British Baby Names: I Have A Feeling We’re Not In Kansas Anymore

I love Pippa Elizabeth and Hector Alexander Brisbane! I knew Hector was going to come back, hurray!

I love Amberley, Araminta, Pippa and Orlando.

Rosanagh — now THAT is a spelling variant that I never thought of! I guess I should stop feeling guilty that my own Roseanna’s name is “oddly” spelled.

I love some of these names: Clemence is definitely going on my list of favourites and Hector is fabulous (although I’d never use it).

Clemence Rose, Elodie Rose and Pippa Elisabeth are all beautiful! Lilla is interesting. I saw a post on it a few days ago and mistook it for Lilia at first. I’m not sure what to think of Lilla yet; it looks pretty but it also is just Lila with an extra L, almost like a new, made-up spelling.
I was surprised at the boy names.: I didn’t like many of them. But Hector is definitely a cool name. I wouldn’t use it but it’s very cool!

I love going through these names for my blog too. They are fantastic and going through so many birth announcements for the U.S., it’s nice to see something other than Aidan, Caden, & Jadens and the many ways they come misspelled.

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I’m really wishing I’d used Araminta as a middle name for my daughter. *sigh* (Though I mentioned that to my husband and he was like “No way!” )

I knew a British Octavia – she must be in her 30s now. Otherwise I don’t know anyone else who has used these names.

I love Jemima. It’s my very favorite name, but it’s so despised in the US. Does anyone know if the UK has Aunt Jemima pancake syrup? I’m guessing they don’t, but I’d be so impressed if they did– impressed that they were able to overcome the association for the sake of such a great name. Digby is also a great name.

I love so many of these! Elodie, Cressida, Lavinia, Clemence, Astrid– all gorgeous! I also adore the combos of Athena Iris Julia, Octavia Benedicta Catherine, and Sylvie Philippa. Ciaran is great, too.

I’m loving British trends right now…why can’t we have those names here? I adore Araminta, Astrid, Cressida, Dulcie, Effie, Jemima, Lottie, Octavia, Ottilie, Sybil, Sylvie, Horatio, Hector, Percival, Rufus, and Wilfred. Actually, I love almost all of them, though I would add that Elodie is getting quite a bit of attention in the U.S. as well. Its certainly not as uncommon as Imogen and Henrietta.

I am English, and went to school with the sort of “upper crust” people who have these names (you will all be amused to know, no doubt, that I know four Octavias, all under 30).

caaaaaaaaaitlin – the UK doesn’t have the Aunt Jemima syrup. I grew up in England and my main association with the name Jemima is the Beatrix Potter story ‘The Tale of Jemima Puddleduck.” So I really like the name for that reason – but having moved to the US, I’d never be able to use it. Maybe as a middle name, I guess.

I like so many of these, and my husband would never go for them…. I’ve liked Lettice for years, despite its resemblance to lettuce! I’m also a fan of Astrid, Dulcie (actually, my cat’s name so it’s out anyway), Darcy, Catriona, Elodie, Mariella, Pippa and Sylvie (and Philippa!). I also like Byron and Ciaran, although I’m more conservative with boy names.

Lilli23 – As I’ve heard it, Lilla is pronounced differently than Lila. I believe it’s said Lil-a. I met a Lilla and that’s how she said and spelled it.

So fun! My niece (6y.o.) is named Elodie – my brother is a francophile. It’s a great name – we called her Eddie for a while when her brother couldn’t pronounce Elodie correctly. I’ve always love Hector (and Horatio) so happy to see more of that. And Dulcie – what a “sweet” name (though you run the risk of attaching it to a crabby Cathy like my bitter aunt Daisy). As for Jemima – I was shocked at how many girls I met with that name when living in the UK many years ago – I’m a Black girl and I couldn’t imagine having that name – they all went by Gemma so that helped me stop feeling bad for them (ha ha)

I was born in South London, and now live in Kent England. These names are defiantly associated with the upper class, in an ordinary comphensive classroom these names are not there. However I have to say they are beautiful. I love Astrid, Darcy, Clemence, Jemima, Mariella among many others for the boys I also love Ciaran, Kit, Orlando, Wilfred and Alexander I despise Hector yet in England it is defiantly popular amongst the upper classes (the upper classes reading this paper), still there is a big mixture of names in the UK from the Aimee’s to the Dorothy’s it’s very interesting the names people call there children in my home country because you don’t know what to expect. Interesting blog.

My daughter is named Elodie Rose. We are not British and not upper crust. She is named after her greatgrandmother’s middle names. Elodie was my grandmother’s middle name and she was named after her aunt in France. No one I know has this name.

I know an American woman named Clemence, nickname Clemmie, and maybe because she is one of the most beautiful, elegant, fun people ever, I think it is the most beautiful, elegant name ever. Clemmie is such a friendly, unique nickname, and the written name Clemence is so regal. She does not give it the French Cle-Mahnz pronunciation; just Clemence like the surname Clements. Of course the rest of her name is lovely too (I won’t risk embarrassing her by giving it), and that’s important too, I guess.

Off the girls list, I love Athena and Zadie. I also love Élodie, but I babysit for a little girl with the name- Élodie Claire- and she’s ruined it for me. What should be a sweet, elegant name has become one for a wild, bratty child. Maybe as she grows I’ll get over this impression…

Not sure which came first but many of the female names are characters in the Hunger Games book trilogy (movie coming out next year): Cressida, Effie, Lavinia, Octavia and I’m pretty sure Astrid. I know many of the names have been around before the books but I’m wondering if the books had anything to do with their more recent popularity.

Not everyone in England has names like this, I hate to say! If your baby’s birth gets announced in the Telegraph, you’re probably *really* posh

I know a brother and sister called Solomon and Charlotte, and they have a family of friends called Tosland (Tolly), Ophelia and Horatio.

My fathers paternal family are all British and have a few of these names:
Lettice is one of my great grandmothers middle names.
Araminta, Letitia, Cressida, Jemima are some if the names.

Also I have a huge doubt about The Hunger Games having any role in the naming of these children. These are most likely family names that have been recycled over many generations.