Typically British versus typically American given names

[SantaMufasa]

...Two peoples separated by a common language.

As I contemplated this phrase that characterizes (i.e, characterises) the relationship between "British" and "American" languages, my mind formulated lists of given names that, too, seem to cling to either the Left Side or the Right Side of The Pond. I looked back in my journal while I lived in the UK, and I extracted names of acquaintences whose names are nearly exclusively "Commonwealth Names" versus names that Americans might give to their children:


Male British Names:

Alistair
Adrian
Aidan
Archibald
Cecil
Clement
Clive
Collin (or Colin)
Derek
Desmond
Geoffrey
Geraint
Giles (or Gyles)
Graeme (or Graham)
Horatio
Hugh
Humphrey
Ian (or Iain)
Julian
Liam
Malcolm
Neville
Nigel
Oliver
Owen (or Owain)
Percival
Piers (or Pierce)
Rowan
Rupert
Sebastian
Simon

Female British Names:
Dereth
Edwina
Fiona
Glynnis
Gwyneth

Now it's your turn to either add to my lists, above, or to return the favour and identify names that are nearly exclusively American. To get you started on the American list, here are some American names that came to my mind:

Male American Names:
Randy (obviously a name that no Briton would ever give her/his child!)
Dusty (or Dustin)
Butch


Female American Names:
Buffy



Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
[I provide low-cost, remote Database Administration services: www.dasages.com]
“Beware of those that seek to protect you from harm or risk. The cost will be your freedoms and your liberty.”

 

[Turkbear]

Hi,
some
Male American Names:
( mainly Southern American - but not South American )

Roy Lee
Leroy
Lonnie
Buddy ( not as a nickname but a given name)

Female American Names ( some mainly Southern )

Beulah
Heather
Stephanie
Peony
Pearl









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[hjgoldstein]

Dave,

You missed me out, although I guess it could be because "Howard" is a name used on both sides of the pond. I was once told by a French friend that

In France only the chauffeurs are called Howard

As far as Archbald, Cecil, Clement and Percival are concerned, I would feel sorry for any child who was burdened with such old-fashioned names.

I've never heard of Dereth. Interesting.

I have a cousin in California who has a daughter with the middle name "Kendra" which is a name I have only heard of one other time, also from the USA.

This thread could run and run.



It is time for pacifists to stand up and fight for their beliefs.

 

[KenCunningham]

Heather is quite popular here in Scotland, Turkbear. Can't imagine why, but it might have to do with the 'Bonnie bonnie lassie' in the song ;-)

I've also known a couple of ladies named Pearl.

A male American name which springs to mind is Homer, though I don't know whether it is actually used much since the advent of the Simpsons, or indeed whether it ever was? My Mother's name (which she hated) was Ethel, a name which seems to have fallen out of use in the UK completely.

To return to Santa's British male list Alistair has several variants, Alisdair, Alister, Alasdair etc, many times depending on the tradition of the family.

The internet - allowing those who don't know what they're talking about to have their say.

 

[drlex]

As far as Archbald, Cecil, Clement and Percival are concerned, I would feel sorry for any child who was burdened with such old-fashioned names.

I know two Archibalds - both styled as 'Archie', which brings to mind the American comic of the 50s. My nephew is Percival, albeit as a middle name.
Name popularity is cyclical - the Rose/Daisy/Violet flower names that my father dismissed as "suitable for barmaids" are now creeping back.

FWIW, The Times tots up the baby names in its birth announcements each year to give a bell-weather of Middle class trends - here's the 2007 one -

http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/article3074698.ece

soi là, soi carré

 

[Welshbird]

CAn I go off the point with some Welsh names?

Delyth
Bronwen
Cerys
Cariad



Fee

"The cure for anything is salt water – sweat, tears, or the sea." Isak Dinesen

 

[Noway2]

I noticed few references to the southern US. One trend that I have noticed is that in the South it is more common to give males what would typically be considered female only names in the North. The most common ones that I have encountered are Shannon, Stacey, and Tracey. There have been a couple of others but I can't recall them off hand.

