In this final installment of "one-hit wonder names" (see parts, 1, 2 and 3) we take a names-eye-view tour through history.
Baby names act as a cultural mirror, reflecting the mood and obsessions of every age. Sometimes it's a whole style, like the girls given boyish names (Frankie, Tommie) in the 1930s. Sometimes it's personality driven, like the Shirley surge in that same decade. And sometimes a specific historical moment is memorialized in names. The one-hit wonder names are a treasure trove of these cultural moments. Some of the moments were momentous, others pop-culture trifles. A few were completely unknown to me until the names themselves led me to them, and a few frankly shocked me as name inspirations. Check them out yourself in this arbitrary, capricious One-Hit Timeline of History.
1895: Trilby
George du Maurier's novel Trilby, first published serially in 1894, was a popular sensation. Filled with romance, horror, plucky heroes and supernatural villainry, Trilby became one of the most popular books (and later plays) of its time. The novel's longest-lasting contribution to our language comes from its villain, the all-powerful Jewish hypnotist Svengali, but during the book's heyday the beautiful Irish heroine Trilby made her naming mark as well.
1898: Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone was one of the leading political forces of 19th-century England, serving several terms as Prime Minister between 1868 and 1894. The "gladstone bag" and "gladstone carriage" took their names from him. Gladstone died in 1898.
1898: Schley
The 1898 Battle of Santiago de Cuba was the largest naval engagement of the Spanish-American War. The destruction of the Spanish fleet was a milestone in the decline of Spanish influence in the Americas. The United States squadron was commanded, somewhat controversially, by Rear Admiral Winfield Scott Schley.
1900: Goebel
William J. Goebel was a controversial figure in Kentucky politics. Goebel was a populist, a foe of big business and an advocate of civil rights, and the consummate practitioner of machine politics. In 1895 he killed political adversary John Sanford in a duel, but plead self-defense and was acquitted. In 1899 he won a disputed election to become governor of Kentucky. On January 30, 1900 Goebel was shot in the chest by an assassin; the next day he was sworn in as governor; two days later he was dead. He remains the only U.S. state governor to be assassinated in office.
1918: Foch
Ferdinand Foch was a distinguished general of the French Army and Marshal of France. In the Spring of 1918 he was named Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, leading the international armies which turned back the last major German advance of WWI. Foch accepted Germany's surrender on November 11, 1918.
1954: Rahn
In 1954 the German soccer team was unseeded entering the World Cup tournament in Bern, Switzerland, the first World Cup they were permitted to compete in after World War II. In the finals against heavily favored Hungary, Germany trailed until Helmut Rahn scored both tying and winning goals. Rahn became a national sporting legend and the game came to be known as the "Miracle of Bern," a turning point in post-war German identity.
1964: Destry
The TV Western "Destry" which premiered in 1964 was a spinoff of the classic film Destry Rides Again. It didn't last a full season.
1972: Jabbar
In 1971 basketball great Lew Alcindor, who had led the Milwaukee Bucks and UCLA Bruins to championships, changed his name to the Arabic Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Kareem debuted on the popular name charts in 1972 at #407 and has become an African-American standard. Jabbar was propelled to popularity the same year but quickly faded.
1977: Amin
In 1976 Ugandan president Idi Amin allowed a hijacked airplane originating from Israel to land at the Entebbe airport. The event turned international attention toward his violent regime which was blamed for hundreds of thousands of deaths. By 1977, Amin was a global larger-than-life villain. As other nations broke off diplomatic ties he bestowed extravagant titles on himself and attracted a swirl of rumors of personal atrocities.
1977: Kunta, Kinte
The 1977 miniseries "Roots," based on the novel by Alex Haley, was a cultural phenomen. An overwhelming popular and critical success, "Roots" turned a generation of Americans--especially African-Americans--toward the study of geneology and family history, and helped encourage a trend toward African-styled baby names. The lead character, Kunta Kinte, was a Mandinka boy in Gambia who was kidnapped by slave traders and taken to America. Both Kunta and Kinte made the 1977 name charts.
