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Waltzing More Than Matilda

~ Names with an Australian Bias of Democratic Temper

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Tag Archives: popular names

The Top 100 Names in the Australian Capital Territory for 2015

13 Wednesday Apr 2016

Posted by A.O. in Name Data

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Tags

name trends, popular names

GIRLS

  1. Charlotte
  2. Ava
  3. Zoe
  4. Olivia
  5. Sophie
  6. Mia
  7. Amelia
  8. Chloe
  9. Emily
  10. Grace
  11. Matilda
  12. Ruby
  13. Zara
  14. Ella
  15. Evelyn
  16. Isla
  17. Abigail
  18. Audrey
  19. Sophia
  20. Evie
  21. Georgia
  22. Scarlett
  23. Madeleine
  24. Mila
  25. Elizabeth
  26. Emma
  27. Hannah
  28. Imogen
  29. Ivy
  30. Alice
  31. Harper
  32. Lily
  33. Violet
  34. Alexis
  35. Annabelle
  36. Aria
  37. Eleanor
  38. Isabelle
  39. Lucy
  40. Isabella
  41. Jasmine
  42. Layla
  43. Sienna
  44. Harriet
  45. Madison
  46. Eve
  47. Jessica
  48. Lillian
  49. Mackenzie
  50. Sofia
  51. April
  52. Elsie
  53. Heidi
  54. Maddison
  55. Phoebe
  56. Poppy
  57. Anna
  58. Ariana
  59. Eva
  60. Hazel
  61. Amelie
  62. Aurora
  63. Eden
  64. Eloise
  65. Holly
  66. Josephine
  67. Lola
  68. Molly
  69. Olive
  70. Paige
  71. Stella
  72. Willow
  73. Ayla
  74. Charlie
  75. Elena
  76. Ellie
  77. Florence
  78. Freya
  79. Gracie
  80. Kate
  81. Lara
  82. Lilly
  83. Maya
  84. Sarah
  85. Aanya
  86. Alexandra
  87. Alicia
  88. Chelsea
  89. Clara
  90. Edith
  91. Hayley
  92. Isabel
  93. Madeline
  94. Penelope
  95. Peyton
  96. Piper
  97. Quinn
  98. Victoria
  99. Zoey
  100. Aaliyah
BOYS

  1. William
  2. Oliver
  3. Jack
  4. James
  5. Alexander
  6. Henry
  7. Lachlan
  8. Thomas
  9. Charlie
  10. Ethan
  11. Oscar
  12. George
  13. Samuel
  14. Benjamin
  15. Liam
  16. Max
  17. Sebastian
  18. Daniel
  19. Archie
  20. Leo
  21. Lucas
  22. Noah
  23. Jacob
  24. Joshua
  25. Harrison
  26. Isaac
  27. Hunter
  28. Mason
  29. Angus
  30. Cooper
  31. Hudson
  32. Logan
  33. Patrick
  34. Hamish
  35. Harry
  36. Ryan
  37. Hugo
  38. Archer
  39. Edward
  40. Eli
  41. Levi
  42. Lewis
  43. Lincoln
  44. Beau
  45. Elijah
  46. Jake
  47. Nicholas
  48. Xavier
  49. Zachary
  50. Aiden
  51. Finn
  52. Jackson
  53. Maxwell
  54. Michael
  55. Muhammad
  56. Arlo
  57. Charles
  58. Jayden
  59. Jesse
  60. Asher
  61. Hayden
  62. Joseph
  63. Luca
  64. Matthew
  65. Tyler
  66. Vincent
  67. Connor
  68. David
  69. Dominic
  70. Dylan
  71. Felix
  72. Flynn
  73. Louis
  74. Spencer
  75. Austin
  76. Blake
  77. Caleb
  78. Christopher
  79. Harvey
  80. Jordan
  81. Mitchell
  82. Nathaniel
  83. Owen
  84. Reuben
  85. Riley
  86. Theodore
  87. Aidan
  88. Arthur
  89. Cameron
  90. Declan
  91. Elliot
  92. Gabriel
  93. Joel
  94. John
  95. Luke
  96. Nathan
  97. Aaron
  98. Adam
  99. Andrew
  100. Ari

GIRLS

Fastest Risers
Madeleine (+78 at least), Mila (+75), Harriet (+57 at least), Eve (+55 at least), Lillian (+53 at least), Hazel (+41 at least), Amelie (+40 at least), Eden (+38 at least), April and Madison (+37)

Fastest Fallers
Claire (-59 at least), Caitlin (-57 at least), Maya (-57), Addison (-45 at least), Willow (-44), Penelope (-39), Bella (-38 at least), Aaliyah (-38), Eliana (-36 at least), Eva (-36)

New
Madeleine, Harriet, Eve, Lillian, Hazel, Amelie, Eden, Lola, Ayla, Charlie, Ellie, Florence, Freya, Gracie, Kate, Aanya, Alicia, Madeline, Peyton, Piper, Quinn, Zoey

Gone
Claire, Caitlin, Addison, Bella, Eliana, Rose, Samantha, Zahra, Anastasia, Bonnie, Alise, Mikayla, Savannah, Alyssa, Annika, Arabella, Emilia, Indiana, Jade, Laura, Leah, Lyla

BOYS

Fastest Risers
Lewis (+52), Arlo (+45 at least), Jesse (+42 at least), Lincoln (+41), Edward (+37), Hudson and Muhammad (+31), Hayden (+30), Dominic (+29), Hunter (+28)

Fastest Fallers
Riley (-57), Blake (-52), Evan (-34 at least), Flynn (-30), Toby (-28 at least), Louis (-28), Bailey (-26 at least), Rafael (-23 at least), Zachary (-21), Cooper (-20)

New
Arlo, Jesse, Spencer, Christopher, Jordan, Nathaniel, Aidan, Cameron, Declan, Gabriel, Joel, John, Luke, Adam, Andrew

Gone
Evan, Toby, Bailey, Rafael, Robert, Sonny, Alex, Jonathan, Julian, Braxton, Chase, Christian, Fletcher, Jaxon

Note: Due to its small population size, the Australian Capital Territory’s Top 100 is its full name data for the year. For the same reason, movement up and down the charts can be very volatile.

