Character Name Question for UK Folks

[Ray McCarthy]

It's a bad pun though for sleigh.

One of my Grannies was of Welsh Extraction. It's a cheap modern broach, but 100 y.o. style of construction. I must take a better photo.

 

[Phyrebrat]

I've always used the term uppity as just meaning grumpy or irritable :-( can't say anything these days without fear of upsetting someone.

Sorry, hope I didn't sound offended; was just meaning to give a bit of background to the term (Altho it does seem to be an artefact of 500 years of slavery so I tend to think people are entitled to be upset )

Interestingly, the Online Dictionary of Etymology says it wasn't coined by whites, but was then, as apparently now, a term of derision used withn the black community:

Ahh. Interesting!

OT a bit, but a very funny thing happened re this. In 2002 I had the San Diego and Atlanta hip hop dance teams staying with me. I have a Mr Uppity (and Mr Grumpy) mugs from Roger Hargreaves' Mr Men franchise. Some of them teased me rotten about it (them all being African Americans) about how I was perpetuating their subjugation and oppression it was done in good humour, of course and they were just pulling my leg but that's when I heard the story of the freedmen.

pH

 

[thaddeus6th]

I'd never heard 'uppity' considered negative for that reason.

 

[The Judge]

In 2002 I had the San Diego and Atlanta hip hop dance teams staying with me.

Good God! How big is your place?!!

 

[Phyrebrat]

There were 14 of them. We had them on the floors everywhere. It was a blast. Luckily the kitchen was the size of Monaco

pH

 

[paranoid marvin]

My initial reaction was that they sound like 'posh' people's names. I don't know anyone called any of those names. In fact, I deal with at least 20-30 customers at work per day. In more than 10 years, I cannot remember any of my customers with those christian names.

 

[Venusian Broon]

For the people who love statistics and all that, there is this website that uses ONS data:

http://names.darkgreener.com/

Only for England and Wales though, I'd expect there to be a lot more Alastairs in Scotland.

Biggest one (and growing strongly) was Sebastian - 38th most common first name in 2013.

I was trying to find another website that geographically maps surnames - using old UK census data - but that has probably gone defunct, which is a pity because that was a brilliant app.

 

[Michael Colton]

@Ray, I am aware that the UK is not remotely homogenous - that is why I asked this sort of question in a thread where people with different backgrounds and knowledge can respond (which you all did in a lovely way, by the by).

pH
*bearing its origin in mind, I'd avoid using the term uppity; it was coined by white people who saw freedmen get 'ideas above their station' and is also used as an insult in the schools amongst the demographics I mentioned above to refer to a black person who was 'trying to be white'). Indeed, transnationalism is a complex issue, still!

Ah, good to know. I was not aware of that connotation. That sounds similar to how 'coconut' or 'Oreo' are used in certain age groups in the US.

Thank you much for the responses everyone. When I have more time I will probably do a giant multiquote response to a bunch of you, many interesting things mentioned.

 

[Michael Colton]

The rest I couldn't really say but I think that names can be popular in certain areas of the UK (Ian/Iain Sean being a couple of Celtic examples). So, you might be able to link your name to a certain region/country within the UK (Hamish in Scotland for example) to make your name fit better.

Is there a good reference resource for making such a connection? If not, I can just purchase a few more history books I suppose.

Didn't know people in the US saw them as 'archaic' and 'uppity' though I guess it's the same as us here thinking Randy* and Hunter are ridiculous.

The MC in my current WiP is called Alistair. My main audience will be people from the US, so if anybody from the US wants to assure me you don't think it's a crappy name, that'd be much appreciated! I used to date a guy called Alistair and he had one of the strongest Devon** accents I've ever heard, so the whole idea that it's 'uppity' is hilarious.

A character in one of my other WiPs is called Sebastian, but goes by Seb.

I wouldn't say Gabriel was 'very rare.' I used to know someone called Gabe.

Auster... is that even a name?! Never heard that in my life. Milton's a horse. Everett sounds American. Or makes me think of baby hares. And Lionel Ritchie.

What sort of name are you after? Do you want an archaic name? Cos I'd go for something like Atticus.


* one of our customers where I work (my customers are from North America) is called Randy Hamburger. Which I think is my favourite name of anybody in the whole universe.
**which is in the south west. So it's not just confined to the north or Scotland either.

I would not say they were crappy names, though it would be unusual to see those names in America - so, at least in my experience, they would be seen as particularly literary or 'blue blood.' In real life, I have never met a single Sebastian or Alistair. The only Alistair I know of off the top of my head is Alistair MacIntyre because I studied his work in university.

And yes, I am trying to utilize a name that invokes a more traditional, blue blooded (I do not know if folks across the pond use that term, I am afraid of using 'posh' because I think Americans sound silly when they say that), conservative sort of name. So I suppose 'old-fashioned/upper class' is more of what I am going for than 'archaic.'

The only one you probably wouldn't get away with is Milton because it is a sterlising fluid. It's like me suggesting Allegra to my American husband.

Good to know . . . I have never heard of that product. But your Allegra comparison brings the point home effectively.

 

[Foxbat]

Is there a good reference resource for making such a connection? If not, I can just purchase a few more history books I suppose.