Comments
I love Tate. And the fact that all the letters in Tate are actually in the name Thatcher works for me as a nn. I mean, think about all the nns that have nothing to do with the original name. Can anyone explain the Margaret/Peggy connection?
Thatcher definitely fits in with the surnames-turned-first names trend. I did not think of Margaret Thatcher, and I'm sure that connection would be made much more by those in the UK than by people in the states. Sounds like if you name him Thatcher "your maiden name" "his last name" and call him Tate, everybody wins.
Hugo reminds me of the character Hurley on "Lost," whose real name is Hugo. Seems a bit out of place with your other name choices.
KRC--
From the rest of your list, I also like Evander and Ames pretty well, don't personally care for Ike, Irving, or Hugo. Here's the thing--I think even if you go with something totally normal like John or Andrew, it's still going to sound fairly WASPy with two WASPy last names--e.g. Andrew Thurston Howell. Even if you give him an exotic fn, it will still sound WASPy--(like WASPs went on an exotic vacation and came back enthralled with the culture)--e.g. Emilio Thurston Howell or Alexei Thurston Howell. You'd really have to go with something like Randy or Wayne or De'shawn to break the feel.
So, I'd say just go with what you like and don't worry about that. The ln as fn is trendy now, but if you're actually using a family name, I think it's pretty legit. Ln as fn has been done for ages--it's not a here and gone trend--and I personally think Thatcher works quite well in that role. "Thatch" is also a cute nn.
Can I ask, what is the drawback to naming your child something WASPy? Everyone on this board seems to look at it as a negative thing. Is it because the names just sound snobby? Privileged? Rich? Just wondering. Honestly, I am not sure I would be able to pick out a name as being WASPy if one were thrown at me.
For my part, I don't really have an aversion to naming my child something that sounds WASPy, as you can see from my list of names (and you should hear my girl names). I really was thinking about how all three were English, surnames, and WASPy-sounding - so it was like same, same, same. Do his parents have no imagination?
hyz - I love your comment that "the WASPs went on an exotic vacation and came back enthralled with the culture" - another good point.
KRC--thanks :o)
jt--I personally was saying to embrace it--but I think the "negative" is from all the things you mentioned, but especially the snobby, and also possibly stuffy. I think the kid will make the name, though. If he always walks around in white tennis duds or cashmere sweater vests and says your people should talk to his people so you can do lunch and goes on about how much he adores summering on the Cape--then the name will fit him in a negative way. If he's a normal, good kid and a down-to-earth, decent adult, I doubt it will be an issue for him.
:o)
That's exactly what I was thinking...although I really like most names pegged as being WASPish. I think they sound classy and distinguished. And I am definitely not a WASP. Wouldn't I know it if I was one? I mean, I definitely wouldn't be on the baby name wizard board at work, because if I was a WASP, I wouldn't have to work, right? :)
I agree with the others, KRT. I really like Thatcher with Tate as a nn. And without hearing the full name, it's difficult to comment, but I think it makes sense to make the first name fit with the last names. I like your list, by the way. Would you share your girl's list with us too? I have a hard time believing that Xavier is too popular! The only Xavier I've ever heard of is the one that invented Cabbage Patch dolls in the 80's and the character on the children's cartoon, Caillou. But I'm also constantly told that my daughter's name, Sophie, is exceedingly popular, while I've yet to meet another. (Sophia is a different story, though.) I guess here in upstate NY, taste in baby names isn't very cutting edge....
KRC, I'd love to hear your girl choices, since you mention it, because I honestly don't know what waspy names for girls would be! The only one I can think of is Claire. I would consider lots of the surname-names to sound waspy, i.e. Parker, Taylor, etc, but since you mentioned that surname-as-first-name isn't really your style, I'm pretty curious. Personally, I do think Thatcher WaspySurname WaspySurname sounds very waspy, which is not necessarily a negative, but it would be for me. Tate is a good nn. for Thatcher but doesn't, in my opinion, make the name sound any less waspy. It does add variety to the sounds, as you point out, which I appreciate. I agree with hyz that the person really makes the name, but I do think that Andrew Thurston Howell sounds a lot less waspy than Thatcher Thurston Howell, and the waspy image CAN become baggage for some. I have a friend, mid-20s, who's a liberal environmentalist vegetarian type whose name is Hunter [Thurston Howell], and I have to say, it seems quite absurd on him.
