Repetition of names
The CBB -> Anything Else
#1: Repetition of names Author: Alice, Location: London, England PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 12:56 pm

The great thing about being on holiday is that I can sit at the computer while reading my book so anything I think of I can write about - so be prepared for lots of 'isn't that odd's from me!

I've noticed in Three Go that EBD seems to repeat names alot (I knew this already but it seems particularly noticable here) Verity-Ann's guardian is called Mr James and there is later a mention of a Celia James in Vi's domitory, not his daughter because he mentions his daughters' names earlier on and says that they've already finished at the CS.

Also, Verity's surname is Carey and then there's Miss Carey who takes over some of Miss Linton's work while she's gone to see Joyce. I don't remember Miss Carey elsewhere in the series but I haven't read the books for a while so I'm not sure.

 

#2:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 3:43 pm

Spaeking as one who has written five episodes of a series- I can sympathise with EBD - after all she did write a lot - it can be very difficult finding names that,

1.fit the person,
2. fit the time,
3. don't have unfortunate alterior meanings,
4. Aren't awkward to pronounce

etc etc etc!

 

#3:  Author: Alice, Location: London, England PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 4:12 pm

Good point Lesley. It is funny to read though! Very Happy

 

#4:  Author: Sarah_L, Location: Leeds PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 7:12 pm

Molly is one name that pops up a lot, particularly in the Armishire books. And none of the Mollys are major characters. I know there's Mollie Bettany and Mollie Maynard, but none of the Maynard/Bettany/Russell children are named after them. They must have felt quite left out, since most of the family must have had at least five children named after them!

 

#5:  Author: nikkie, Location: Cumbria PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 8:11 pm

Sarah_L wrote:
Molly is one name that pops up a lot, particularly in the Armishire books. And none of the Mollys are major characters. I know there's Mollie Bettany and Mollie Maynard, but none of the Maynard/Bettany/Russell children are named after them. They must have felt quite left out, since most of the family must have had at least five children named after them!

How many Margaret Josephines can one family have?

 

#6:  Author: jennifer, Location: Sunny California PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 8:36 pm

I can see names like Mary, Margaret or Anne being repeated over the series, or common surnames. The difficult ones are the ones where there are two identical names, or two very similar names in a similar age bracket. That happens in real life a lot (I'll attest to that, as a Jennifer), but is just bad planning in a book.


There are two Mollie Averys (a prefect, and Mollie Bettany's maiden name) plus a Mollie McNab, Mollie Manyard, Mollie Carew, Mollie Woods and Mollie Rossiter.

Two Elma Conroys
Two Suzanne Merciers
Two Wanda von Escheneaus (related)
Two Iris Drews

A Mary Shand and a Mary Shaw of the same age.
A Nancy Hatton and a Nancy Canton of similar ages.
Annes Montague, Morrell, Webster, Valentine and Whitney (roughly the same age)
Marjorie Jenkins and Keith (same age)
Lesley Malcolm and Lesley Bethune (same class)
Giovanna Donati and Giovanna Rincini (same class)
An Adrienne Didier and Desmoines (roughly same age)
Christine Dawson and Vincent (same age)

 

#7:  Author: Catrin, Location: Wirral (holidays), Oxford (term) PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 9:31 pm

[quote="jennifer"]That happens in real life a lot (I'll attest to that, as a Jennifer), [quote]

Yes, my given name was Sarah but I changed it when i went to an all-girls school and found myself one of three Sarahs in a class of 30!

What I have often wondered is, why was EBD so hot on always naming babies after people? - all the Margarets etc gets a little silly. And when Kevin and Kester were born (or maybe Felix and Felicity, I can't remember!) the extended were alarmed because they couldn't work out who they were named for. Is this an old tradition that has died out?

 

#8:  Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!! PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 9:52 pm

Sarah_L wrote:
I know there's Mollie Bettany and Mollie Maynard, but none of the Maynard/Bettany/Russell children are named after them. They must have felt quite left out, since most of the family must have had at least five children named after them!


Isnt Mollie a *short* for Mary?? If so both Bride, and the triplets bare this name.

 

#9:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 10:39 pm

That was what I was going to say Ally!

Plus, I think Josette's middle name was Mary too. As was Primula's!

 

#10:  Author: KB, Location: Melbourne, Australia PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 10:54 pm

I think she had less names to choose from, particularly when she didn't want to repeat main characters' names. Don't forget that she couldn't use any of the new-age names. All (most) would have to be Christian. I don't wonder she was repetitive, particularly in the later books when she must have been desperately thinking of names, only to find that she had given it a brief airing many years earlier.

