Whats in a Name ? What about yours?

[Ultramum]

My father chose mine ... no idea why ... and then left when I was 18 months old so no opportunity to ask ... not a family name at all

My son was given the name Jonathan as it means 'gift of God' ... I have to remind myself of that sometimes!

A child in his nursery class was called Diesel ... I ventured to ask how they came by such an unusual name ... "His dad works in a garage" was the reply!!!

[pennydog]

My sister chose my name.. Susan, she must have really liked it because she called her first daughter Suzanne!

My mum had a 'thing' about people shortening names (probably because she was never called by her name, Louisa, everyone called her Lou) and was determined that we would have names that no-one could shorten. Well she succeeded with my brother - Roy, but my sister is Patricia (no one has ever called her that). Apart from at school, dad was the only person to call me Susan.

[Guy Etchells]

I was given the name Guy; my mother's maiden name.
If my uncle had not been killed in the war he would have kept the surname alive, but instead I was given it as a single Christian name.

Seems it was my destiny to become a family historian.

Cheers
Guy

[RobinC]

I was named after my grandfather with the exception that my parents didn't want me to be called Robert so they chose Robin. It doesn't stop them calling me Rob or Bob though.

I've got a sister named Sally so my brother's two boys have got an Uncle Bob and an Aunt Sally, I bet not many people can say that!

[v.wells]

I think myself and siblings were named after book characters that my mother read. All our middle names is my mother's maiden name "Stuart".

Loved the Leroy joke Mutley!

[spison]

Loved the Leroy Joke.
I was named after my mother's first doll. My mother was (and still is) the family historian and began searching when I was about 10. She was most surprised and happy when she started to find 'Jane' all over the place. (Her first doll was probably named after her great-grandmother - Jane.) She named her younger sister as she had just read "Little Women."
Jane

[JohnN]

My mum had a 'thing' about people shortening names (probably because she was never called by her name, Louisa, everyone called her Lou) and was determined that we would have names that no-one could shorten.

Mine too - Mum said she named me John because it couldn't be abbreviated. And didn't she get wild whenever someone referred to me as 'Johnny'!

[Nicolina]

Dad had three christian names and always complained that there was never enough space on official forms when asked for his full name. He insisted that we be given only one and then one that could not be shortened.
The first born, of every generation, has always been a boy, and until dad they had been called William. My grandparents broke with tradition and gave the name William to their second son who then gave the name to his eldest son. What a nightmare for a famly historian searchng for William son of William, for 100's of years.

[Colin Rowledge]

My name - Colin -

Colin

My name was never shortened during my life in England and that suited me just fine.

Then I came to Canada. Every given name here seems to be shortened. My wife had a sister Valerie [known as Val.] and she married a 'Colin' who detested the shortening of given names - his wife was always Valerie, his daughter Jaqueline and his son Gareth. He would go 'off the scale' if any shortening of their names was voiced.

When my wife [Hillary] appeared comfortable with her name being shortened to Hill.. he decided to use 'Col.' for me to differentiate between us. This I tolerated but wasn't enthused about.

Do you know what really infuriates me? Being addressed as COLEEN in correspondence. Then the salutation starts - Dear Ms or Mrs.Rowledge

[Pat S]

Could be worse - I remember a lady in my Birmingham neighbourhood called LillY White - who married a Mr Crapp.

Pat