KRC, I'd love to hear your girl choices, since you mention it, because I honestly don't know what waspy names for girls would be! The only one I can think of is Claire. I would consider lots of the surname-names to sound waspy, i.e. Parker, Taylor, etc, but since you mentioned that surname-as-first-name isn't really your style, I'm pretty curious. Personally, I do think Thatcher WaspySurname WaspySurname sounds very waspy, which is not necessarily a negative, but it would be for me. Tate is a good nn. for Thatcher but doesn't, in my opinion, make the name sound any less waspy. It does add variety to the sounds, as you point out, which I appreciate. I agree with hyz that the person really makes the name, but I do think that Andrew Thurston Howell sounds a lot less waspy than Thatcher Thurston Howell, and the waspy image CAN become baggage for some. I have a friend, mid-20s, who's a liberal environmentalist vegetarian type whose name is Hunter [Thurston Howell], and I have to say, it seems quite absurd on him.
woops, sorry for the double post.
Thanks for all the feedback - you guys are great!
I never tell anyone my girl name choice for some reason, but I don't mind telling you all. My first daughter will, without question, be named Estella. It is inspired by the character in Great Expectations when I read it 20 years ago. It is still my favorite for many reasons, not the least of which is that it does not make the SS top 1000! Also, I've not heard it mentioned on these boards at all.
Others on my list include
Annabelle (which now I think too popular)
Astrid
Ingrid
Ione
Paloma
Margaux
Maybe they aren't all WASPy after all. I think "WASPy" connotes different things for different people. It's not bad to me, just kind of "white-bread".
I just checked and Xavier is #87 on the SS list (or so it says on Nymbler, which I happen to have open also on my computer while I'm supposed to be working - What?). That is too popular for me. I live in NYC and naming is pretty cutting edge here, I feel like.
Back to baby Dresden -
Someone asked jokingly if the next children will be Hiroshima and Chippendale.
I Googled it, I really tried, but now I just have to ask - Chippendale? Was there a bombing at a place with that name? All I can think of are the male dancers and, of course, the Rescue Rangers (Ch-Ch-Ch-Chip and Dale! Rescue Rangers!)
To JT:
How they got Peggy from Margaret:
Margaret yields the short form Marg.
Because "r" is hard for many to pronounce, that became Mag. In some dialects, Mag naturally went to Meg. Adding the common diminutive suffix, Meg becomes Meggy. Finally, in medieval times it was quite common to create rhyming forms of common nicknames by altering the first consonant. For reasons the experts themselves are still disputing, the forms for female nicknames starting with M- developed rhyming forms starting with P-. So Margaret/Meggy became Peggy, Mary/Molly became Polly, and Martha/Matty became Patty. Plenty of Americans had ancestresses called Patty back in the 1700s, but they were officially Marthas; Patricia was not introduced as a given name in England and the USA until the 19th century.
Similarly, male names in R- developed rhyming pet forms starting with H- or D- in medieval times. Which is why the surnames Hodge, Dodge, Hicks, Dix, Hobbs, and Dobbs indicate ancestors named Roger, Richard, and Robert. :)
Very interesting. Thank you for enlightening me!