 

#11:  Author: patmac, Location: Yorkshire England PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 11:06 pm

It is difficult enough in real life. When my elder daughter first attended a County Music camp, they called her name and two girls stepped forward - alike enough to be twins!

It was actually scary. Not a common name but two who looked alike Shocked

And this was real life, not an imaginary world.

*Hastily avers that this is in no way shape or form a suggestion that RCS is not a real world.*

 

#12:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 11:26 pm

patmac wrote:
*Hastily avers that this is in no way shape or form a suggestion that RCS is not a real world.*


I should hope not! Otherwise Hilda and Nell won't fix your tyre! Wink

 

#13:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 11:32 pm

I don't think the multiple namings-after are terribly unrealistic. *very frustrated by genealogies in which family members all use the same names for their children*

And with new girls every year, it would have been almost impossible to keep coming up with new ones.... hence Jo's (and EBD's) constant hunting for unusual names. It's much easier to keep the same characters and just refuse to let them age!


ETA better grammar

Last edited by Kathy_S on Sat Mar 26, 2005 2:24 am; edited 1 time in total

 

#14:  Author: MissPrint, Location: Edinburgh PostPosted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 12:08 am

patmac wrote:
It is difficult enough in real life. When my elder daughter first attended a County Music camp, they called her name and two girls stepped forward - alike enough to be twins!

It was actually scary. Not a common name but two who looked alike Shocked

And this was real life, not an imaginary world.

*Hastily avers that this is in no way shape or form a suggestion that RCS is not a real world.*

Similar thing happened to me. I was speaking at a conference, and the next speaker who was to follow me immediately was also introduced. She shared my surname, and when we stood up together, she could have been my sister. The speaker who introduced us with a jocular "no realtion" looked a bit non-plussed. And we could not have been that closely related as we would have to go back at least to my great-great-grandfather to be related. Obviously that side of the family have some very strong genes for facial features.

 

#15: similar names Author: Kirstie, Location: Ayrshire PostPosted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 4:17 am

I find it most amusing that EBD had only one name for a cat namely Minnette. Obviusly the two in the later books, that even look the same, but I had forgotten that the original school cat was also called this - think it is first mentioned in Head Girl.
I always find this very curious as we have had twenty pet cats throughout the years and none have had the same name. Did EBD have a cat called Minette?

 

#16:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 4:46 am

I thought Minette was a French diminutive of "kitty," purely because one of our neighbors used to call her cat "minou, minou, minou" in the same tone we'd say "Here, kitty kitty kitty." True or false? *speaks no French*

I agree it's not very inventive though. Of course, our childhood cats started with Mary Margaret and Charles Patrick III, and continued in a similar vein. (I think my niece has Charles Patrick VII.)

 

#17: Re: similar names Author: KB, Location: Melbourne, Australia PostPosted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 7:01 am

Kirstie wrote:
I find it most amusing that EBD had only one name for a cat namely Minnette. Obviusly the two in the later books, that even look the same, but I had forgotten that the original school cat was also called this - think it is first mentioned in Head Girl.
I always find this very curious as we have had twenty pet cats throughout the years and none have had the same name. Did EBD have a cat called Minette?


EBD had many cats, both when she lived with her mother and later. Some of the people who used to board with her apparently complained about the smell.

And the Menschs have a cat called Minette:
Frieda, my child, if you have finished, go and feed Minette in the kitchen.
’‘May I go too, please?’ asked Joey. ‘I love cats.’
‘Yes; go if you wish,’ replied the lady, smiling. ‘Bernhilda, we will leave you to wash up the china and arrange the table again for Fraulein Bettany and the little Robin.’
Then she bustled off to see about Mittagessen, while Joey and Frieda trotted into the kitchen to feed Minette, who was a magnificent tabby-cat, with a white dicky and white boots. (Jo of the CS)
I believe the school also has a Minette, but it's not in any of the books I have in transcript (pre-Exile).

 

#18:  Author: joelle, Location: lancashire, england PostPosted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 4:26 pm

what i always thought was a bit funny is how they make such a big thing of flavias name in redheads but there had been a flavia earlier in the school (though i cant name a book for the life of me!) even if she was only an "extra" so to speak, its kinda sad for her to be forgotten!
it must have been bewildering for new girls to have their names leapt on for joey`s books-i would have thought everyone was mad really! i get enough trouble over my name for me to be happy about that
Sad sorry just realised how grumpy that sounds-im sure if i really went to cs, i would be just so thrilled to be there i would love everything! Wink

 

#19:  Author: Kat, Location: Swansea PostPosted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 4:57 pm

Anna's cat is called Nox. Think he may be mention in Joey Goes, but not definite on that.

So EBD was capable of naming cats, she just obviously didn't like to!