The Top 100 Names in New South Wales for 2015

05 Tuesday Apr 2016

Posted by A.O. in Name Data

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Tags

name trends, popular names

GIRLS

  1. Charlotte
  2. Olivia
  3. Mia
  4. Amelia
  5. Ava
  6. Chloe
  7. Emily
  8. Zoe
  9. Grace
  10. Sophia
  11. Sophie
  12. Isabella
  13. Isla
  14. Ruby
  15. Ivy
  16. Ella
  17. Evie
  18. Sienna
  19. Matilda
  20. Scarlett
  21. Harper
  22. Evelyn
  23. Lily
  24. Emma
  25. Georgia
  26. Eva
  27. Lucy
  28. Hannah
  29. Zara
  30. Isabelle
  31. Willow
  32. Abigail
  33. Audrey
  34. Aria
  35. Sofia
  36. Annabelle
  37. Layla
  38. Violet
  39. Mila
  40. Imogen
  41. Sarah
  42. Stella
  43. Piper
  44. Savannah
  45. Elizabeth
  46. Alice
  47. Ellie
  48. Jessica
  49. Maddison
  50. Ariana
  51. Victoria
  52. Mackenzie
  53. Jasmine
  54. Maya
  55. Claire
  56. Eleanor
  57. Madison
  58. Alexis
  59. Phoebe
  60. Indiana
  61. Chelsea
  62. Alyssa
  63. Summer
  64. Eden
  65. Anna
  66. Lara
  67. Hazel
  68. Addison
  69. Madeleine
  70. Penelope
  71. Elsie
  72. Isabel
  73. Poppy
  74. Frankie
  75. Molly
  76. Aisha
  77. Bella
  78. Emilia
  79. Aurora
  80. Lilly
  81. Rose
  82. Ayla
  83. Eloise
  84. Harriet
  85. Leah
  86. Lola
  87. Alexandra
  88. Daisy
  89. Olive
  90. Eliza
  91. Aaliyah
  92. Holly
  93. Lillian
  94. Maryam
  95. Eve
  96. Charlie
  97. Gabriella
  98. Paige
  99. Billie
  100. Madeline
BOYS

  1. Oliver
  2. William
  3. Jack
  4. Noah
  5. James
  6. Thomas
  7. Lucas
  8. Isaac
  9. Ethan
  10. Alexander
  11. Jacob
  12. Lachlan
  13. Samuel
  14. Harrison
  15. Joshua
  16. Henry
  17. Liam
  18. Cooper
  19. Benjamin
  20. Charlie
  21. Mason
  22. Ryan
  23. Max
  24. Leo
  25. Oscar
  26. Harry
  27. Levi
  28. Daniel
  29. Xavier
  30. Logan
  31. Hunter
  32. Jackson
  33. Archie
  34. Sebastian
  35. Hudson
  36. Jayden
  37. George
  38. Elijah
  39. Joseph
  40. Adam
  41. Riley
  42. Edward
  43. Aiden
  44. Michael
  45. Hugo
  46. Ashton
  47. Flynn
  48. Zachary
  49. Archer
  50. Tyler
  51. Matthew
  52. Nate
  53. Lincoln
  54. Luca
  55. Nicholas
  56. Jaxon
  57. Theodore
  58. Eli
  59. Patrick
  60. Beau
  61. Christian
  62. Harvey
  63. Jake
  64. Finn
  65. Austin
  66. Luke
  67. Dylan
  68. Charles
  69. Connor
  70. Jordan
  71. Gabriel
  72. Kai
  73. Muhammad
  74. Blake
  75. Dominic
  76. Chase
  77. Ali
  78. Braxton
  79. Louis
  80. Nathan
  81. Felix
  82. John
  83. Carter
  84. Angus
  85. Caleb
  86. Marcus
  87. Toby
  88. Anthony
  89. Nathaniel
  90. Hayden
  91. Jasper
  92. Arlo
  93. Andrew
  94. Jonathan
  95. Owen
  96. Harley
  97. Ryder
  98. Hamish
  99. Jesse
  100. Maxwell

GIRLS

Fastest Risers
Mackenzie (+40), Eleanor (+26), Aisha (+25 at least), Frankie (+25), Elsie (+24), Ariana (+23), Aurora (+22 at least), Hazel (+22), Piper (+20), Penelope (+18)

Fastest Fallers
Holly (-26), Lola (-24), Paige and Poppy (-23), Hayley (-22 at least), Eloise (-22), Elise (-21 at least), Bella (-20), Jasmine (-19), Aaliyah (-17)

New
Aisha, Aurora, Leah, Daisy, Maryam, Eve, Gabriella, Billie

Gone
Hayley, Elise, Lexi, Amelie, Jade, Natalie, Indie, Samantha

BOYS

Fastest Risers
Theodore (+44 at least), Harvey (+39 at least), Charles (+19), Carter (+18 at least), Lincoln (+17), Ashton (+14), Nathaniel (+12 at least), John and Joseph (+11)

Fastest Fallers
Marcus (-21), Jasper (-19), Bailey (-17 at least), Nicholas (-16), Dylan and Kai (-15), Hamish (-13), Jayden and Max (-12)

New
Theodore, Harvey, Carter, Nathaniel, Arlo, Andrew, Harley

Gone
Bailey, Aaron, David, Christopher, Phoenix, Darcy, Omar

The Waltzing More Than Matilda Top 100 for 2015

31 Thursday Mar 2016

Posted by A.O. in Name Data

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Tags

popular names

GIRLS

  1. Ava 59
  2. Olivia 59
  3. Charlotte 56
  4. Ruby 55
  5. Sophie 55
  6. Amelia/Emilia 54
  7. Grace 49
  8. Chloe 46
  9. Ivy 44
  10. Sophia/Sofia 44
  11. Emily 43
  12. Lily/Lilly 43
  13. Harper 41
  14. Madison/Maddison 41
  15. Mia 40
  16. Zoe/Zoey 39
  17. Georgia 38
  18. Matilda 38
  19. Evie 37
  20. Isla 36
  21. Lucy 35
  22. Annabel/Annabelle 34
  23. Ella 34
  24. Isabel/Isabelle/Isobel 34
  25. Isabella 33
  26. Sienna 32
  27. Scarlett/Scarlet 29
  28. Willow 27
  29. Imogen 26
  30. Marley/Mahli 26
  31. Piper 26
  32. Poppy 26
  33. Hannah 25
  34. Madeline/Madeleine 25
  35. Zara/Zahra 25
  36. Lila 23
  37. Abigail 21
  38. Audrey 21
  39. Evelyn 20
  40. Sadie 20
  41. Emma 19
  42. Holly 19
  43. Indie/Indy 19
  44. Layla/Leila 19
  45. Phoebe 19
  46. Caitlin 18
  47. Charlie/Charli 18
  48. Lexie 18
  49. Molly 18
  50. Elizabeth/Elisabeth 17
  51. Macy 17
  52. Milla 17
  53. Summer 17
  54. Alexis 16
  55. Bella 16
  56. Mackenzie 15
  57. Maggie 16
  58. Anna 15
  59. Frankie 15
  60. Paige 15
  61. Savannah 15
  62. Skylar/Skylah 15
  63. Abby/Abbie/Abbey 14
  64. Harriet 14
  65. Lola 14
  66. Maya/Mya 14
  67. Mikayla 14
  68. Millie 14
  69. Pippa 14
  70. Violet 14
  71. Adeline/Addilyn 13
  72. Alice 13
  73. Chelsea 13
  74. Ellie 13
  75. Eloise 13
  76. Heidi 13
  77. Lacey 13
  78. Lillian 13
  79. Remy/Remi 13
  80. Billie 12
  81. Stella 12
  82. Alyssa 11
  83. Ayla 11
  84. Daisy 11
  85. Eleanor 11
  86. Elsie 11
  87. Hayley 11
  88. Hazel 11
  89. Sarah/Sara 11
  90. Ariana/Arianna 10
  91. Clare/Claire 10
  92. Eden 10
  93. Eva 10
  94. Jasmine 10
  95. Lara 10
  96. Mila 10
  97. Rose 10
  98. Aaliyah 9
  99. Aria 9
  100. Asha/Asher 9
BOYS