I have a book on the origins of Scottish place names so there might be something similar available for the name of people used across the UK. Unfortunately, I can't point you in a definitive direction other than search on somewhere like Amazon.

 

[Harpo]

Try this:
http://www.bounty.com/pregnancy-and-birth/baby-names/baby-names-regional

It tells me that Aberdeen's most popular baby name is Samuel, while Charlie is most popular in Penzance.

 

[Toby Frost]

For the extremely posh, short, very old names would work, although they're not very exotic: Harry, George, Tom, Tim, or (possibly) Bill. Dick Hawks-Monitor was a nobleman from Cold Comfort Farm.

There is also a trend among the fairly affluent at the moment to give their children names that otherwise died out in World War 2: Ada, Rose, etc. I know one Warwick and it's only a matter of time before I meet an Enid.

If all else fails, looking up the names of senior barristers would work. There are quite a few Percivals.

 

[Mouse]

I would not say they were crappy names, though it would be unusual to see those names in America - so, at least in my experience, they would be seen as particularly literary or 'blue blood.' In real life, I have never met a single Sebastian or Alistair. The only Alistair I know of off the top of my head is Alistair MacIntyre because I studied his work in university.

Ok, ta. I'll keep him as Alistair then. He's not posh, but works for upper class people so I don't mind if you guys in the US think it a posher name. His boss (who is the posh one) is called Emmett (which I basically stole from a character in Keeping Up Appearences, and from an Irish actor... but it's also the portmanteau of my first name and surname) as that sounded good and posh to me.

And yes, I am trying to utilize a name that invokes a more traditional, blue blooded (I do not know if folks across the pond use that term, I am afraid of using 'posh' because I think Americans sound silly when they say that), conservative sort of name. So I suppose 'old-fashioned/upper class' is more of what I am going for than 'archaic.'

Yeah we'd say 'blue blood' but to mean royalty.

I'd go for one of Toby's suggestions.

Try this:
http://www.bounty.com/pregnancy-and-birth/baby-names/baby-names-regional

It tells me that Aberdeen's most popular baby name is Samuel, while Charlie is most popular in Penzance.

Not sure how accurate that site is as when I put in my home town, it says the top name is Charlie too. I don't know anybody called Charlie (well, I went to college with a girl called Charley but she now lives up north) and I don't exactly live in a massive town. I know shedloads of people called Tim, though.

For the extremely posh, short, very old names would work, although they're not very exotic: Harry, George, Tom, Tim, or (possibly) Bill. Dick Hawks-Monitor was a nobleman from Cold Comfort Farm.

Yes, this. I came here to suggest Tom, actually. My very, very posh boss at where I used to work was called Robin (his wife was Diana), and their sons were Tom and Ed.

If all else fails, looking up the names of senior barristers would work. There are quite a few Percivals.

I love the name Percival! Someone rang in to the radio station I listen to at work a little while ago and said the name of their little boy was Percy. How bleedin' cute is that?! It's like a young little old man.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

Yes, I knew a bloke called Robin (He wasn't posh though). was surprised it's more a Girl's name in USA.

These and their shorter versions
Richard (Dick, Ricky)
Henry (Harry)
Alfred (but never Alf)
Robert (not usually Bert for posher people but Robbie? Perhaps depends on area?)
Raymond
William (Will, Bill)
Thomas (Tom, Though Tommy used to be "posh", it's not now)
George
Fredrick (Freddy rather than Fred for posher people in the past?)
Timothy (Tim, Timmy)
Percival (Percy)
Anthony (Tony)
Nicholas (Nick but usually Nicky is for Nicola)
Alistair
Edmund (Ed but Eddie seems to be commoners)
Samuel (Sam but maybe not Sammy for posher people).
John (but maybe not so much Jonathan?)
Maybe Lionel, Sebastian, Oliver, Patrick (not Paddy, but posh Patricia is often Paddy)

Often only family and close friends using familiar forms. Certainly 30 years ago posh and working class used different diminutives)

 

[AnyaKimlin]

My American husband has two Uncle Miltons. (one his mother's brother and one his father's brother). One from Wisconsin and the other from Colorado.

 

[psychotick]

Hi,

The only name I didn't know was Auster - is it a typo for Austen? The others are unusual save for the first. But I'm not surprised that Gabriel is becoming more popular given how many angelic type shows there are on the screen these days. As an aside, when I first started work as an epidemiologist, I talked to people day and night and took endless family details / names etc. Twenty years ago I remember being shocked by how many Mariah's (as in Carey) there were out there. Ten years ago it was Rihanna - you can guess why.

However can I point out that while people agonise about names, it's not actually necessary. The name itself is less important than how you use it. For example take Ford Prefect. It's the stupidest name on Earth for some guy to have, and yet because it's explained well, it becomes one of the most brilliant. So as a challenge why not take the extremely absurd name Vauxhall Viva (I used to have one so I know how truly awful they are) and come up with a reason to make it understandable / cool.

Cheers, Greg.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

Austin Allegro is far worse ...

 

[paranoid marvin]

Or even Austin Healey - a car and a person; a bit like Ford Prefect!

 

[farntfar]

Or his two university friends Austin Cambridge and Maurice Oxford.

By the way, I have a nephew called Robin, and he's not at all posh.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

Morris Oxford.