"I live in NYC and naming is pretty cutting edge here, I feel like"
There may very well be neighborhoods within NYC where naming is "cutting edge", but the most popular names for NYC as a whole are anything but. :) Here are links to the top 10 names for NYC in 2006:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/10122007/news/regionalnews/most_popular_girl_baby_names.htm
http://www.nypost.com/seven/10122007/news/regionalnews/most_popular_boy_baby_names.htm
As you can see, Ashley was the #1 name for girls in NYC last year. Ashley hasn't been #1 nationally since 1992. Having Sarah and Kayla still in the top ten also puts NYC behind the times. For boys, Michael is still #1 in NYC and the name that replaced it as #1 nationally in 1999, Jacob, isn't even on NYC's top ten list. Justin and David have fallen off considerably in the rest of the USA but are still in NYC's top ten.
Interesting. Thanks, Cleveland Kent Evans. That actually makes perfect sense to me because NYC is so diverse. I think naming is pretty cutting edge in my peer group in NYC, but probably not on average in the whole city.
katie--
Chippendale, referring to Thomas Chippendale, the 18th century English furniture designer, carrying on the antique theme that would go with Dresden [china].
The Disney chipmunks were, of course, named after him. I'm not sure where the male stripper connection came from!
daphne's mommy: I very much like the Scottish "Alastair/Alistair", but do slightly prefer the even MORE Scots-sounding version, "Alasdair", which yields the jaunty nickname, "Laddie" or "Lad". All of the formal versions are given the clipped "Allister" pronounciation, unless I'm mistaken...
No problem with an American boy sporting a Scottish name-- the sturdy Scots and "Scotch-Irish" settlers played such a crucial role in our history! But then, I feel just as strongly that Ukrainian, African, Indonesian, names are a part of the world culture in which we all swim and as rich parts of our heritage, offer wonderful name potential.
A lot of us Yanks WOULD make the association with Maggie Thatcher. To a huge swath of us-- traditionalists and Bill Buckley conservatives, (among others) she is a conservative beacon on the order of Ronald Reagan! So if you're on the "left" side of the ledger, and, like miamaria, perhaps not an admirer, you should be at least aware of this...
Perhaps the Dresden parents are really into Brechtian punk cabaret music and named their child after the Dresden Dolls? Just thought I'd throw that in there.
Thank you, KRC, for sharing your girl's list. Very nice--I particularly like Astrid and Paloma! I used to live in Brooklyn/work in Manhattan and miss the city so much! We moved upstate a couple of years ago for my husband's job, but try to get back as often as possible!
Thanks, Sharon. I love your daughter's name Sophie, too. What are some of your favorite boys/girls names?
My husband and I live in Manhattan currently, but plan to move to Brooklyn soon - in anticipation of starting a family. (Not expecting yet, but hoping.) I absolutely love Brooklyn!
Hyz, Thanks for the giggles! I love the image of the young Thatcher Thurston Howell that you depict. It sort of has a Gatsby feel to it, doesn't it?
KRC-
Thanks for the compliment on my daughter's name. I still absolutely love it and everyone tells me that she's a Sophie through and through. I chose it because I thought it was sweet for a little girl, but also sophisticated for a grown woman with a career. Her middle name is Elisabeth, spelled the German way to honor my husband's German heritage. I would describe my naming style as favoring under-utilized classics that travel well, as I've spent some time in Europe and hope my children will someday as well.
Boys:
Oliver--nn Ollie
Julian-already "taken" by a close friend for her son Charles--nn Charlie
Leo--doesn't work with my ln
Tobias--nn Tobey
Reid--REALLY doesn't work with my ln (Reid Riedl???)
Elliott--want to see how Spitzer's term plays out before I go giving him a namesake--but I do like the name!
George--love the name, but also wouldn't use for political reasons
Sebastian--wish there were a good nn for this one
continued...
Girls:
This list is easier--I have a hard time coming up with good boys' names...
Caroline--love it, but is it too popular?
Athena--hubby and I spent our honeymoon in Greece...
Penelope--but dislike Penny for a nn
Agnes
Maris or Damaris
Beatrice
Alice--my grandmother's name
Daphne
I would love to hear what names (besides Xavier) are popular in your part of the city!
I'm also not yet pregnant, but hoping to give Sophie a sibling within the next couple of years. I want them spaced 5+ years apart so I can really enjoy each one. All the best to you with your move and in starting your family!
