strange family names

[harewoodhouse]

  came across strange family  of Colmer's from Somerset..some of the kids were called...Cornelius agrippa, cleopatra and  ptolmey...I dont know what they were on but I think it is safe to say they wanted the kids to stand out from the crowd

[eadaoin]

30 or so years ago we met a couple at a party who had called their son Ptolemy, and the other child had an unusual name too - can't quite remember - ships passing in the night ....
eadaoin

[Siamese Girl]

The only Ptolemy I've heard of is Ptolemy Dean http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptolemy_Dean the architectural historian - I see he has a sister Tacita - which is also pretty unusual.

Carole

[RachelK]

As far as I know, Ptolemy and Cleopatra were both names used by the ancient egyptian pharaoh's etc. There was a big egyptian revival at the turn of the century, when archaeologists discovered tutenkamun's tomb I think?

Perhaps this family had a special interest in egyptian history.

[harewoodhouse]

   yes, but I imagine these poor kids got bullied at school for it, the other day I was looking at a record for a women her full name was Caroline Harriet Sarah Elizabeth Henslow....I was thinking that theres a cunning way to teach your kid the alphabet...well most of it 

[Redroger]

There is or was a Ptolomey family in Doncaster, also a Caesar family. I know Doncaster is a former Roman fort, but this is ridiculous. Incidentally the Ptolomeys were Greek migrants to Egypt, and not native Egyptians. Cleopatra was Greek by birth.

[harewoodhouse]

I pity Cornelius the most, Cleopatra could shorten her name to Cleo, Ptolomey to Pat or Tommy but Cornelius Agrippa...what can you do with that, maybe Con. I have a family who still to this day call one of the children Cornelius but mostly now it is used as a middle name.

[loandy]

I had a great Uncle whose middle name was Vaseline. Thank god that did not continue down through the family . Loandy

[suzard]

Ptolmey must be making a come back -there are several birth regs 2000-2005 where the forename is Ptolomey!!

Suz