  1. Jack 82
  2. William 81
  3. Oliver 69
  4. James 55
  5. Lachlan 55
  6. Thomas 53
  7. Jackson/Jaxon 50
  8. Noah 50
  9. Henry 48
  10. Max 46
  11. Archie 43
  12. Harrison 42
  13. Charlie 41
  14. Flynn 37
  15. Leo 37
  16. Mason 36
  17. Alexander 34
  18. Cooper 34
  19. George 34
  20. Logan 33
  21. Lucas 33
  22. Oscar 33
  23. Harry 32
  24. Hudson 32
  25. Elijah 31
  26. Samuel 30
  27. Angus 29
  28. Levi 29
  29. Liam 28
  30. Louis/Lewis 28
  31. Riley 28
  32. Ethan 27
  33. Hugo 27
  34. Xavier 26
  35. Benjamin 25
  36. Jacob 25
  37. Hamish 24
  38. Hunter 24
  39. Nate 24
  40. Aidan/Aiden 23
  41. Isaac 23
  42. Mitchell 23
  43. Patrick 23
  44. Archer 21
  45. Ashton 21
  46. Edward 21
  47. Finn/Fionn 21
  48. Joseph 21
  49. Joshua 20
  50. Luca/Luka 20
  51. Austin 19
  52. Blake 19
  53. Brody/Brodie 19
  54. Connor 18
  55. Kayden 18
  56. Lincoln 18
  57. Louis/Louie 18
  58. Ryan 18
  59. Sebastian 18
  60. Beau 17
  61. Billy 17
  62. Kai 17
  63. Lenny 17
  64. Matthew 17
  65. Toby 17
  66. Eli 16
  67. Harvey 16
  68. Zachary 16
  69. Luke 15
  70. Nicholas 14
  71. Theodore 14
  72. Bodhi 13
  73. Darcy 13
  74. Jayden 13
  75. Kobe/Koby 13
  76. Nathaniel 13
  77. Ryder 13
  78. Braxton 12
  79. Carter 12
  80. Chase 12
  81. Cody 12
  82. Elliot 12
  83. Felix 12
  84. Fletcher 12
  85. Hayden 12
  86. Jake 12
  87. Jordan 12
  88. Jude 12
  89. Bailey 11
  90. Daniel 11
  91. Miles/Myles 11
  92. Ned 11
  93. Spencer 11
  94. Tyler 11
  95. Alex 10
  96. Caleb 10
  97. Dominic/Dominick 10
  98. Jasper 10
  99. Zac/Zak 10
  100. Alby 9

Like to see what comes next? There are 786 girls names and 748 boys names in all. For the full data set, go to the E-books page and follow the link.

The Top 100 Names in Tasmania for 2015

20 Sunday Mar 2016

Posted by A.O. in Name Data

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Tags

name trends, popular names

GIRLS

  1. Charlotte
  2. Ella
  3. Amelia
  4. Mia
  5. Sophie
  6. Matilda
  7. Ruby
  8. Grace
  9. Ivy
  10. Ava
  11. Lucy
  12. Elsie
  13. Evie
  14. Harper
  15. Lily
  16. Lola
  17. Zoe
  18. Willow
  19. Isla
  20. Evelyn
  21. Isabella
  22. Layla
  23. Emily
  24. Chloe
  25. Scarlett
  26. Olivia
  27. Eva
  28. Maddison
  29. Isabelle
  30. Sophia
  31. Annabelle
  32. Phoebe
  33. Imogen
  34. Frankie
  35. Piper
  36. Aria
  37. Eliza
  38. Lilly
  39. Hannah
  40. Stella
  41. Addison
  42. Millie
  43. Eleanor
  44. Chelsea
  45. Harriet
  46. Sienna
  47. Daisy
  48. Ellie
  49. Paige
  50. Heidi
  51. Mila
  52. Audrey
  53. Jasmine
  54. Abigail
  55. Summer
  56. Violet
  57. Poppy
  58. Penelope
  59. Molly
  60. Alexis
  61. Lillian
  62. Freya
  63. Maggie
  64. Estelle
  65. Jessica
  66. Alice
  67. Indiana
  68. Florence
  69. Charli
  70. Rose
  71. Madeleine
  72. Mackenzie
  73. Sofia
  74. Madeline
  75. Maya
  76. Olive
  77. April
  78. Holly
  79. Bella
  80. Madison
  81. Clara
  82. Marli
  83. Billie
  84. Indi
  85. Georgia
  86. Esther
  87. Charlie
  88. Bethany
  89. Amy
  90. Skylah
  91. Lacey
  92. Zara
  93. Kaylee
  94. Pippa
  95. Hazel
  96. Remi
  97. Eden
  98. Caitlyn
  99. Mabel
  100. Jade
BOYS

  1. Oliver
  2. William
  3. Charlie
  4. Jack
  5. Thomas
  6. James
  7. Harrison
  8. Oscar
  9. Henry
  10. Lucas
  11. Max
  12. Leo
  13. Hunter
  14. Hudson
  15. Noah
  16. Alexander
  17. George
  18. Riley
  19. Lachlan
  20. Archie
  21. Toby
  22. Logan
  23. Harry
  24. Nate
  25. Mason
  26. Eli
  27. Cooper
  28. Samuel
  29. Angus
  30. Liam
  31. Hamish
  32. Lincoln
  33. Isaac
  34. Levi
  35. Elijah
  36. Edward
  37. Xavier
  38. Jacob
  39. Blake
  40. Felix
  41. Hugo
  42. Harvey
  43. Joshua
  44. Ethan
  45. Fletcher
  46. Jackson
  47. Spencer
  48. Jesse
  49. Flynn
  50. Jasper
  51. Archer
  52. Connor
  53. Ryan
  54. Luke
  55. Jett
  56. Zachary
  57. Finn
  58. Jaxon
  59. Darcy
  60. Patrick
  61. Arthur
  62. Austin
  63. Seth
  64. Bailey
  65. Joseph
  66. Vincent
  67. Dylan
  68. Theodore
  69. Rory
  70. Tyler
  71. Parker
  72. Caleb
  73. Declan
  74. Beau
  75. Owen
  76. Jake
  77. Lewis
  78. Sebastian
  79. Ollie
  80. Louis
  81. Alex
  82. Benjamin
  83. David
  84. Ryder
  85. Maxwell
  86. Ari
  87. Tyson
  88. Ashton
  89. Matthew
  90. Tom
  91. Charles
  92. Axel
  93. Luca
  94. Zander
  95. Harley
  96. Jayden
  97. Nixon
  98. Rylan
  99. Jax
  100. Bentley

GIRLS

Fastest Risers
Harriet (+87 at least), Paige, (+82 at least), Jasmine (+78 at least), Estelle (+67 at least), Florence (+63 at least), Penelope (+62), Madeleine (+60 at least), Sofia (+58 at least), Ivy (+54), Chelsea (+53)

Fastest Fallers
Sarah (-94 at least), Savannah (-88 at least), Skyla (-83 at least), Elizabeth and Esther (-62), Brooke (-60 at least), Josie (-58 at least), Nevaeh (-57 at least), Bonnie (-56 at least), Zoey (-54 at least)

