Shard

Ok. Fair point (and I suppose there's also Her Majesty). I therefore amend my example name to "Edmonton"

Jingsamichty

"Mum, meet my new girlfriend, Moose Jaw."

BristolUK

Does anyone remember a joke that was influenced (I think) by the names of Bob Geldof's kids...something about a drug bust, maybe?

MillieF

I think this woman is absolutely ghastly, she's a bit like Christine Hamilton, without the humour.

It's interesting though how people choose the names for their kids, often without having met them first. Before your child is born in France you have to register the name at the town hall...as the name must be 'approved'! We were convinced that he would be a Felix, but when he popped out, he didn't look a bit like a Felix, he ended up as a David...changing the papers was a bloody nightmare.

I like Holly Willoughby!

Novocastrian

I didn't know that. It certainly explains a lot about the cousins.

MillieF

It is odd isn't it Novo? I did ask (being somewhat nervous) "what do I do if the birth doesn't go well"? They just shot back with a quick "oh if the child dies just tell us"! It didn't make me feel better! Also, our son's second name is Alistair, after my father, and I had to explain that this is a 'good, family name'. It's the reason you don't get kids in France named after the whole of the local sports team in a drunken moment by Dad. Names are seen as 'very' important....it is virtually impossible to change the given name you were born with, you have to get it right first time.

Then again my Canadian BIL thought Alistair was a girls name!

Novocastrian

This raises the issue of how many females in France are called Felix?

bats

They used to have to chose the names from an approved list, the French. In olden days. 1970s.

MillieF

Well that's what sort of got me puzzled, because our sprog was only born in 2001, but France gets very huffy about names evidently. I have a French friend who has a son the same age as ours and he's called "Tim" it's not short for Timothy and he doesn't have a second name, but she just 'liked it' but she evidently had a hell of a battle, and her husband was the head of our Gendarmerie!

Canadian classes are full of all sorts and would give this woman a real hard time with stereotyping, we have Skylar (a boy who has had a male Skylar in the family back to the 1st World War) and a Madison, Taylor and MacKenzie who are girls. I suppose it must all go in trends... I am a Pamela, and there do seem to be lots of us around the world of around my vintage...I am Definitely a Pamela though, never a Pam, and the Canadians all try to call me Pam immediately....really gives me the pip!

dbd33

"Gives them away" you mean "implies they're black"? That's a dangerous game, is Seamus always a Catholic?

bats

Since I was a teenager I've been known by an unusual shortened version of my name, all my UK documents except my passport were in that name. In Canada they won't use it unless I pay up so i end up being called by a name I don't like or recognise as me. Gives me the pip too.

scribe123

The video of the interview went viral on in-your-facebook.

She probably thinks she's the creme of society, but she comes across as a bit of a elitist batch with no grip on reality. I feel sorry for the woman's children growing up under her influence. Hardly mum of the year material.

orly

Gives away that they're American. You'll be hard pushed to find a "DeJarius" or "LaShaunique" outside the US

Where I'm from I'd be 99% certain Seamus would be a Catholic.

Novocastrian

What's so wrong with being American? Not my favourites, but of course, many of my friends are American. Maybe.

dbd33

Are you including Canada as part of the US? My kids went to school with a LaTisha, I expect there were more La or De names but only LaTisha was enough of a friend for me to know her.