 

#20:  Author: Sarah_L, Location: Leeds PostPosted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 5:55 pm

Ally wrote:
Sarah_L wrote:
I know there's Mollie Bettany and Mollie Maynard, but none of the Maynard/Bettany/Russell children are named after them. They must have felt quite left out, since most of the family must have had at least five children named after them!


Isnt Mollie a *short* for Mary?? If so both Bride, and the triplets bare this name.


But none of the children are known as Mary. They may be given the name but it's hidden amongst their other names.

*desparately tries to argue point, having initially forgotten the Marys*

 

#21:  Author: Lyanne, Location: Ipswich, England PostPosted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 11:43 pm

Daisy's daughter is Mary Margaret and Laurence says they're going to call her Mary. Was Jem's mother called Mary?

 

#22:  Author: KB, Location: Melbourne, Australia PostPosted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 11:59 pm

No, she was Margaret, too. They discuss that during the baby-naming party for Sybil in Lintons. Jo, Madge and Dick's mother was also Margaret.

Mary Margaret is named for the triplets. Daisy has agreed to name her for all three of them (Mary Helena Constance Margaret) but Laurie refuses and says she will be Mary Margaret.

 

#23:  Author: Eilidh, Location: Bathgate, Scotland PostPosted: Sun Mar 27, 2005 11:20 pm

joelle wrote:
what i always thought was a bit funny is how they make such a big thing of flavias name in redheads but there had been a flavia earlier in the school (though i cant name a book for the life of me!) even if she was only an "extra" so to speak, its kinda sad for her to be forgotten!


I've never read Redheads, but Joey called one of the chacters in her first book Flavia. (Have just gone past Jo Returns in my re-reading about a week or two ago.)

 

#24:  Author: Miriam, Location: Jerusalem, Israel PostPosted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 1:11 pm

I've noticed that ant American mentioned in passing (not main characters) seems to be called Dwight. I've sometimes wondereda bout how many Americans EBD ever met - and what anty of their names were. Confused

 

#25:  Author: KB, Location: Melbourne, Australia PostPosted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 10:52 pm

I suppose Dwight was a fairly American-sounding name, but the only incidence of it that I can remember is in Redheads. Are there other uses?

 

#26:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 11:05 pm

I don't think I've ever met a Dwight, so it's hard to think of the name as typical American. In fact, the only one I can think of is Eisenhower, so I suppose EBD could have picked up the name during WWII or his presidency. For that matter, I have yet to encounter a RL Evadne, though I did have a Cornelia for a Girl Scout leader at one point...

EBD does use Dwight as an American surname at least twice: for Miss Dwight, Audrey's American exchange teacher in Wins the Trick, and the unfortunate young American who's killed in the crash in Two Sams.

 

#27:  Author: KB, Location: Melbourne, Australia PostPosted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 11:27 pm

Ah, yes, I'd forgotten about those two.

 

#28:  Author: Shell,  PostPosted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 1:24 pm

Using the name Mary or a derivative (such as Marie) as a baptisimal name is a strong catholic tradition. My name is Mary but I use my second name, Margaret Mary is the name of my Mother, both of my grandmothers and both of their mothers. Confused yet?!

I attended a Catholic school where every girl in my class had either Mary or Marie as a second name.
My mother told me that it was a Christian tradition to use Mary as at least one of the names of every girl born into a family, the eldest girls first name should be Mary and the next girl born after that should be called Ann (mother of John the Baptist). This tradition died out a while ago but was still in use as recently as the late 60's.

Using family names was also a tradition, I don't think it was specifically religous. My great grandmother was still alive when my youngest brother was born and she couldn't understand why we were not calling the baby after someone in the family. She suggested many names of recently deceased family members because otherwise the name would be "unlucky"!! Rolling Eyes

 

#29:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 4:14 pm

The Mary pressure was certainly still there when I was growing up! If you didn't get some form at baptism, you were strongly encouraged to remedy the lack at confirmation. But for us, Anne was the mother of Mary, and Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist -- both popular names.

 

#30:  Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle PostPosted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 8:59 pm

Shell wrote:
Ann (mother of John the Baptist).



Anne is the mother of Mary - Jesus mother. John the Baptist's mother is Elizabeth.

 

#31:  Author: LadyGuinevere, Location: Leicester PostPosted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 10:16 pm

Naming people after relatives is still very prevelant in my family.

My mother was named for her mother with an unrelated middle name. Though she actually has my grandmother's middle name as her first name, my grandmother has always gone by her middle name.

I was named for multiple relatives on both sides of the family (which is why I was always surprised there were so few Sarahs at the CS), and have the same middle name as my mother.