New
Harriet, Paige, Jasmine, Estelle, Florence, Penelope, Madeleine, Sofia, Charli, Maya, April, Clara, Marli, Indi, Charlie, Bethany, Skylah, Lacey, Zara, Kaylee, Pippa, Remi

Gone
Elizabeth, Savannah, Sarah, Skyla, Tilly, Mikayla, Amber, Brooke, Josie, Nevaeh, Bonnie, Claire, Zoey, Isabel, Taylor, Josephine, Claudia, Anna, Eve, Samantha, Lexi, Eloise

BOYS

Fastest Risers
Luke (+93 at least), Vincent (+81 at least), Theodore (+79 at least), Rory (+78 at least), Parker (+76), Harvey (+70), Ari (+61 at least), Charles (+56 at least), Axel (+55 at least), Nixon (+50 at least)

Fastest Fallers
Chase (-77 at least), Robert (-74 at least), Hayden (-73), Brock (-68 at least), Benjamin (-67), Aiden (-62 at least), Cameron (-58), Nathaniel (-56 at least), Carter (-53 at least), Billy (-47 at least)

New
Harvey, Luke, Vincent, Theodore, Rory, Parker, Louis, Ari, Tyson, Ashton, Matthew, Tom, Charles, Axel, Nixon, Rylan, Jax, Bentley

Gone
Chase, Robert, Hayden, Brock, Cameron, Michael, Christopher, Aiden, Abel, Sonny, Nathaniel, Carter, Reuben, Billy, Hugh, Nicholas, Joel

Note: Because of its small population size, Tasmania’s Top 100 is most of its complete data. For the same reason, movement up and down the chart is extremely volatile.

Famous Name: Patrick

16 Wednesday Mar 2016

Posted by A.O. in Famous Names

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Tags

British names, classic names, english names, Irish names, name history, name meaning, name popularity, popular names, Roman names, saints names, Scots Gaelic names, UK name popularity, US name popularity, Welsh names

SaintPatrickShamrock

Tomorrow is St Patrick’s Day, a worldwide celebration of Irish culture. With such a strong Irish heritage in Australia, you would think that St Patrick’s Day would be special here, and you would be right. As early as 1795, Irish convicts were celebrating March 17 in raucous fashion, and these later became more respectable dinners held by colonials of Irish descent. Parades began to be organised in the 1800s, and had become established institutions by the 1920s.

St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, and people are sometimes surprised to learn he wasn’t Irish; he was a 5th century Romanised Briton from an aristocratic family on the west coast of Britain. Although his father was a deacon and his grandfather a priest in the Christian church, as a youngster Patrick wasn’t very interested in religion.

According to his own testimony, when he was a teenager he was kidnapped by pirates and taken as a slave to Ireland, where he worked taking care of farm animals in what he describes as a very cold and wet climate. During this time he learned the Irish language and converted to Christianity; after six years he managed to escape and return to his family.

Patrick wrote that a few years after his return, he had a vision of the Irish people begging him to help them. After training as a priest, he went as a missionary to Ireland and became a bishop. Here he converted many people, not only slaves and the poor, but also noblemen and women who became monks and nuns (this may not seem very liberating to us, but the church provided an attractive career path for educated medieval women).

Very little is actually known about Patrick’s life and work, and doubt has even been cast upon his claim of enslavement in Ireland. He wasn’t the first missionary to Ireland – that was St Palladius. Some of the details of Palladius’ Irish mission seem to have got mixed up with Patrick’s story, and Palladius’ role in Ireland may have been minimised to give Patrick the spotlight.

However where facts are thin on the ground, myths and legends flourish. A favourite is that St Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to illustrate the Trinity, so that the shamrock is a popular symbol on St Patrick’s Day. Another is that St Patrick banished all the snakes from Ireland – an incredibly easy miracle to perform, as they were never there. It is even said that he introduced whiskey to Ireland, and used the drink as a teaching aid: thus drinking alcohol is traditional on St Patrick’s Day.

St Patrick overcame his slightly boring saintliness to become a colourful figure of folklore, and over the centuries a symbol of Irish identity and culture that transcends Catholicism, and even Christianity. And that’s why we all feel just a little bit Irish on St Patrick’s Day!

Name Information
In his autobiography, St Patrick always refers to himself as Patricius, a Roman name meaning “nobleman” (it is the source of the word patrician). It is possible that he chose this himself, because the name is linked with the Latin for “father” – pater – to suggest he was the father of his people. However, Patricius was in regular use among the Romans, and in fact the name of St Augustine’s dad.

It is often said that Patrick’s birth name was Maewyn Succat, a British translation of the Roman name Magonus Succetus, and translated with great optimism as “famous war god”. (Succetus was supposedly a Celtic god of war, although nobody seems to have heard of him, which doesn’t help the translation overmuch).

This already seems like something his followers might have invented, and looks even less convincing as it appears that the name comes from British and means “servant swine-herd” – a clear reference to Patrick’s period of slavery. If St Patrick had another name as a child, we do not know it.

Patrick is the Anglicised form of Patricius, with the Irish form being Pádraig, the Scots Gaelic Phádraig, and the Welsh Padrig. Due to the fame of St Patrick, Patrick was used in Britain by the Middle Ages (sometimes with Patricius as the official name), where it was especially popular in the north of England. It was also taken up with enthusiasm in the west of Scotland, where it was seen as a form of Peter.

Although we think of Patrick as a typically Irish name, it did not come into common use in Ireland until the 17th or perhaps even 18th century, when it was introduced by Scots immigrants to northern Ireland. Before this, the Irish felt that the name of their national saint was far too sacred to be given as a baby name, although they did use names such as Gilla Pátraic, meaning “servant of St Patrick”.

However, once the Irish gave in to peer pressure and decided Patrick was okay to use, it became a great favourite. Patrick was so popular as a boy’s name in Ireland by the 19th century that the nickname Paddy became a (rather disparaging) term for an Irishman.

With strong Irish immigration to Australia, there have been many Australian Patricks. Some examples include the Nobel Prize-winning author Patrick White; pioneering farmer Patrick Durack, who founded the famous Durack dynasty; Patrick Hannan, whose discovery of gold sparked the gold rush in Western Australia; Presbyterian minister Patrick Murdoch, progenitor of the famous Murdoch dynasty; and Patrick Sullivan, creator of Felix the cartoon cat.

It thus comes as little surprise that the name Patrick is a solid classic in Australia, never out of the Top 100, and rarely out of the Top 50. It was #36 in the 1900s, and reached its lowest point in 1978 at #71. Its peak was in 1994, when it reached #30. It is now stable around the lower end of the Top 50.

Currently it is #40 nationally, #51 in New South Wales, #26 in Victoria, #46 in Queensland, #36 in South Australia, #46 in Western Australia, #46 in Tasmania, and #29 in the Australian Capital Territory. In 2014 it was the fastest-rising name in Tasmania, and one of the fastest-rising in South Australia.

In the US, Patrick has constantly charted on the Top 1000, and never been lower than #166, which it reached in 1919. It was a Top 100 name at the turn of the 20th century, and again from 1936 to 2003, peaking at #30 in the 1960s. Currently it is #153 and fairly stable.

