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i was thinking in 100 years time will there be ANYONE ANYWHERE in the world with any of the following as their first name?

George (apart from George Lineker)
Barry
Malcolm
Hubert
Trevor
Colin
Graham/Graeme
Cecil
Donald
Basil
Gareth
Oswald
Denzil
Clive
Eric
Alec
Rodney
Derek
Albert
Alistair
Gary/Garry
Blair

i have this fear that one day all the men in the world will be called Dave. no offence to anyone with any of those names on this board...but they do seem to be dying out and have become very unfashionable..any others i left out? what about the ladies?

― blueski, Wednesday, 16 October 2002 11:57 (twenty-three years ago)

Lest we forget their female counterparts:

Dorothy
Tara
Sharon
Edwina
Norma
Avril
Judith
Peggy
Donna
Charmaine
Charlene
Noelene
Darlene
Tina
Jade
Frances
Tracey
Kylie

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 12:05 (twenty-three years ago)

Around here the neds (closest translation I can think of = trailer trash) call their offspring Charlene/Charmaine regularly.

― Plinky (Plinky), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 12:09 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh, and Nora, Thora, Dora and Flora as well.

Actually, no, I am SO having four daughters just so I can call them that.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 12:11 (twenty-three years ago)

You can't call your daughter Flora, think of all the margarine/spreading type jokes at school!

― Plinky (Plinky), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 12:13 (twenty-three years ago)

I've always been deeply unfashionable though, and I'm still around.

― Graham (graham), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 12:15 (twenty-three years ago)

good for you Graham, seriously

― blueski, Wednesday, 16 October 2002 12:21 (twenty-three years ago)

Humph.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 12:22 (twenty-three years ago)

This is really cyclical though, isn't it? Case in point being the phenomenon of post-Lad meeja gargoyles (eg T Parsons, D Baker, R Elms)who have kids and suddenly yearn for the wonderful auffenic values of their good ole ma & pa and call their kids Albert or Alfie or Sonny or Bessie or whatevah.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 12:24 (twenty-three years ago)

yes but Albert, Alfie, Sonny etc. are kinda evocative names so i can see their appeal...no offence intended to Colin as a person but i doubt anyone's gonna think the same with his moniker...even the US Defence Minister (or whatever he is, ha, excuse my ignorance, he's only instrumental in deciding the fate of the planet after all) insists people call him "Ko-Lyn"

― blueski, Wednesday, 16 October 2002 12:28 (twenty-three years ago)

btw jerry, congrats on the spectacular term 'post-Lad meeja gargoyles' - apt is just the tip of the fosters-iceberg

― blueski, Wednesday, 16 October 2002 12:30 (twenty-three years ago)

"No offence intended to Colin as a person but i doubt anyone's gonna think the same with his moniker"

If Will or Gareth had been called Colin I bet there'd have been a rash of new babies called Colin in the world.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 12:31 (twenty-three years ago)

re. the cyclical thing: the name jack is the classic case in point. in fact, it has been scientifically proven that, at the current rate, by the year 2024 95% of british caucasian boys will be christened jack.

― michael wells (michael w.), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 12:32 (twenty-three years ago)

Actually I wonder if there will be a spate of Colins in the US after Mr Powell! (cf: West Indians of a certain vintage being named 'Winston').

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 12:38 (twenty-three years ago)

...and all of the little fuckers will say their name wrong.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 12:41 (twenty-three years ago)

Matt has a point in that Gareth may survive...its always been popular in Wales anyway, unless TV has been lying to me all this time...

― blueski, Wednesday, 16 October 2002 12:45 (twenty-three years ago)

Is it that unfashionable? There were loads of Grahams and a few Graemes at my primary school in the 80s. Fewer at my high school but then it was a girls' school ha ha oh not funny.

The encyclopedia at home has lists of the top names for children in the 1920s, 50s, 70s and 80s in the UK and the US. It's fascinating reading. The 80s lists for the US are divided into white and non-white too and there's very little difference on the boys' names but the girls' are completely different. If I remember and anyone else cares and I decide that I won't be sued I might post some bits from it when I get home.

― Rebecca (reb), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 12:54 (twenty-three years ago)

Nick says so, and he's Nick. You can't argue with Nick. I don't think I've met another one. That would be scary.

― Graham (graham), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 13:04 (twenty-three years ago)

(apologies to anyone who misread that and inmagined a world with two N's. BRR-R-RR)

― Graham (graham), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 13:05 (twenty-three years ago)

You've never met another Graham? Ever?!

― Plinky (Plinky), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 13:07 (twenty-three years ago)

None I can think of. I think I've seen other Grahams listed on registers and lists and stuff, but I can't think of a single actual other person.

― Graham (graham), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 13:13 (twenty-three years ago)

A lot of the obsolete girls' names are really tasty - esp. Tara and Avril.

Current trends suggest that one day all people called 'Edna' will be called 'Jerry'.

― the pinefox, Wednesday, 16 October 2002 13:15 (twenty-three years ago)

I've never met another Pinefox either.

― Graham (graham), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 13:17 (twenty-three years ago)

If anyone hasn't seen this already, go here:

http://www.acidcity.demon.co.uk/Rumournet/Footy/footballwas.htm

It's to do with exactly the kind of names that are listed above as a dying breed. Erm, and it's funny. Oh yes.

― lol p xx, Wednesday, 16 October 2002 13:21 (twenty-three years ago)

I know three Grahams and a Gram. Does that make me weird?

― kate, Wednesday, 16 October 2002 13:42 (twenty-three years ago)

Kate, call me!

I had neighbours who named their kids Loydene, Travis, Keith and Shane. White Trash Nightmare four-pack!

― suzy (suzy), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 13:54 (twenty-three years ago)

I'll have many children just so I can name them about half the names on that list. Especially Alistair, though, that's such a pretty name. I'd be a bit disappointed if Alistair grew up all big and masculine, though, because it's a sissy name.

― Maria (Maria), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 14:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Are you that keen to meet Grahams and Grams, Suzy?

I do know Grahams, but they've all been over 30.

One of my sisters is called Alice, which was an old ladies' name at the time but became k-fashionable in the 80s. Then there's my cousin Edith - again, had a bit of a comeback.

I'd be a bit disappointed if Alistair grew up all big and masculine, though, because it's a sissy name.

Ha ha.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 14:16 (twenty-three years ago)

I used to know a cat called Graham. I think his owner thought it was spelt 'Greyam' though (because the cat was grey, do you see?)

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 14:30 (twenty-three years ago)

How often do you write your cats name down, anyway?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 14:34 (twenty-three years ago)

Around here the neds (closest translation I can think of = trailer trash) call their offspring Charlene/Charmaine regularly.

Kill me if I ever fall into this error.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 15:08 (twenty-three years ago)

You lived next door to Keith'n'Shane? Gurl you know it's true!

― Sarah (starry), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 15:14 (twenty-three years ago)

AND Travis. All he wanted to do was ROCK.

― suzy (suzy), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 15:26 (twenty-three years ago)

I am expecting the girls' name Ermintrude to make a strong comeback any day now. It's so stylish.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 17:58 (twenty-three years ago)

i am pleased to see my name will be rendered obsolete soon. takes a rare one to carry such a burden so well.:-)

― donna (donna), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 18:16 (twenty-three years ago)

How weird, I SO nearly dropped by your flat while walking home from work, Suzy, but the lights were off, so I didn't.

― kate, Wednesday, 16 October 2002 18:23 (twenty-three years ago)

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