From the BBC article “Proud Dereks: Readers lumbered with unfashionable names“:
My great, great aunt was called Golingabeth. I can’t seem to convince my wife who is expecting to even consider this name. Graeme Fryer, Bray, Ireland
And another:
Our daughter’s name skipped more than a few generations. She’s named after the Babylonian goddess of war and sex, Ishtar. My son’s name is even more unusual, he’s called Till, a German boy’s name. German names seem much more unfashionable here than mere ancient gods and goddesses. Liz Jones, Wells, Somerset
And one more:
I bet my name has not featured in the lists at all for a good number of years. It is perhaps softer sounding than Jasper or Rupert but eminently searchable. It sometimes produces a titter in meetings where someone unknowingly uses the word bland rather something more anodyne. I have grown used to the name and it is rather distinctive so I do tend to be remembered. Though my real name is Charles Bland Tomkinson, I have always been called Bland. Bland Tomkinson
From a US News article about the death of former Mouseketeer Bonita Lynn Fields Elder:
Elder always went by the name Lynn, but she adopted the stage name “Bonnie” — a shortened version of her real first name — at the suggestion of the show’s producers because there was already a cast member, a boy, with the first name Lynn, her cousin said.
From the X-Factor‘s “Meet Panda Ross” video [1:54 to 2:14]:
Simon Powell: So what’s your name?
Panda Ross: Panda.
Simon: What?
Panda: Panda. Like the bear.
Simon: That’s your real name?
Panda: That’s my real name.
Simon: Why were you called Panda?
Panda: My mom, well, she was kinda, you know, in jail when she had me, and her cellmate was a white lady, she was black, and so, they just kinda came up with the name.
From a Daily Mail article about Robbie Williams:
The Candy singer also spoke about celebrity baby names and how he and wife Ayda Fields chose their daughter’s moniker.
Robbie quipped: ‘We wanted to call her Teddy but that’s bordering on celebrity nonsense and we thought what if she doesn’t go into showbiz and needs a professional name, so Theodora is her professional name and Teddy is the name she goes by at home.’
And another:
The hit-maker revealed how he had once mixed up the name of Gwyneth Paltrow’s daughter, when the actress paid a visit to his house.
He remembered: ‘We were at my house in Los Angeles and the Coldplay boys had been over for a game of football and Gwyneth turned up. I was like, “Gwyneth Paltrow is in my house”, and as she walked towards me I kept saying in my head, “say something to Gwyneth Paltrow, say something to Gwyneth Paltrow” and I said, “Does Melon want some Apple?”‘
From Josh & Julie Korn: Digging for a CURE:
Hassane and Hussein are popular names for twins here in Niger. If you meet a Hassane or a Hussein, chances are they have a twin brother.
From a People article about Drew Barrymore’s recent appearance on Ellen:
Asked why she and her husband Will Kopelman chose Olive, the actress says it came from a book — though not one of baby-names.
“I was reading a book with my husband. I was three months pregnant, and they said, ‘Your baby is the size of an olive.’ And that was it. We never looked back.”
From an MTV article about the moms of Teen Mom 2:
And Kailyn? Well, turns out she was a huge Hanson fan (okay, who wasn’t?), and named Isaac after the eldest brother. “Do you remember, ‘Mmm Bop?'” she pleads to the other, seemingly clueless girls. They may not, but…oh, we remember.
[That’s the first time I’ve ever seen/heard someone admit they named their kid after a member of Hanson.]