In the UK, Patrick has likewise been a long-time favourite. It was in the Top 100 from the mid-19th century until 2006, and is now #115 and stable. Patrick is a Top 100 name in New Zealand, and in Northern Ireland, where its popularity is similar to Australia’s. It is most popular in Ireland, where it is in the Top 20, and very stable.

Patrick is a strong, handsome name that is a timeless classic while remaining stylish. It’s popular, but has always been so, and its position on the charts is is extremely stable. It’s a traditional name with ties to Irish history and culture, and in Australia often considered a rather upper class choice. Traditional nicknames like Pat, Patsy and Patty are out of favour, but Paddy is still going strong, and Patch perhaps deserving of a mention.

POLL RESULTS

Patrick received an approval rating of 79%, making it one of the highest-rated names of 2016. People saw the name as handsome and charming (24%), a stylish classic (21%), and a name which ages well (17%). However 9% thought it was too common and boring. Only 1 person thought Patrick from Spongebob Squarepants made the name too embarrassing to use.

The Top 51 Names in South Australia for 2015

14 Monday Mar 2016

Posted by A.O. in Name Data

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Tags

name trends, popular names

GIRLS

  1. Charlotte
  2. Amelia
  3. Olivia
  4. Ava
  5. Scarlett
  6. Sophie
  7. Chloe
  8. Mia
  9. Emily
  10. Grace
  11. Ruby
  12. Ivy
  13. Ella
  14. Evie
  15. Zoe
  16. Harper
  17. Isabella
  18. Lucy
  19. Emma
  20. Isla
  21. Zara
  22. Hannah
  23. Sienna
  24. Matilda
  25. Violet
  26. Eva
  27. Evelyn
  28. Isabelle
  29. Layla
  30. Sophia
  31. Georgia
  32. Lily
  33. Abigail
  34. Willow
  35. Sofia
  36. Ellie
  37. Aria
  38. Maddison
  39. Mila
  40. Imogen
  41. Maya
  42. Annabelle
  43. Jasmine
  44. Piper
  45. Savannah
  46. Alexis
  47. Madison
  48. Alice
  49. Holly
  50. Lilly
  51. Paige
BOYS

  1. Oliver
  2. William
  3. Jack
  4. Noah
  5. Charlie
  6. Lucas
  7. Thomas
  8. Ethan
  9. Liam
  10. James
  11. Lachlan
  12. Henry
  13. Max
  14. Harrison
  15. Riley
  16. Samuel
  17. Hudson
  18. Alexander
  19. Leo
  20. Logan
  21. Archie
  22. Oscar
  23. Harry
  24. Mason
  25. Elijah
  26. Isaac
  27. Jacob
  28. Benjamin
  29. Archer
  30. Sebastian
  31. Levi
  32. Hunter
  33. Tyler
  34. Nate
  35. Xavier
  36. Angus
  37. Cooper
  38. George
  39. Edward
  40. Patrick
  41. Ryan
  42. Daniel
  43. Hamish
  44. Jaxon
  45. Jackson
  46. Joshua
  47. Luca
  48. Connor
  49. Jordan
  50. Eli
  51. Hugo

GIRLS

Fastest Risers
Violet (+26 at least), Evie (+19), Evelyn (+17), Emma (+16), Mila (+12 at least)

Fastest Fallers
Madison (-26), Lily (-16), Imogen (-14), Mackenzie (-13 at least), Sophia (-13)

New
Violet, Mila, Maya, Piper, Paige

Gone
Mackenzie, Addison, Elsie, Poppy

BOYS

Fastest Risers
Elijah (+16), Angus (+15 at least), Nate (+15), Logan (+14), George (+12)

Fastest Fallers
Blake (-20 at least), Jackson (-16), Austin (-14 at least), Jacob (-11), Hunter (-10)

New
Angus, Hamish, Luca, Connor, Eli, Hugo

Gone
Blake, Austin, Lincoln, Ashton, Chase

Cyclone Names for Boys

06 Sunday Mar 2016

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Anglo-Saxon names, Arabic names, Biblical names, classic names, cyclone names, Egyptian names, english names, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, germanic names, hebrew names, Irish names, Latin names, locational names, modern classics, mythological names, name history, name meaning, name popularity, name trends, nicknames, Old English names, pen names, popular names, rare names, Roman names, royal names, saints names, Slavic names, stage names, surname names, underused modern classics, unisex names, vintage names

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Dominic
There was a Cyclone Dominic in 1982 and another in 2009; both were quite severe and did significant damage. Dominic is from the Latin name Dominicus, meaning “of the Lord”, and often translated as “belonging to God”. It began as a specifically Christian name, and there are several saints named Dominic. The most famous is the medieval Spanish priest who founded the Dominican Order; he was named after St Dominic of Silos, who answered the prayer of the second St Dominic’s mother that she might become pregnant. As part of that joking folk etymology that religion is so fond of, the Dominicans are said to be named from the Latin for “dog of God” (Domini canis), as a sign of St Dominic’s dogged faithfulness. Dominic has charted since the 1950s, when it debuted at #236. It reached the Top 100 in the 1990s, and has mostly stayed around the bottom quarter of the Top 100, or fallen just below it. Currently it is #88. This is a sleekly handsome modern classic that’s never been highly popular, and comes with the nicknames Dom, Nic, or Nico.

Iggy
Cyclone Iggy was off the coast of Western Australia in 2012: grave fears were held as its power intensified, but by the time it made landfall it had waned considerably. Iggy is traditionally used as a short form of Ignatius, but rocker Iggy Pop (born James Osterberg) took his stage name from his high school band, The Iguanas. Another musical Iggy is Australian rapper Iggy Azalea (born Amethyst Kelly): her stage name Iggy is from her childhood dog, possibly named after Mr Pop. In the Maximum Ride YA series by James Patterson, Iggy is an extremely handsome blind boy whose real name is James Griffiths. This name might feel like “nickname only” territory, but a few people have Iggy as their full legal name. While Ignatius is elegant, Iggy is in-your-face cyberpunk nuttiness, and will appeal to parents wanting something fun and different.

Marcus
Marcus is on the current list of cyclone names. Marcus is a Roman name believed to be derived from Mars, the Roman god of war, and was one of the most popular names in ancient Rome. Famous Romans with the name include the general Marcus Antonius, otherwise known as Mark Antony; the emperor Marcus Aurelius; Marcus Junius Brutus, usually known to us as Brutus, the assassin of Julius Caesar; and the philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero. Marcus has been used as an English name since the Middle Ages, but widely used on the Continent and in Latin America as well. It’s currently popular in Scandinavia, as well as Australia and New Zealand. Marcus is a classic name which has been almost continuously on the charts. It was #190 in the 1900s, and fell to nothing during the 1930s. After that it continued growing and made the Top 100 by the 1970s. Popularity dipped, but it was back again in the 1990s, and peaked at #51 in 2003. It is currently #82. A popular classic never higher than the bottom half of the Top 100, Marcus combines historical gravitas with European style.