One of my sisters is named for my my maternal grandmother and a paternal aunt (neither of whom go by the name), with an unrelated middle name. The other isn't named for anyone.

My mother's sister isn't named for anyone in particular, but her eldest son is named after her husband's father, and her second is named after our grandfather.

And I intend to carry this on actually.

I do remember at guide camp where there were five of us in a tent, and three of us were called Sarah!

 

#32:  Author: Miriam, Location: Jerusalem, Israel PostPosted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 2:03 pm

My sister was meant to be named Sarah, after our great grandmother who had died a few months before my sister was born. Unfortunately she had Alzheimers, and was in a very bad state towards the end (and even my mother had very few memories of her when she was still 'normal'. When it came down to it my mothers associated the name very strongly with a very negative image of this old lady, and couldn't cope giving that name to her beautiful new baby.

She ended up with Sarah as a middle name, to give some recognition to my great grandmother, but was called Esther as a first name for general use.

 

#33:  Author: Shell,  PostPosted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 10:41 am

Susan wrote:
Shell wrote:
Ann (mother of John the Baptist).



Anne is the mother of Mary - Jesus mother. John the Baptist's mother is Elizabeth.


Ooops! Embarassed Thats what I meant. Silly me! Embarassed

 

#34:  Author: Ella, Location: Staffordshire PostPosted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 8:08 pm

*Sidetracking*
When I was in Sixth form (a few years ago, but not that many!) there were 3 Helens and 2 Ellens in my form. This made life very confusing, especially as I was one of them and our form teacher insisted on calling me Rebecca (no idea why). We did have a Rebecca in the form, but he could never remember her name!

I was always amazed by the endless variations on Margaret and Josephine which EBD came up with. Are there any that she missed? (apart from 'Josie' which I vaguely remember someone not liking in one of the books - but how do you pronounce Jose - as in Helston - if that is the case?)

 

#35:  Author: claire, Location: South Wales PostPosted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 8:38 pm

I know a Jose, she pronounces it Josie (but I also knew a boy with the same spelling who said 'Hose - say)

 

#36:  Author: tiffinata, Location: melbourne, australia PostPosted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 4:08 am

My husband's family has a tradition of using family names and often naming the kid after their godparent.
There are three Johns, one known as John Robert, another as Johnny. All have the same surname. Mcclelland is the middle name of at least 2 and was the surname of a great grandmother. 2 Peters, 2 Heathers, Jean, Joan, and Jane a couple of middle names of Margaret and Mary.
What was rather funny that the men on one side of the family all married women with similar names - Angela, Anne, Andrea and Carol-Anne. One of these ladies wishes to be known by her maiden name. Needless to say the older generation insist she is to be known by her husband's name. Can't buck tradition! Rolling Eyes Waddyado?

Laughing (plan to call our kids River, Marmaduke or Clarabelle!) Laughing
(snicker snicker, chortle chortle!)

 

#37:  Author: Guest,  PostPosted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 5:07 pm

I know when I was in year seven our form was awful for repeating names, we had two Stephanie's (both had a last name beginning with b and thus came straight after each other in the register). We also had two Rebecca's (again straight after each other). We had two Amy's, and a Catriona and a Katrina who again immediately followed each other in the register.

When I was in reception it was even worse, we had two Claire Campbells!

 

#38:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 6:24 pm

When I first started school I was one of three Lesley's, to make it even worse there were also another two girls with the same surname, 'Green'.

 

#39:  Author: KB, Location: Melbourne, Australia PostPosted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 10:22 pm

I was in Prep with four other K/Cather/rine/yns, and later we had Melinda Brown and Melinda Britten.

 

#40:  Author: Polly, Location: Essex PostPosted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 10:41 pm

Back onto the duple names.........


There were 2 Sue (Susan) Masons. One was very quiet and related to someone at the Elisehutte (oops, can't remember who, AND I have just read it!) and Richenda's friend Very Happy

 

#41:  Author: Kat, Location: Swansea PostPosted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 10:53 pm

Leila Elstob??

 

#42:  Author: Polly, Location: Essex PostPosted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 11:15 pm

Yup! That's the one! And Richenda's friend also ended up at the CS evntually!

 

#43:  Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!! PostPosted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 12:40 pm

Polly wrote:
There were 2 Sue (Susan) Masons. One was very quiet and related to someone at the Elisehutte (oops, can't remember who, AND I have just read it!) and Richenda's friend Very Happy


I thought the first one, the cousin of Leila was Sue Meadows......though I may just be confused!

*off to check*

 

#44:  Author: Kate, Location: Ireland PostPosted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 12:42 pm

I think you're right, Ally. I *thought* Sue Mason sounded odd.