Hi, longtime lurker, first time poster:
I wanted to weigh in on the WASPy discussion. My 5 yr old daughter's name is Avery Caroline. A friend recently told me that it sounds WASPy, especially paired with our English surname. I suppose I see her point (though she was a total as@ about it), but we're more of the regular-Joe variety, despite our Ivy degrees. I know a true WASPy family with little girls Bennett Claire and Bliss Margaret - and they really do "summer on the Cape"! Anyway, my point is that I think there are clear WASPy names (Bennett, Bliss), and then there are watered down WASPy names (Avery, Ellery) that carry less of the Lilly Pulitzer/Brooks Brothers baggage... thoughts?
(Love the comments on this board!)
What do you all think is the difference between WASPY names and yuppie names? (And is yuppie still an acronym? Should it be capitalized?)
Oops! Make that WASPy.
Sharon - For a sister to Sophie, I vote Caroline Alice Lastname. While many of your other choices are pretty, they are far more daring in style than Sophie (especially Athena, Maris, Damaris, Agnes). I think Caroline and Sophie sound perfect together - pretty, solid, classic names that "grow" well.
For boys, I think I like Oliver. But do Sophie and Ollie sound too cute together? I originally was going to vote for Sebastian, but I'm not a fan of matching first initials for siblings: Sophie and Sebastian is def too cute. What about James or Jasper?
Sharon - Also had to mention that my daughter's middle name is Caroline, so clearly it was going to get my vote! :)
May--it is so interesting that you put Caroline Alice together, because my sister has been telling me for quite sometime that she thinks Caroline would make a perfect "sister name" to Sophie and that Alice (our grandmother's name) would be a good middle name. For a boy, I've pretty much settled on Oliver Charles. I get what you mean about cutesy sibling names, though. I love the name Cecily, but I think sisters named Sophie and Cecily is too matchy-matchy. Thanks so much for your input! Do you have names picked out for a potential sibling for Avery Caroline?
Am I the only one who thinks of the Tom Sawyer connection with Thatcher?
I absolutely love the name, and I'm a committed member of the left-wing. I think it has such a wholesome charm, and it doesn't seem snooty at all, if that was the concern.
I also love Tate as a nn, although it has quite a different feel to me.
Has anyone heard of Thayer? It's the name of a little boy in an old storybook I inherited, but I've never heard it anywhere else. I'd think Thayer could be Thatcher's waspier cousin.
Sharon-I love Tobias and Elliot, but if you really like Sebastian, I've heard of both Sebi and Baz as nns.
Could I sell you on Jasper?
What fun to have babes left to name!
RE: WASP vs yuppie
It seems to me that most have been using "WASPy" with more of the yuppie connotation. WASP just means White, Anglo-Saxon, and Protestant, right? So there's actually no assumption about wealth or privilege (except of course through inference).
Is Bliss really considered a WASPy name? I think of it as more of a hippy name, with sisters Harmony and Sunrise.
Actually Bennett and Bliss are very different names to me. If this were a novel, Bennett would be the strong-willed daughter who refuses to conform to her parents' wishes. Bliss is the dreamy-eyed younger daughter who follows her heart.
KRC from way back up the page - Roscoe is fab name! it easily becomes Ross and Rascal but is still good as just Roscoe, it is fantastic to yell out as well. Try it! ROSCOE! So we gave it to our cat. But it has full human boy potential. And it makes people smile. And ask whether the middle name starts with a P... :) (the cat's does)
A good nn for Sebastian is Bas - very popular in the Netherlands and much nicer than Seb
Valerie: on the nature name topic, perhaps I should mention a chap I know called Cliff Hill - no really! As you know I think Linnea is lovely but could I just clarify if I'm pronouncing it right? Lin-a-uh? or Lin-e-uh? Good luck with everything...
