Theodore Roosevelt once said, “The only thing I want to leave my children is an honourable name”, but most parents settle for starting their son or daughter in life with a moniker that is distinctive and not too embarrassing. (For the record, President Roosevelt's children were named Alice, Archie, Ethel, Kermit, Quentin and Ted!) Nobody wants a nondescript name, but being lumbered with an unusual title often attracts the wrong kind of attention for children, who have no say in what they are called!
There will always be a market for reference books like this, with the only distinctions being range and size. The revised edition of Patrick Hanks' dictionary of babies' names has been thoroughly updated for modern parents, including references to the names of popular actors and even characters in UK soaps. As well as the main A‐Z listing of over 2,500 names, Hanks also helpfully offers suggestions arranged by name origin in the appendices, from religious and old family names to “fresh ideas”. The usual “top tens”, past and present, of favourite names from the UK, USA and Australia provide a more traditional benchmark. Entries typically cover gender, origin, alternative spellings, pet forms, pronunciation where necessary (Celtic or Gaelic names), and “notable bearers”.
Naming a baby is of course based on many different factors, from a balancing act with the last name to inspiring an undeveloped personality. Biblical, religious and “aristocratic” names have been around for centuries, but fashion dictates which names will remain popular and when they fall out of favour (there is currently a resurgence of old‐fashioned Georges and Lilies, but the trend will probably only last until the novelty of such names wears off!) Inspiration can be taken from nicknames (Archie and Meg, for example, are now names in their own right), family history, films and literature (Shirley was once a boy's name until Charlotte Brontë's eponymous novel, and Gone with the Wind popularised both Scarlett and Bonnie as girl's names). In North America, place names such as Paris, Devon and even Bradford are another popular source, influencing British celebrities like the Beckhams to name their son Brooklyn! Patrick Hanks warns that “people want to belong”, however, so tried and tested names are usually safer than fashionable or exotic variations! Jack has been one of the most popular boys' names for over a decade, and Jason dates from the Argonauts to an Australian soap star.
Although dictionaries of babies' names are primarily marketed at parents, this type of book is a fun and useful addition to any library shelf. A person's name is part of who they are, so the origin and even the spelling of what they are called can be an important marker of heritage and personality. Plus, who can resist seeing their name in print?
