By L.E Robinson
Naming a baby is a huge decision. Do you want your child to stand out with an unusual name, or blend in? Like everything, names pop in and out of fashion; the star that shines at the top of the baby tree one year can be eclipsed the next by something even more dazzling, or daring, or contemporary - or, as is often the case, traditional. School registers that are stuffed with Olivers and Henrys, Emilys and Isabellas, have overtaken the lists of Kevins and Lauras of the ‘70’s, the Rachels and Adams of the 80’s or the Sarahs and Martins of the 90’s.
Here at The Lady we’ve been pondering the fashions and popularity of names, so we decided to dig a little deeper, right from the year of our own birth.
It’s 1885 - Queen Victoria is on the throne, the British Empire is in its glory days, the 20th century glimmers on the horizon with all its promise of prosperity - and The Lady is born. And so are many thousands of babies.
Long before ante-natal scans could predict what colour to decorate the nursery, the sex of the baby revealed itself on the big day. And up and down the country, proud parents rushed to bestow the most popular names of the day - Mary and John.
Mary grew up with her friends Emily, Alice and Elizabeth, whilst John, James and Arthur were kings of the playground. At the end of the first World War in 1918, the top baby names were ….John and Mary. By 1945, as Britain celebrated VE day, John still topped the charts, now joined by Margaret, with Mary in 4th place, superseded by Patricia and Christine. Our Mary and John of 1885 are now grandparents, and have gone more ‘modern’, favouring Timothy and Denise over the more popular Reginald and Evelyn. In the meantime, The Lady advises its readers on the use of cosmetics, along with how to cook on an open fire and what to do with leftovers.
Zip forward now to 1960’s - the decade of Cynthia, Debra, Susan, Julie, Tracy and Diane. In the spirit of the times, The Lady gave the latest on elegant new fashions, how to choose modern art and how to mix racy cocktails.
In 1985, 100 years after The Lady made her first appearance, the top names were James and Sarah, along with Lucy, Charlotte and Emily, Thomas, Edward and William. ‘The Lady’ marked the centenary with its nostalgic ‘Journal for Gentlewomen, which looked back affectionately over 100 years of publications.
And now in 2021 - what of Mary and John? The top girl’s name is Olivia, with Oliver the favourite for boys. Mary, alas, has dropped out of the baby charts, whilst John, from being in the top 3 up to the 1960’s has disappeared off the graph at 150th.
Well there we are. From Mary and John to Olivia and Oliver with lots in between. However, looking at those name charts, one thing really stands out. Back at the top are 1940’s names like Ruby, Elsie, Ivy, Edith and Pearl, and for the boys names like George, Henry and Thomas have never gone out of fashion, something which would have pleased our founder, Thomas Gibson Bowles.
The Lady’s advice for naming your baby? Don’t look at the charts - choose a name you love, and baby will too.
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