that list. People who don't, are laughed at.

Why? At some point in history, every one of these names was 'made up', by someone. So why is it that we can no longer contribute to the list of names by making up our own without being laughed at?

At what point in history did someone turn round and say right, that's it, we've got enough names now, let's just stick with these. Everyone choose one of these now.

The argument that they will stick out/get laughed at, well that is as a result of everyone being expected to stick to this list, not the reason for it.

All the name threads on here always make me wonder about this, especially when people have an unusual choice.

I don't see the debate here, yes it takes a while for new things to catch on, c'est la vie. If you make up a new name of course you should expect to be ridiculed occasionally. Hence it takes courage to make up a name.
Plenty of names were famously made up in the 20th century and have become common place - celebrities have a lot to do with speed of uptake of course.
Eg The name Hayley became 'normal' from the child actress Hayley Mills, daughter of John Mills and Mary Hayley Berry. No doubt if they hadn't all been famous they would have had to tough it out like every Shaztay or Kolonn'cé's parents.

Oi My2p - weren't you one of my (many) detractors on my name thread??

I agree with what you say here btw.

I may have made a friendly observation, in a lighthearted joshing way.

[nonchalant]