On the subject of pronunciation, I wonder if any one could clear this little matter up for me? I was watching Jamie Oliver the other night and he pronounced Clementine differently to me. I've been pronouncing the 'tine' to rhyme with 'mine' but he pronounced the Tine' - 'teen' to rhyme with mean... ta!
apologies for double post - I clicked the post button by accident!
KRC: a cracking set of names there! Estella has a 'stately cool' vibe and is underused despite the ridiculously popular -ella ending.
Daphne's Mom: I struggle so much with boys names but really like Alastair/Alasdair, to me it's a very strong and solid name...
mj-- Interesting point. You're right that WASP means White Anglo-Saxon Protestant. I always thought it was coined by Digby Baltzell to denote a person of this background, who is ALSO a member of the "ruling elite" in the United States. The Prepsters. He was specifically describing this group in his work on social class in America...
People have come to see the word as broadly including anything remotely Anglo-Saxon in origin. But the distinction is still there. A huge number of people in the U.S. have English names or backgrounds, but very few are true WASPs, on the order of Elliott Richardson, Archibald Cox, or the Cabots or the Lodges et al.
By contrast, Billy Carter and Britney Spears no doubt have English backgrounds, but they wouldn't be considered WASPs...
J&H's mom-- "Thayer"s a winner!
Katharine-- I'm probably confused. I thought "teen" was the Brit pronunciation, and "tyne" the Yank one, as in "My Darling Clemen-TYNE"! But you're English, aren't you? Set me straight...
mj, you are correct. Those are what the letters in WASP stand for. However, I believe most people would connote the term WASP with a group of cultural elites who enjoy privileges that other groups may not. To me it signifies more than just being white, Anglo-Saxon and Protestant. I think the assumption about wealth or privilege does come with the fact that when the term was coined, the wealth and privilege probably came with being aligned with that group, whereas today, it does not. When I think of WASPs I think of "old family" and "old money," as we in the south like to say.
When I think of yuppies I think of the '80s, I guess because that is when yuppie started being used. So I think of '80s names like Amy, Jennifer, and Nicole.
Oh, The Letter K, I'm a big fan of "Roscoe" too! I think of it as a fun alternative to "Oscar", which all the celebs seem to be using now...
mj--of course you're right about the meaning of WASP, but I've always heard it used as code for rich/solid upper-middle class snooty whitebread types who send their kids to prep school, wear high-end preppy clothes, drive nice cars, have well-manicured lawns, and may or may not have trust funds. Yuppie, on the other hand, is distinct because of the emphasis on young and urban. Yuppies are more likely to be "new money", more likely to want to be trend-setting and edgy/different. So, I would call Blair and Julian WASPy while Trixi and Poppy would be more yuppie to me. Lots of names overlap the two categories (Olivia, Avery), and lots of names could be very WASPy in some contexts and not in others (Charles, David, Caroline...).
May, I agree with you that it all depends on the context, and I happen to love both Avery and Ellery, for what that's worth.
Oh, and as to the guy named Hunter--isn't that only silly because he's a vegetarian? I think he'd be fine named Thatcher, personally.
looks like we were all answering the same question at the same time!
Sharon,
I love your boys list! I don't think Sebastian really needs a nn. I like Julian a lot, too. Have you thought about August? It's a tongue twister with our lns, but I think it fits your criteria and sounds good with your ln.
I like the sound of Thayer, too.
I love the name August it does seem to fit with your other selections too!
On the name Thatcher the dad on Greys anatomy is named Thatcher and everyone called him "Thatch" and I agree unless you use a name like Randy surname surname the kid will sound a little like a law firm. But that is not exactly a bad thing. I think it sound interesting!
KRC - Thatcher and Tate are really, really cool names. They are both just wonderful and Tate is a great nn for Thatcher.
There's an author of children's books called Thatcher Hurd, and though I'd seen the name several times, I never thought about the Maggie Thatcher reference until I saw the name here, where it was kind of standing alone, in a bit of a vaccuum.