Miles
Cyclone Miles was off the coast of Queensland in 1977. Miles is the English form of the Germanic name Milo, whose meaning is unclear. It may be from an ancient Germanic word meaning “mild”, but it has been argued that it is related to those Slavic names meaning “dear, gracious”, such as Mila and Milan. From early on, folk etymology connected it to the Latin word miles, meaning soldier – in Roman comedies, a foolish stock character was Miles Gloriosus, meaning “bragging soldier”. The name has been in use since the Middle Ages, introduced by the Normans, and is often thought of as rather aristocratic. A famous namesake is Miles Coverdale, who was the first person to translate the Bible into English in 1535. Miles has charted since the 1950s, when jazz legend Miles Davis gave the name an injection of cool; it debuted at #323. Since then, the name has increased in popularity, but never become popular, so this is an underused modern classic. It’s around the 100s currently. Rising in both the US and UK, this is a hip choice with a smooth sound.

Oswald
Cyclone Oswald hit Queensland and New South Wales in 2013, causing widespread storms and floods. A natural disaster was declared, and due to the severity of the cyclone, the name Oswald has now been retired. Oswald is an Old English name meaning “godly ruler, divine ruler”. There are two English saints named Oswald; Oswald of Northumbria was an Anglo-Saxon king, and the most powerful ruler in Britain during his time. The name Oswald became less common after the Middle Ages, but was revived in the 19th century as part of the Victorian fascination with ancient British names. Oswald was #75 in the 1900s and left the Top 100 in the 1920s. It left the charts in the 1940s and had unfortunate wartime namesakes – Nazi officer Oswald Pohl, who oversaw the concentration camps, and British Fascist, Sir Oswald Moseley, a friend of Adolf Hitler. In fiction, Oswalds are usually villains or comic characters, but Oswald Bastable from the Treasure Seeker series by E. Nesbit has been claimed as a revolutionary hero name in the Nomad of Time Streams works of Michael Moorcock, and the name is sometimes used in sci fi. A bold vintage choice with a steam punk vibe.

Paddy
Cyclone Paddy was near Cocos Island in May 1981, extremely late in the season. Paddy is an Irish nickname for the name Patrick, or its Irish forms Padraig and Padraic. It was once so commonly used that Paddy became a derogatory term for any Irishman. With such strong immigration from Ireland, the name has a long history in Australia with several famous namesakes, with Paddy either short for Patrick, their full name, or a nickname unrelated to their name. Some examples are: Paddy Hannan, the gold prospector who set off the gold rush in Kalgoorlie; Indigenous artist Paddy Bedford; colourful politician Paddy Crick; Aboriginal elder Paddy Roe; and pioneering bushwalker Paddy Pallin, who founded the chain of outdoor equipment stores. Paddy is also occasionally used as a girl’s name, a variant of Patty; an example is Australian author Paddy O’Reilly. Paddy is around the 500s in Australia, and fits in with the trend for nicknames as full name. Great Irish heritage choice with an Australian flavour.

Rusty
Cyclone Rusty hit the coast of northern Western Australia in 2013. Hurricane-force winds and heavy rain caused flooding and significant damage. Due to the severity of the cyclone, the name Rusty has now been retired. Rusty can be a nickname for either the first name or surname Russell, or a nickname given to someone with red or reddish-brown hair. It is not commonly given as a full name, but after Cyclone Rusty there was a reported increase in the number of baby boys named Rusty, so this is one cyclone at least which influenced local name trends. A rough-and-tumble boyish name in the style of Buster and Sunny: not recommended if your surname is Naylor, Bucket or Lidd.

Seth
Seth is on the current list of cyclone names. In the Old Testament, Seth was the third son of Adam and Eve, born after Abel was murdered by Cain. According to the Bible, Seth was the progenitor of the human race as it exists today, as only his descendants survived the Great Flood. The Bible is coy as to how Seth had children for us to be descended from, but the Apocrypha provides the obvious solution by having him marry his sister. Although the Bible tells us nothing more about Seth, according to tradition he was virtuous and wise; he is regarded as a saint in Christianity, and revered as a prophet in Islam. The name doesn’t seem to have been common for Jews, although in the New Testament the High Priest is said to be the son of a Seth. According to the Bible, the name Seth means “appointed”, to suggest that God appointed Seth as a replacement for Abel. Seth is also the Greek form of the Egyptian god Set, deity of storms and chaos, and murderer of his brother Osiris. The name has a strong New Age resonance due to the supposed chanelled messages of a being named Seth, highly influential to later writers. Seth has been used as an English name at least since the 16th century, and became more common during the 18th. Seth has charted since the 1970s, debuting at #539, and joined the Top 100 in the 2000s. It left the Top 100 in 2014, but cannot be far below it. An Old Testament name that women in particular seem to love as both soft and gentle, and dangerously sexy.

Vance
Cyclone Vance hit Western Australia in 1999, bringing gale-force winds and severe storms, and causing significant damage, particularly in Exmouth. Vance is an English surname that comes from the Old English for “fen”, describing someone who lived near a flat wetlands area or marsh. The surname has a particular association with Scotland, and the Scottish Vances believe their name is Norman, from Vaux in France, meaning “valley”. Vance has been used as a personal name since the 18th century, and was strongly connected with Scotland and Ireland. Vance Drummond was a New Zealand-born officer in the RAAF, much decorated for his gallantry in the Vietnam War. The famous writer Vance Palmer was born Edward, with Vance short for his middle name, Vivian. Not only a great contributor to Australian literature, he and his wife Nettie were part of the social movement that promoted Australian egalitarianism. The indie pop singer Vance Joy’s real name is James Keogh – he took his stage name from a minor character in Peter Carey’s novel Bliss. A vintage name ripe for revival with a strong connection to Australian culture.

Zane
Cyclone Zane was off the coast of Queensland in 2013, but by the time it made landfall it had dissipated to almost nothing. The name Zane was popularised by the American western novelist Zane Grey: he was born Pearl Grey (apparently in tribute to Queen Victoria’s mourning dress, which seems a strange way to name a child, especially a boy). Grey used his middle name Zane for his pen name; it was his mother’s maiden name. The Zanes were a famous American pioneering family, and Zane Grey himself was born in Zanesville, Ohio, named after his ancestor, Ebenezer Zane. The Zanes were descended from Devon Quakers, but the name’s origin is a mystery. It has been claimed that the family had either Danish or Italian ancestry, but neither theory has been proven. Sometimes presumed to be a form of John, as Zane is an unusual short form of Giovanni; it can also be a female name, short for Suzannah or Zuzannah. Zane has charted since the 1970s, debuting at #397 – Zane Grey was still a bestseller then, and another namesake for the era was bodybuilder Frank Zane, multiple Mr Olympia winner. It was in the Top 100 during the 2000s, peaking at #83 in 2005, and is probably around the 100s now. Not at all zany, Zane has become a modern standard conflated with the Arabic name Zain or Zayn, meaning “beauty, grace”.

POLL RESULTS

The public’s favourite names were Dominic, Miles and Seth, while their least favourites were Oswald, Paddy and Rusty.

