Why are Albert, Stanley and Violet OK but.....

[seeker]

....Brian, Kevin and Sharon aren't?

Is it that your Grandparents's names have gone round the clock and are cool again, while your parent's names have't, and the next generation will be populated by Tracys, Colins and Garys?

One of dd's middle names is Pauline (named after a family member who died the year before she was born) and I'm taking bets that it'll be a cool name by the time she's in her twenties.

I'll take that bet Botbot - no way Pauline will ever be a cool name!

I wouldn't have thought Ruby could possibly be a cool name so I think Pauline stands a good chance!

Anyone see Dickon making a comeback?

An american friend of mine has a 3 year old Colin...pronounced like the Colin Powell (bit like Colon with an "i") - I wondered if a relation was called the same name as it isn't a popular choice amongst the baby naming generation. For me it conjures up images of pringle jumpers and farah trousers in beige.

I know of a 12 year old Malcolm.

Elsie is very popular now - my mum says it reminds her of a 70 year old with a fag in her mouth at the Bingo. We just think it's trendy.

The lady who registered DD's birth a couple of weeks ago was called Kim which I quite like although she says at 52 she reckons she is the oldest Kim around and that most people use it as a dogs name .

Uuuuuuuuurgh Stanley and Albert are both on DHs list for boys. I don't know what to do about it (apart from praying for a girl).

I know a Barnaby which reminds me of grampas (and also, of course, Barnaby the bear's my name, never call me Jack or Jane!)

I also know a young Malcolm, but his mum had 14 children before him, so I guess she must have ran out of names she liked.....

Why is Harry a nickname for Henry when it is not shorter than Henry? Doesn't make any sense to me!!

I can see Liz is short for Elizabeth because it actually is a shorter form...

But Harry for Henry???? and is it also Jack short for John?

I think you may as well say Richard is short for Robert or Ronald...I think they are all completely different names from each other!

A lot of nicknames don't make sense. Dick short for Richard, and Dickon. Peggy short for Margaret.
Hal short for Harold or Henry. Jack for John. Kitty for Catriona, Betty short for Elizabeth. It is tradition. You have to look at history.
Harry was a very common short names, as in 'Tom, Dick and Harry' (Thomas, Richard and Henry).

harry for henry.. if you pretend you are a chinless wonder they sound very much the same (in the manner of one of those snape cartoon characters!)

All of the ones piscesmoon listed and Bob for Robert.

And yes Jack is John