 

#45:  Author: Polly, Location: Essex PostPosted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 9:42 pm

Ooops! Embarassed Embarassed Embarassed

Yup - you are right and I am a silly wotsit!

 

#46:  Author: tiffinata, Location: melbourne, australia PostPosted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 7:59 am

Isn't it forunate that there was only ONE Mary-Lou!! Laughing

 

#47:  Author: Katie, Location: A Yorkshire lass in London PostPosted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 1:23 pm

All the way through high school (well, 1st to 5th year) there were 3 Lynseys, 3 Davids, 2 Lauras and 2 Sarahs in my form. And we started off with 2 Richards but one of them was expelled when we were about 14. It was a confusing register to take! There were also 5 Katies in 6th form, but luckily I didn't do the same A-levels as any of the others!

 

#48:  Author: Tiphany,  PostPosted: Tue Apr 05, 2005 9:53 pm

I remember I was in a class once with, I think, two or three Sarahs and four Emmas. One enterprising teacher tried to get round this by calling them all by their middle names, but one Sarah and two Emmas had the middle name Louise, and there was already one of those in the class.

I've been wondering about how representative the names in the Chalet books are; are they the balance of names you'd have found in schools in those countries in those times? Did all Austrian girls really have Italian names? I gather from random things and from other books that Elizabeth, Margaret, Anne, Mary and their variants were very common in England, but surely they aren't the only names people had? Even if they were, I think EBD had the responsibility of branching out a bit just so we'd understand. There are lots of pairs I get confused over: Peggy Bettany and Peggy Burnett is the worst, I think.

(I've got a sort of drabble cooking where Joey gets her quads, and calls them all Margaret - there are a surprising number of abreviations for it out there).

 

#49:  Author: francesn, Location: away with the faeries PostPosted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 3:23 am

I found another Frances Norris on a music course, who plays the same instruments (yes, pluaral, identical) as me. Our fathers have the same name, we look alike but we couldn't for the life of us figure out how - or even if - we were related!

Back on topic....it really annoyed me that the German/French/Polish (basically anyone but English) got really good names that were rarely repeated - did we ever have another Bernhilda? Gisela? Odette? Signa? Thyra? Astrid? Simone?

Yet we had squillions of Mary/Margaret (inc. variants)/Anne/Kitty or Catherine or whichever/Elizabeth (inc. variants).....for heavens sake woman there are other names in the English language!!!!!!! Many of which were perfectly usable and fitting to the time....and where the heck did she come up with Josephine? Which incidentally means "she shall multiply/ be fruitful" I have just discovered. Laughing

 

#50:  Author: KB, Location: Melbourne, Australia PostPosted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 4:06 am

francesn wrote:
Back on topic....it really annoyed me that the German/French/Polish (basically anyone but English) got really good names that were rarely repeated - did we ever have another Bernhilda? Gisela? Odette? Signa? Thyra? Astrid? Simone?


Hmm, let's see.
Bernhilda Mensch, of course, but also Bernhilda Hoffmann in Challenge.
Gisela Marani, of course, and then Gisel Mensch, Gisela's daughter.
Odette Mercier (the tearful one), but also Odette Bertoni in Does It Again, Kenya and Coming.
Signa [Sigrid] Bjornessen during the war books and Signa Johanssen during the very early years.
Thyra Bjornessen, Signa's sister, but also Thyra Eriksen in Jo of, Thyra Gregersen in Adrienne, Thyra Jespersen in the same book and Thyra Lund in Jane.
Astrid Helgersen in New House, Astrid Anderson [Anderssen] in the late Swiss books and Astrid Carlsen in Feud.
There was only one Simone, but there was Simonetta d'Angeli in Challenge.

I think EBD waited until the well-known character had left the school before introducing others with the same/similar names. There was the period in England where the school had to be without European names, but she brought them back quite quickly once the Swiss project was set up and running.

 

#51:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 4:29 am

To be fair, EBD does scrounge plenty of less than common names for English girls. Has anyone run across RL instances of Carola, Theodora, Jacynth, Grizel, Elma, Jesanne, Lavender, Loveday, Annis, Prunella ..... ? I haven't, despite years of teaching, though of course they may be a dime a dozen in England. Yes, EBD replicates, but not unrealistically so. Family naming patterns, popularity of a given name, and pure chance come into it.

*waves banner of clan K/Cath/er/ar/ry/n/e*

*thinks Josephine a perfectly normal name, though usually shortened for every day*

 

#52:  Author: Lulie, Location: Middlesbrough PostPosted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 8:03 am

francesn wrote:
....and where the heck did she come up with Josephine?