(Photo is of Australian literary powerhouse, Vance Palmer)

The Top Names in Queensland for 2015

21 Sunday Feb 2016

Posted by A.O. in Name Data

≈ Comments Off on The Top Names in Queensland for 2015

Tags

name trends, popular names

GIRLS

  1. Charlotte
  2. Olivia
  3. Amelia
  4. Ava
  5. Mia
  6. Emily
  7. Sophie
  8. Grace
  9. Ella
  10. Ruby
  11. Isabella
  12. Isla
  13. Scarlett
  14. Evie
  15. Chloe
  16. Harper
  17. Matilda
  18. Ivy
  19. Sophia
  20. Willow
  21. Evelyn
  22. Lucy
  23. Georgia
  24. Sienna
  25. Lily
  26. Emma
  27. Layla
  28. Hannah
  29. Zoe
  30. Abigail
  31. Aria
  32. Zara
  33. Mackenzie
  34. Eva
  35. Summer
  36. Alexis
  37. Isabelle
  38. Maddison
  39. Imogen
  40. Alice
  41. Savannah
  42. Mila
  43. Violet
  44. Annabelle
  45. Chelsea
  46. Madison
  47. Piper
  48. Phoebe
  49. Elizabeth
  50. Stella
  51. Audrey
  52. Claire
  53. Jessica
  54. Penelope
  55. Ellie
  56. Peyton
  57. Lilly
  58. Jasmine
  59. Poppy
  60. Hayley
  61. Eloise
  62. Frankie
  63. Addison
  64. Indiana
  65. Aurora
  66. Paige
  67. Bella
  68. Holly
  69. Lola
  70. Sofia
  71. Ariana
  72. Heidi
  73. Ayla
  74. Sarah
  75. Lillian
  76. Eden
  77. Rose
  78. Maya
  79. Charlie
  80. Anna
  81. Harriet
  82. Madeleine
  83. Elsie
  84. Alyssa
  85. Pippa
  86. Brooklyn
  87. Nevaeh
  88. Maggie
  89. Molly
  90. Lara
  91. Faith
  92. Amber
  93. Amity
  94. Josephine
  95. Aaliyah
  96. Eliza
  97. Marley
  98. Marlee
  99. Lyla
  100. Eleanor
BOYS

  1. Oliver
  2. William
  3. Jack
  4. Noah
  5. Thomas
  6. Harrison
  7. Ethan
  8. Cooper
  9. James
  10. Henry
  11. Mason
  12. Hunter
  13. Liam
  14. Lucas
  15. Lachlan
  16. Hudson
  17. Alexander
  18. Levi
  19. Charlie
  20. Samuel
  21. Elijah
  22. Max
  23. Benjamin
  24. Leo
  25. Archie
  26. Riley
  27. Joshua
  28. Harry
  29. Jacob
  30. Oscar
  31. Ryan
  32. Jaxon
  33. Archer
  34. Nate
  35. Jackson
  36. Eli
  37. Lincoln
  38. Xavier
  39. Carter
  40. George
  41. Isaac
  42. Sebastian
  43. Tyler
  44. Flynn
  45. Patrick
  46. Hugo
  47. Connor
  48. Daniel
  49. Finn
  50. Theodore
  51. Ashton
  52. Blake
  53. Matthew
  54. Jake
  55. Michael
  56. Joseph
  57. Braxton
  58. Jayden
  59. Chase
  60. Aiden
  61. Edward
  62. Hayden
  63. Luke
  64. Jordan
  65. Hamish
  66. Luca
  67. Dominic
  68. Harvey
  69. Parker
  70. Austin
  71. Ryder
  72. Beau
  73. Logan
  74. Nicholas
  75. Caleb
  76. Kai
  77. Seth
  78. Darcy
  79. Dylan
  80. Nathaniel
  81. Angus
  82. Zachary
  83. Charles
  84. Jett
  85. Mitchell
  86. Bailey
  87. Lewis
  88. Jax
  89. Owen
  90. Maxwell
  91. Fletcher
  92. Louis
  93. Declan
  94. Spencer
  95. Wyatt
  96. David
  97. Nathan
  98. Jasper
  99. Phoenix
  100. Jesse
  101. Harley

GIRLS

Fastest Risers
Penelope (+39), Aurora (+37 at least), Lola (+30), Frankie (+27), Harriet (+21 at least), Lillian (+20), Claire (+18), Phoebe (+17), Maggie (+14 at least)

Fastest Fallers
Lacey (-30 at least), Molly (-28), Isabel (-25 at least), Eleanor (-23), Indie (-20 at least), Lilly (-20), Jasmine, Maya and Sofia (-16)

New
Aurora, Harriet, Maggie, Faith, Amity, Josephine, Eliza, Marley, Marlee, Lyla

Gone
Lacey, Isabel, Jade, Bonnie, Olive, Skye, Alexandra, Madeline, Gabriella, Indigo

BOYS

Biggest Risers
Darcy (+24 at least), Harvey and Hugo (+22), Jordan (+20), Ashton (+18), Lewis (+15 at least), Jax (+14 at least), Archie, Dominic and Hamish (+14)

Biggest Fallers
David (-20), Kai (-19), Louis (-18), Bailey and Caleb (-15), Toby (-14 at least), Blake and Xavier (-14), Hayden and Jackson (-13)

New
Darcy, Lewis, Jax, Maxwell, Spencer, Wyatt, Jesse

Gone
Toby, Alex, Jaxson, Jai, Tyson, John

What Name For Alfie’s Brother or Sister That’s Both British and Australian?

06 Saturday Feb 2016

Posted by A.O. in Naming Assistance

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

choosing baby names, fictional namesakes, honouring, name combinations, name trends, nicknames, popular names, sibsets, UK name popularity

image_282794.flagshome-400x300

Samantha is originally from the UK, and is married to an Australian named James. Sammie and James are expecting their second child next month, a brother or sister for their son Alfie. They picked a name for their son which is popular in in the UK but not used as much in Australia, which has worked out well (once James’ family recovered).

Sammie would love another older-style name which sounds familiar to British ears, but isn’t too common in Australia. Sammie loves the names Ted and Reggie – however, they have friends with these names, and don’t fancy seeing them on their son as well. At one point they settled on Jude, but when they shared this with Alfie, he kept saying Judy, which put them off.

James is really keen on Clarence, with the nickname Clarry or Clary, but Sammie doesn’t like it at all. This has become something of a sore point, and James is now being very critical of any name Sammie comes up with. As a result, Clarence is still on their baby name list in order not to antagonise James.

Sammie quite likes the name Digby, but James doesn’t think you can have two sons with their names ending in an EE sound.

The middle name for a boy will be either Leonard or George, which are both family names. Sammie liked the idea of combining them as Lenny George, but James says Lenny is a “nerdy” name in Australia.

Girls names will be much easier. They had picked out the name Elsie if their first child was a girl, but now Alfie and Elsie seem a bit much together. Their favourite is Daisy, then Florence and Maisy. Sammie likes Nellie, Betsy and Nora, while James prefers Georgie and Rosie. The middle name will either be Sylvia or Norma, which are both family names.

(Sammie feels that this baby is a boy and hasn’t been too bothered about girls names, but she thought Alfie was a girl, so wasn’t well prepared with boys names last time).

Sammie and James have a surname which ends in -son, like Richardson, so they don’t want a name ending in N, such as Nathan or Hayden.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Sammie I feel for you, because you have a natural desire to find a boys name similar to Alfie, and it doesn’t seem difficult to do – except all sorts of blocks keep being placed in your path.

The first thing to get out of the way is that the popular names in Australia and the UK aren’t that different, so looking for a name like Alfie, which is very popular in the UK yet not used that much in Australia, gives you a fairly short list of choices.

