What ! No Cedric or Cecil ?

In a recent post and a comment by ‘Ginnie’, she mentioned names that you hardly ever hear anymore, those being …’Queenie’, ‘Dora’ and ‘Bert’. This made me think of some of the names of members of my own family from that generation, such as my aunts …Vi, Kitty, Daisy and Dolly.    

My dad’s name, as shown on his 1901 birth certificate, was Jack, although many people called him John. I don’t know whether this was because the name Jack was unpopular when he was a young man (left) or whether it was assumed that his name was John and that Jack was just a nickname, as my grandfather was of Irish descent and I had uncles called Pat, Mick and Tommy.

Now, a recent survey has shown that the most popular boys’ Christian  (Ooops ! Sorry))  name in the UK for the last twelve years has been good old ‘Jack’.

I must say that I prefer the plain and simple ‘old fashioned’ names and I am pleased to see that girls’ names such as Grace and Emily are on the increase. My mother (right) was named Eva Ethel but was always known a Edie for some reason. I can’t see ‘Ethel’ ever coming back, but apparently ‘Edie’ is now more common.

I’m afraid that I just can’t get used to all these modern names like … Jayden, Jordan, Keira and Chantelle, and as for bloody ‘Cruz’, well where the hell did that come from ?

However, I am quite pleased to see the name Mohammad  (I wonder if it’s OK to call it an ‘Islamic’ name ?)  appearing in the latest list, and I await the day when I am shopping in the supermarket and hear some ‘Vicky Pollard’ of a mother shout … “Stop kicking your brother Cruz, and … 

… come ‘ere Mohammad, yer little bleeder !”