I know a Josephine, who is always Josephine and never shortened. There is also somebody at work who is Josephine, but shortened to Jo, and one of my student's middle name is Josephine! She's Maria Josephine, but named after West Side Story rather than CS (the Maria that is).

 

#53:  Author: pim, Location: the Derbyshire wilderness PostPosted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 11:15 am

My Auntie's old dog was called Josephine...

On another note, I've just been reading Changes whilst the network was down and the Christy's are calling their son Blinkie as a nickname - I know that one gets used later on as well, was it Hilary Graves?

 

#54:  Author: Ann, Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, England PostPosted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 11:21 am

francesn wrote:
Yet we had squillions of Mary/Margaret (inc. variants)/Anne/Kitty or Catherine or whichever/Elizabeth (inc. variants)


But no Anns! Lots of Annes but none without the 'e'!

 

#55:  Author: Katie, Location: A Yorkshire lass in London PostPosted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 11:33 am

Ann wrote:
francesn wrote:
Yet we had squillions of Mary/Margaret (inc. variants)/Anne/Kitty or Catherine or whichever/Elizabeth (inc. variants)


But no Anns! Lots of Annes but none without the 'e'!


Maybe in honour of our favouritest Anne? We all know what a sin it is to spell her name withough an 'e'!



(Actually, maybe not all of us do - just to clarify, I'm wittering about Anne of Green Gables, who got most upset if anyone ever spelled her name 'Ann')

 

#56:  Author: Pat, Location: Doncaster PostPosted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 3:19 pm

There was a Loveday at the boarding school I went to. Also a Lindis.

 

#57:  Author: Alice, Location: London, England PostPosted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 5:31 pm

Katie wrote:
Ann wrote:
francesn wrote:
Yet we had squillions of Mary/Margaret (inc. variants)/Anne/Kitty or Catherine or whichever/Elizabeth (inc. variants)


But no Anns! Lots of Annes but none without the 'e'!


Maybe in honour of our favouritest Anne? We all know what a sin it is to spell her name withough an 'e'!



(Actually, maybe not all of us do - just to clarify, I'm wittering about Anne of Green Gables, who got most upset if anyone ever spelled her name 'Ann')


Glad you clarified Katie, I was wondering how you were refering to my mum (who is always Anne with an e)! I do like Anne of Green Gables but haven't read them for ages and not all of them.

 

#58:  Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle PostPosted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 9:58 pm

My great granmother's maiden name was Mary Hayton. She called her only daughter ( my grandma) Mary, who called her elder daughter (my mum) Mary. Grandma's elder brother called his eldest daughter Mary.
Thank goodness it stopped there. Family do's were very confusing.

Mum's cousin Mary married for the second time a good few years ago. Nothingt remarkable in that you may think; except for one thing her then new husband's surname was Hayton. So she ended up with her grandmother's name!

 

#59:  Author: Lyanne, Location: Ipswich, England PostPosted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 11:02 pm

Pim wrote
Quote:
I've just been reading Changes whilst the network was down and the Christy's are calling their son Blinkie as a nickname - I know that one gets used later on as well, was it Hilary Graves?
I used to call my elder son Binkie when he was a baby - I knew it wasn't just Pratchett influencing me Embarassed

 

#60:  Author: KB, Location: Melbourne, Australia PostPosted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 11:14 pm

Lyanne wrote:
I used to call my elder son Binkie when he was a baby - I knew it wasn't just Pratchett influencing me Embarassed


To be pedantic, the baby is Blinkie, 'because he blinks at you'.

 

#61:  Author: Tiphany,  PostPosted: Thu Apr 07, 2005 7:35 pm

KB wrote:
Lyanne wrote:
I used to call my elder son Binkie when he was a baby - I knew it wasn't just Pratchett influencing me Embarassed


To be pedantic, the baby is Blinkie, 'because he blinks at you'.


Maybe he binks at her?

I'm sure that must be a vrb somehow, somewhere, but my dictionary only has it as a noun. Sad

 

#62:  Author: Sarah_G-G, Location: Sheffield (termtime), ? any other time! PostPosted: Thu Apr 07, 2005 10:40 pm

Yes, I can see that would be unusual and worthy of comment in a baby, or a person generally in fact... Confused I'm afraid I never fully understood that!

In my group of friends at college we had 4 Sarahs, 2 Emmas, 2 Emilys (so that makes 4 Ems), and at times 2 Lauras and 2 Louisas! Then one Sarah ended up being called Lara, which promptly caused confusion with Laura.

