Roy - as a middle name

[Oubliette0292]

We’re thinking of using Roy as a middle name. This is after a close family friend of DH, who played a significant part in his upbringing.

My family hate it. You’d think we’d picked something like Adolf or Lucifer. I don’t mind it. I know how much it would mean to DH to use it. Plus it is short, easy to spell and goes with lots of first names.

Have I lost my mind? I thought the whole point of middle names was to honour someone significant?

So by this argument, it appears that there are many names that shouldn’t be “allowed”

Such as John (a diminutive of Jonathan) and Alec (a diminutive of Alexander) and Mark (a diminutive of Marcus), and Lucy (a diminutive of Lucinda) and Beth or Eliza (both diminutives of Elizabeth, unless you consider the former to be a diminutive of Bethany), and presumably Nancy (derived from Anne, although not exactly a diminutive).

Are anglicised names allowed by the name police? Or should Mary be Maria? In fact perhaps John should be Jean or Sean or Johann or Ivan!

@Oubliette0292 , John isn't a diminutive of Jonathan, but Jon is.
Mark isn't a diminutive of Marcus. Lucy isn't a diminutive of Lucinda

John is from Johannes.

Names like Sean and Johann evolved separately.

If you want a list of names to avoid
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@sidebirds , Roy isn't a diminutive.

I think you're trying to pull people's legs here.

On the offchance that you're not, I'm here to dispute your absurd contention.

Roy is a Scottish surname adopted (like many other Scottish surnames, and following Scottish naming traditions) as a forename. We don't use the term "Christian name" any more.

Royston is also a surname, but it is not the long form of the surname Roy. Nor is it used as a forname.

Don't worry.

Roy is a real name and it isn't short for the ridiculous non-name Royston.

Utter bumph.

@sidebirds , MNers didn't invent the 'needs a longer name on the BC to have more options' rule.

I know a very nice Royston who isn't a Roy, and Royston's quite a nice place as it happens.

Roy is a surname named - Map your surname across the UK

Lots of Roys are Roy on their BC - Roy Hattersley, Roy Harper, Roy Tucker etc

Beside the name being very dated, to name a child with a diminutive is undignified and effectively illiterate. Given that you seem to not know what is and what isn't a diminutive, why don't you take your ignorant and offensive opinions elsewhere?

While I accept that - on account of a decline in public standards - there may for some years have been Roys who are not originally Roystons, I dispute the notion that it has always been thus. As for Hattersley and Harper (I don't know the third name cited), how do you know what name is on their birth certificates? From the respective ages of the pair, I would lay money on them both being born Royston 😧

What about Roy Castle? Surely he’s unlikely to have been named Royston? Royston Castle sounds like a rather pretentious name for a house!

Anyway, we’re not considering Royston. We’re considering Roy. After an actual person who is definitely named Roy.

@sidebirds , Go on then. How much money are you willing to lay on it?

Roy Keane, Roy Kinnear, Roy Orbison, Roy Hodgson, Roy Lichtenstein, Roy Barraclough... not one of them a Royston.

Sportswoman's bet since a 'real' bet might be tricky to enforce. I stand my ground, but happy to be proved wrong 😧

But where is the evidence that none of these was born Royston? (Royston is cumbersome so I can see why it would be ditched in daily use).

Where's the evidence that they were?

Many names that were originally diminutives have been established as first names in their own right for a very long time.

If a diminutive is 'illiterate', you would probably hold it against Mr and Mrs Dickens for not insisting on registering their son as Charles Richardson.

it was you who cited the names as evidence of the theory (which may even be a correct one) 😂😂🤯

I cited names that were instances of the name Roy as a standalone name.

I've no idea what you are getting put of posting your somewhat ignorant opinions,

But where is the evidence that none of these was born Royston?

The etymology of Roy from the French 'Roi' seems well established, so I think the onus would be on you to show any evidence the many Roys listed were given the name Royston. Why the heck would so many people be named after a not very important town?

I think there’s clearly a wind up going on here.

I just looked up the ONS data (1904-1994 dataset)

1914: Roy = 71st most popular boys name, Royston not in top 100
1924: Roy = 41st most popular boys name, Royston not in top 100
1934: Roy = 17th most popular boys name, Royston = 100th most popular boys name
1944: Roy = 30th most popular boys name, Royston = 93rd most popular boys name
1954: Roy = 50th most popular boys name, Royston not in top 100
1964: Roy = 71st most popular boys name, Royston not in top 100

I’d say this supports the conclusion that the people mentioned above were more likely to be called Roy than Royston, especially as that is what their name is universally recorded as being.

Apparently @sidebirds can know someone’s age without seeing their birth certificate, but not their name

One of mine has a middle name Lionel after his great grandfather, fine as a middle name but not a first x