Other boys’ names which fit this pattern are Freddie, Finley/Finlay, Theo, Arthur, Harley, Reuben, Kian, Stanley, Jenson, Frankie, Teddy, Louie, Bobby, Elliott/Elliot, Dexter, Ollie, Frederick, Albert, Leon, Ronnie, Rory, Jamie, Ellis, Sonny, and Joey.

James doesn’t like the idea of another name ending in EE, so that eliminates Freddie, Finley/Finlay, Harley, Stanley, Frankie, Teddy, Louie, Bobby, Ollie, Ronnie, Rory, Jamie, Sonny, and Joey.

Some of these names seem like such perfect matches with Alfie that I wonder if James could rethink his policy? Alfie and Freddie, Alfie and Sonny, Alfie and Rory, and Alfie and Stanley seem utterly adorable, and quite manly or laddish as well, rather than cutesy.

Both of you don’t want a name ending in N, which would eliminate Reuben, Kian, Jenson, and Leon.

That leaves you with a choice of Theo, Arthur, Elliott/Elliot, Dexter, Frederick, Albert, and Ellis. Albert and Arthur could leave you with Alby or Artie as nicknames, which seem uncomfortably close to Alfie, while Elliot and Ellis have such a similar sound to Alfie that they might even be confused with it (a bit like the Elsie issue).

You’re now down to Theo, Dexter, and Frederick, all of which seem like perfectly reasonable choices. Theo seems like a good choice for someone who liked Ted, but wasn’t able to use it, and Dexter a fair alternative for someone who liked Digby but had had it vetoed.

I’m pretty sure Frederick would be shortened to Fred or Freddie/Freddy, which I think is a lovely match with Alfie. Then again, both Alfie and Freddie are nicknames for Alfred, so you might feel as if you’d given your sons the same name! If so, you now have a choice of just two names that fit your hoped-for pattern.

The other trouble is that your dear old other half is being a bit difficult. I’m wondering if he was as keen on Alfie’s name as you were when you chose it, especially as you said his family had some trouble adjusting to it. As you didn’t discuss boys names too much last time, thinking Alfie was a girl, was it a rushed decision? Did James feel that his views didn’t get enough of an airing?

I just wonder if some lingering resentment is what’s making him rather unreasonable this time around – and let’s face it, he is being unreasonable. Vetoing all boys names ending with an EE sound is extremely restrictive, and doesn’t make any sense considering that you’ve already agreed upon Daisy and Maisy for girls. I just can’t see any logic to this at all, and Digby would be an awesome match with Alfie (although it might make having a Daisy later seem less easy).

He’s also wrong that Lenny is a nerdy name in Australia – it’s not far outside the Top 100, and is a fashionable name. I know a lot of Australians who consider it an unsophisticated choice though, probably because it’s strongly connected with sport. Some prefer it as a nickname for Lennox or something similar.

On the other hand, his championing of Clarence is slightly odd, as this really does seem quite nerdy, in that it’s a vintage name which hasn’t had a comeback as yet (James is ahead of the curve). I think Clarry is rather cute, and doesn’t seem too strange a match with Alfie, but the fact is that you just don’t like it. I think it might be a bit too vintage Australian for you rather than vintage British, and as a Brit, I wonder if Clary reminds you too much of comedian Julian Clary?

Maybe this is James’ point – that Alfie was a very British-style choice, and he is pushing for a more Australian-style choice this time. If so, this isn’t an unreasonable request; he might just be expressing it in an unreasonable way.

I think the two of you need to have a talk about what you both really want. Last year we had an Australian-born woman married to an American write in to the blog who wanted a name which worked in both Australia and the US. Their first son was named Felix, a name more popular in Australia than the US, but still fashionable and rising there. They ended up naming their second son Sage, which is better known in the US than here, so they got a nice mix-and-match.

Perhaps James would also prefer a situation like that, where Alfie’s brother has more of an Australian vibe to his name. James’ love of Clarence/Clarry makes me wonder how he feels about Clancy, which has a wonderful literary history in Australia, as he is a character from a poem by Banjo Paterson. The name is not unusual here, although not common either.

Even though James says he doesn’t want a name ending in EE, he has suggested the name Clarry as a nickname for Clarence. Not only could Clancy work as a nickname for Clarence, but this suggests that James might be one of those people who prefer having a long form of a name on the birth certificate, and a nickname for everyday use.

This means that you might be able to have a cute boyish name after all – just with a longer name attached for formal use. Again, I think this is something you need to have a chat about.

I also can’t see anything wrong with Jude, and wonder if you were put off too easily by Alfie’s attempts to pronounce it. Is it really that big a deal if Alfie calls him Judy for a short while, or are you worried that it’s an unwanted nickname that will stick? Jude is a name popular and rising in both the UK and Australia, so another name like that might be a choice that works well for you.

Names I would suggest you consider, or re-consider:

Clancy possibly nn for Clarence
Frederick nn Freddie, Freddy or Fred
Theodore nn Theo
Jude
Dexter
Digby
Lewis
Rafferty
Fletcher
Campbell
Lennox nn Lenny
Maxwell
Rex
Tobias nn Toby

As for girls, I think you are pretty well set. Daisy, Florence, and Maisy are all great choices that sound wonderful as a sister for Alfie. I especially like the combination Daisy Sylvia. It would be very useful if you were wrong again, and in line to have a baby girl!

UPDATE: The baby was a boy, and his name is Ted!

POLL RESULTS: The public’s choice for the baby’s name was Clancy for a boy (18%), closely followed by Jude (16%), and Daisy for a girl (44%).

The Top 20 Names in the Northern Territory for 2015

28 Thursday Jan 2016

Posted by A.O. in Name Data

≈ Comments Off on The Top 20 Names in the Northern Territory for 2015

Tags

name trends, popular names

GIRLS

  1. Charlotte
  2. Ava
  3. Ella
  4. Emily
  5. Lucy
  6. Olivia
  7. Isla
  8. Matilda
  9. Sophie
  10. Chloe
  11. Evie
  12. Grace
  13. Isabelle
  14. Lily
  15. Harper
  16. Isabella
  17. Maria (error for Mia?)
  18. Sophia
  19. Zoe
  20. Alice
BOYS

  1. Jack
  2. James
  3. William
  4. Thomas
  5. Levi
  6. Oliver
  7. Ryan
  8. Lucas
  9. Hunter
  10. Isaac
  11. Lachlan
  12. Liam
  13. Samuel
  14. Eli
  15. Harrison
  16. Henry
  17. Mason
  18. Max
  19. Noah
  20. Xavier

GIRLS

Biggest Riser: Ella (+18 at least)

Biggest Faller: Ruby (-11 at least)

New
Ella, Evie, Isabelle, Harper, Isabella, Zoe, Alice, Maria (?)

Gone
Ruby, Scarlett, Hannah, Jasmine, Emma, Savannah, Mia (?)

BOYS

Biggest Riser: Levi (+16 at least)

Biggest Faller: Noah (-17)

New
Levi, Ryan, Lucas , Liam, Eli, Harrison, Henry, Max, Xavier

Gone
Harry, Michael, Alexander, Charlie, Elijah, Jackson, Jacob

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