I think part of the reason we find there to be so many Margaret, Mary, Josephine, Elizabeth, Annes etc, are that we think of the entire series as being the school, if that makes sense. So at any one time there probably aren't that many repeated names in the school itself but some of the names may well have been used in previous classes. I persist in being mildly confused at Wanda von Eschenau the second, I think because I "know" the first better, but in terms of people in the school, only the oldest members of staff would even remember the first one. Old girls to us are still a part of the CS, but to the children they are, well, old girls ie adult ie completely different (and probably not on first name terms with them!)

 

#63:  Author: Gabrielle, Location: Washington DC PostPosted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 6:19 am

The two Giovannas in the early books confused me, I could never figure out if they were the same person or not, which they aren't. I don't think. The number of Josehines and Margarets makes sense considering that those are the names of the two main characters. Also Margaret has tons of nicknames.
I know about ten Rachels all my age (not counting the ones on this board) also lots of Claires, Katherines and varients of, Victorias, Sarahs and Joannas. In fact most of my British friends are called by one of those names.

 

#64:  Author: Guest,  PostPosted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 1:04 pm

i knew a jacintha once...in my primary school class there were too of us called michelle, so we got nicknames of weme and bigme, at secondrary they changed to mimi and minnie. my first name was after aunts, both my parents had a sister with that name and i have always been known as michele (my middle name) rather than by it.

interesting conversation btw and fab site.

 

#65:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 8:56 am

[quote="Catrin"][quote="jennifer"]That happens in real life a lot (I'll attest to that, as a Jennifer), [quote]

Yes, my given name was Sarah but I changed it when i went to an all-girls school and found myself one of three Sarahs in a class of 30!

quote]


I quite liked being one of two Alisons in the class. Every time the teacher asked me a question and I wasn't listening, I could pretend that I thought she was taking to the other one! Out of a class of 28, we had 3 Claires, 2 Alisons, 2 Brionys, and a Sarah and a Sara.

It's quite a shame that some people had to share their names with a load of others, whereas some people's names actually changed, like Mlle Therese/Elise Lepattre so they got 2 names to themselves.

 

#66:  Author: kateeee,  PostPosted: Fri Apr 22, 2005 11:41 pm

At swimming one day we had a new coach and he went along us in a line asking us our names. I'm sure he thought we were winding him up when the first three of us said "Kathryn"

 

#67:  Author: Alice, Location: London, England PostPosted: Sat Apr 23, 2005 11:04 am

When my brother was at primary school he was one of two Johns in the class. For some reason the other John was just called John while my brother was John H.

 

#68:  Author: Jools, Location: Sadly Broke PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 8:59 am

I was one of three Julies in my class at primary school and the techer referred to us as Julie M, Julie P and Julie W. Never more than one of me in any class at senior school though.

 

#69:  Author: Gem, Location: Saltash/Aberystwyth PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 10:23 am

I was one of four Gemmas at school (though one did spell hers Jemma) - to make it worse, one of them was in my particular friendship group, where we also had Laura Jaine, Laura Jayne, Lorna Jane, Becky Louise and Bethan Louise! The other Gemma's middle name was Louise as well... things got very confusing from time to time!

Incidentally, were there ever any Gemmas? Apparently the name was quite popular back then. I'm SURE I remember reading the name somewhere, but can't think for the life of me who or when it was Confused

 

#70:  Author: claire, Location: South Wales PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 10:25 am

I don't remember any Gemma's in the CS.
At uni at the moment out of 20 of us (10 DEs and 10 shortened courses) 4 of us are Claire Louise (2 in each set) so far we seem to be managing. The other Claire in my group is sometimes Mossy and I'm sometimes Little Claire (which is nicer than Big Claire - they don't use that btw) but generally we just use Claire for both of us

 

#71:  Author: Lyanne, Location: Ipswich, England PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 12:12 am

Tiphany wrote
Quote:
KB wrote:
Lyanne wrote:
I used to call my elder son Binkie when he was a baby - I knew it wasn't just Pratchett influencing me


To be pedantic, the baby is Blinkie, 'because he blinks at you'.


Maybe he binks at her?
No, but he did blink. Huge brown eyes from a week old (this is unusual in caucasian babies, if you didn't know) in a very serious face, my younger son's eyes took 6 months to go brown and he wasn't so blinky as Rob.

 

#72:  Author: Bess,  PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 10:57 pm

I think the most common name I know has got to be 'Rebecca.' My sister is called that, and she was friends with several Rebeccas in her year at school too - must've been popular when she was born.

Can't think of a Chaletian Rebecca, actually... must be one - maybe a Becky? Question You can at least get lots of nicknames out of it, Bec/Becca/Bee/Becks etc.