The rest of your boys' list really is not good for me. I am interpreting your reluctance to choose a WASPy name as perhaps a concern over looking pretentious or trying too hard to appear of a certain social class?? IMHO, all the other names on your list have much more of a ubertrendy upper-class feel to them. Also, many are popular in other cultures and to echo hyz, it seems like you're cribbing from another culture in an attempt to appear different or quirky.
You have winners with Thatcher/Tate, and I like Estella far and away the best of your girl names. No need to overthink it, you've done great!
I just have to point out, that sounding run-of-the-mill WASPy (i.e. Charles Emerson Winchester III) can really in no way be a drawback to a child. Can it sound a little stuffy and ridiculous? Perhaps, but when people hear a WASPy name they make certain assumptions about a child's upbringing and social status that in most situations is only beneficial to the child.
Sharon - just to chime in here, because I'm getting the feeling I may be one of the few here coming from a different regional background than many recent posters and you never know where you're going to be living in a few years...
For boys, I particularly like Elliot, Reid, and Tobey - those would fit in well in the Midwest or West Coast. I like Sebastian personally, but you never hear it out here, while George is actually almost too popular. Some of the other names - Julian, Charles, Oliver - would be considered terribly nerdy.
Of your girl names, Caroline, Beatrice, Penelope, and Daphne would fit in ok in the West. But Athena and Agnes would stick out like sore thumbs. I personally just hate the name Alice, so I recuse myself from comment on that.
Damaris, for me, is beyond terrible. No one will know how to spell or pronounce it. The Dam/Dem syllable is in so many negative words like demanding and demented, and the name just feels so very pretentious to me.
Re: the presidential sisters
Apparently, the parents were unaware of the connection until after the second baby was born and named and someone else brought it up! Clearly, that is just more reason to spend inordinate amounts of time on this board making sure you have ALL of the kinks worked out of your names and mn/ln/sibling combos.
Re: WASPs and yuppies
The book "Cool Names for Babies" had some interesting categories of names in it. Hot Cool (yuppie names), Nanny Diary names (definitely WASPy), and Bobo Cool (for bourgeois bohemian) - what yuppies who don't think of themselves as yuppies name their children.
Katharine- I pronounce Linnea Linn-AY-a, but I believe it could also be pronounced Linn-EE-a and can be spelled Linnaea. I'm hoping that's not going to be an issue. Thanks for your good wishes!
kristin dawn, your comments on Sharon's names were interesting. I've lived in the midwest and the east, and I don't think any of the boys names are very nerdy--I think they'd all fit in fine. Of the girls, I think only Agnes would be nerdy, and it's a name I personally dislike. I think the others would fit in, except Athena, which is edgy but neat.
Just thinking here, because of Thatcher...
How many of you have plumbed your family surnames to come up with something good, and did you find anything?
I got nothin'. Going back up my tree, past me & dad (German), past mom (Slovak), I get Lance (which is a name, but I don't like it), Killinger, McCloskey, Schmid, O'Meara, Holliday.... I wonder if people in bygone eras would've picked any of those out as winner fns. :o) DH is Korean, so his surnames don't work well, either.
And Jill, thanks for the list--hmm, I think I'd personally be best categorized as Bobo cool, but I haven't seen what that book lists in that category--I'd be interested to see....
Our whole WASP discussion vis-a-vis names has so many interesting permutations!
Richard Brookhiser wrote a wonderful little book "The Way of the WASP", in which he identifies some key characteristics of the group-- self-denial, civic-mindedness, hard work etc. You might add thrift, restraint, and unfailing courtesy. And bad food!!
Some of them seem to overlap with the Puritan mindset. Brookhiser says these went to form the greater American character.
As it happens, a WASP-ish sensibility can turn up anywhere. A great example I've noticed happens to be African-American-- John McWhorter, who is with the Manhattan Institute think tank. Another black intellectual, Shelby Steele. They're not going around in Topsiders or affecting prep school accents. They do have a particular set of traits that could be described as quintessentially WASP.
So, I think that names that sound stereotypically "WASP" are quite fair game, no matter WHAT our color or religion or ethnicity. Dissenters?
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