 

[Neil Toulouse]

In my family (UK):

Harold
Amos
Edna

I like work. It fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours...

 

[Turkbear]

Hi,
Your are right , KenCunningham ,Heather was not as American-specific as I thought ( even after I posted it )

As to Southern Male names that sound Female, the top newscaster in my home town when I was growing up was named

Laverne

but he was very male (an ex Jock, I think)





To Paraphrase:"The Help you get is proportional to the Help you give.."

 

[hjgoldstein]

I would feel sorry for any child who was burdened with such old-fashioned names.

I should have made clear that I meant these days.

Archie - yes, a fine name for a modern young man when so abbreviated. The late actor Robert (Archibald) Shaw hated it.


It is time for pacifists to stand up and fight for their beliefs.

 

[SantaMufasa]

Archie...The late actor Robert (Archibald) Shaw hated it.

And so did Archibald Leach (or did his theatrical agent) whereby his name became Cary Grant.

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
[I provide low-cost, remote Database Administration services: www.dasages.com]
“Beware of those that seek to protect you from harm or risk. The cost will be your freedoms and your liberty.”

 

[flapeyre]

I know an Owen and a Geoffrey - both Americans. There wass an American game-show host, Geoff Edwards, back in the 70s.

(More commonly, though, we left-pondians would render it as Jefferey/Jeffrey/Jeffry, or just plain Jeff). I'm thinking this spelling might be influenced by Thomas Jefferson. Just an observation.

Nobody has mentioned Bubba yet. I used to work with a Bubba (that is his legal name).

-- Francis
Et cognoscetis veritatem, et veritas liberabit vos.

 

[hilfy]

Re: Southern habit of giving guys female names.

My ex-husband's name (from rural southern TN) is Kimberly.

My name is Dell, which is rare and generally a guy's name (I was named after my mother who is Delma.) It was really amusing when Kim was in the Army because dependent ID cards have the name of the person who's in the service as well as the dependent's name. I used to get all kinds of questions and people stating that the card had the names backwards.

-Dell

A computer only does what you actually told it to do - not what you thought you told it to do.

 

[p5wizard]

I used to work with a Bubba

Shrimp fishin? ;-)

p5

 

[flapeyre]

p5wizard,

Nope, Bubba is an iSeries programmer. And, he's about 6'3" - definitely NOT a shrimp.

-- Francis
Et cognoscetis veritatem, et veritas liberabit vos.

 

[FredWagner]

How about names related to the location of conception ?
My nephew was named after my brother's favorite author (pen name Mark Twain) Samuel Langhorne Clemens. This young readheaded chap was conceived on a camping trip in Yosemite National Park, so his nickname, if he chooses to use it, could be 'Yosemite Sam' - after the cartoon character....

Fred Wagner

 

[SantaMufasa]

so his nickname could be 'Yosemite Sam' - after the cartoon character....

...Or a variant of Yosemite Sam's buddy/nemesis: Foghorn Langhorne. <grin>

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
[I provide low-cost, remote Database Administration services: www.dasages.com]
“Beware of those that seek to protect you from harm or risk. The cost will be your freedoms and your liberty.”

 

[Noway2]

Most kids that I know would rather NOT be reminded of the act of their conception.

 

[FredWagner]

I think Sam will just identify with the feisty cartoon character...

Fred Wagner

 

[Thadeus]

I have a Damien (19) and wanted to name my second Malachi (KI) or Caleb. I was vetoed and my second is Justin (14).

I am a suburban American father and can tell you the names of my sons' friends are in no way distinctly American.
Kwaku, Thang, Paul, Walter, Blade, Xavier, Rhett, Duncan, Hunter, Jacob, Seamus, Robert, Otis... I don't even know the half of his Indian and Korean friends' names.

I've lived in these same suburbs most of my life. My friends were: Paul, John, Tom, Jim, Dave, Mike, Rob, Chris, Andy, Jack, Steve.

However, my family tree just a short while back contains,
Marshall, Herman, Gus, Floyd

My 4 siblings and I are all named with a 'K' name (i.e. Kevin)... I am happy my name wasn't Herman, Gus, or Floyd in particular.

~thadeus