I belong to a Baptist denomination where nearly everyone has at least one Biblical name - almost like the repetitive Marys at the CS. Myself, I'm Esther, which somehow turned into Bess when I was little. I just know if I ever have kids, I'll have to stop myself calling them something really wacky to just be different. Ooh, I rambling. Embarassed

 

#73:  Author: KB, Location: Melbourne, Australia PostPosted: Sun May 01, 2005 3:05 am

Bess wrote:
Can't think of a Chaletian Rebecca, actually... must be one - maybe a Becky?


What about Rebecca Learoyd? 'Grandma' in Gay.

 

#74:  Author: samw,  PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2005 6:20 am

Having several people in the same class/group with the same first name isn't that uncommon. I was one of three Samanthas in my year at high school, all shortened to Sam, one of whom I shared several classes with. One Science teacher in year 10 asked if we were going to sit together after taking the roll for the first time, because it would confuse him. It could have the two Sam sitting next to each other in front of the four Davids who were also in the class.
Anyway my cub pack currently has two Toms, two Eddies and two Jacks with a Jacqueline just added to the mix.
What really suprises me about the CS names is the absence of Jessicas. Jessica is a really common name, probably more so than Rebecca. I only know of one, Jessica Wayne. Are they any more?

 

#75:  Author: KB, Location: Melbourne, Australia PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2005 1:21 pm

But the question arises - popular when? Just because names are popular now doesn't mean they were popular in the 1950s or earlier. And don't forget that a girl who is twelve when she comes into the series would, in real life at least, have been named twelve years earlier and the name could be very different then from what baby name is popular when she comes to school.

 

#76:  Author: Laura, Location: London (ish) PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2005 1:46 pm

In my form of 13 at school there are three Lauras and a Lauren! It is mighty confusing!

*agreeing wholeheartedly with the whole if you're not listening you pretend a teacher is talking to the other one thing!*

 

#77:  Author: Rachel, Location: Plotting in my lair PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2005 2:34 pm

Jools wrote:
Never more than one of me in any class at senior school though.


Very glad to hear you didn't attempt cloning in an attempt to get to more classes Wink

 

#78:  Author: Sarah_K, Location: St Albans/Leicester PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2005 3:21 pm

Speaking as someone who was once in a French class with FIVE other Sarah's I think the CS actually does pretty well to avoid doubles.

 

#79:  Author: LizB, Location: Oxon, England PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2005 11:23 pm

We had Thanksgivings/Welcomes for about 11 babies at church on Sunday - two of the boys were called Brandon.

Liz

 

#80:  Author: Polly, Location: Essex PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2005 10:55 am

Brandon!! Shocked Oh dear! Wink Rolling Eyes

 

#81:  Author: Dawn, Location: Leeds, West Yorks PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2005 8:03 pm

samw wrote:
What really suprises me about the CS names is the absence of Jessicas. Jessica is a really common name, probably more so than Rebecca. I only know of one, Jessica Wayne. Are they any more?


We thought Jessica was quite unusual back in 1988 - then there have always been at least 2 in her year at school Rolling Eyes

We didn't even attempt anything unusual with the boys - it turned out all the boys in the NCT group had Christopher as either a first or middle name - except for Matty of course Very Happy

 

#82:  Author: tiffinata, Location: melbourne, australia PostPosted: Wed May 04, 2005 1:06 am

Polly wrote:
Brandon!! Shocked Oh dear! Wink Rolling Eyes


One of the shopping centres in the south east of melbourne is called 'brandon park' - I got a bit of a laugh anyway!!


At work in my department of about 40 people there are 2 Adrian, 3 Tony, 3 Mark, 2 Paul, 2 Peter, 3 Shaun, 2 Andrew and 1 Andrea (all of whom frequently get shortened to Andy!) Generally most of the names get replaced by nicknames anyhow. So when all of the guys are together we end up with 'captain', 'lurch', 'liitle mark', 'big mark', 'the boss', 'smurf', 'garden gnome' 'sheep', 'crabstick',. A couple of the blokes get called by variations of their surname, but it ends up with only 3 of us getting called our 'right names'!

 

#83:  Author: Simone, Location: Newton le Willows PostPosted: Wed May 04, 2005 2:48 pm

I'm sure the reason I really loved the CS when I first started reading them at around 8 or 9 years old was because there was a Simone in them!

Simone seems a more popular name now, but I was the only one I knew back then (39 now). I always wanted to be called Linda the same as my best friend and 3 other girls in my class!

 

#84:  Author: Eilidh, Location: Bathgate, Scotland PostPosted: Wed May 04, 2005 2:56 pm

My Brownie Pack has 2 Shannons, 2 Erins, 2 Chloes, 2 Megans, and collections of similar names, such as Laura, Lauren, and Lorraine, Jenny and Jennifer (and a young leader called Jennifer) and a Sarah and a Sarah-Jane!

Very confusing!

 

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