Old fashioned names

[Andrew Tarr]

I always considered Megan to be a modern name. I'd never heard of it until I watched Anne of Green Gables. Then my daughter's friend named her daughter Megan after the actress Megan Follows aka. Anne of Green Gables. 

There's nothing 'modern' about Megan.  the Welsh (and I think the Cornish) have always liked it as a pet version of Margaret, or Margred in Welsh.

[ThrelfallYorky]

Like others I'd an ancestor "Cissie" - we thought she'd been a "Cecilia" or a "Celia" - but eventually we discoverd she was an "Elizabeth Ann" - oldest sister to a long troupe of younger siblings, - who all faithfully called her "Cissie" on all communications!
I'd asked on RootsChat before if anyone knew why the Christian name "Doris" was popular in the early 20th C - I'd found a few. No one seemed to find a really good reason/ person to fit to have started the craze....
"Fanny" in my lot all started out as "Frances" ( from time to time spelled in the male way as "Francis") which sounds quite posh - but they weren't.
Names we never seem to meet now: Brenda,  Doreen, Glenda, Mildred....
In class registers we used to comment on the new intake's names - and the spellings! De-Bra, Diyyann, etc. Once there was a Sean (Shaun) who thought his name was pronounced "Sea - Ann", as he didn't answer to the name called by his teacher, on the register!
Flower names, and "double names ( Daisy-Jane, Lily-Ann, Mary-Rose) seem to be more popular again for girls

[Bearnan]

My maternal grandmothers second name was Grace and grandads Benjamin,  I now know both names go back several generations, and I love both names..........Then there's Theodosia on another line....oh dear.

[Andrew Tarr]

In class registers we used to comment on the new intake's names - and the spellings! De-Bra, Diyyann, etc. Once there was a Sean (Shaun) who thought his name was pronounced "Sea - Ann", as he didn't answer to the name called by his teacher, on the register!

My wife swears that she heard of a Scouse lady with a young son she called Gooey.  She spelt it Guy though.

[Trishanne]

My father in law was called Albert Victor, always known as Vic, my mother in law was called Desdemona, always known as Mona.
When my eldest son was a little boy he said to his grandma, 'I know why they call you Mona grandma, because you are always moaning' - out of the mouths of babes etc.

[CarolA3]

There was a Mona (her real name) where I worked.  Her parents must have had a crystal ball.  So miserable was she that our manager always called her Mrs Lot (not her real name), and so dim was she that she never worked out why

I have two Harriets in my tree and evidently neither of them liked the name.  One is on a census aged 6 as Harriet, but on the next she's Annie and kept that name throughout her life.  The other was Harriet Sarah Eliza who was always known as Dolly, which is usually a pet name for Dorothy

My late father-in-law, born 1921, was Stanley but hated it and was always known by his middle name.  My youngest cousin has a delightful son aged 2 called - guess what - Stanley!  Like clothes and 1960s music, everything comes back eventually.

Carol

P.S.  When my son was 6 or 7 he thought his granddad had a knighthood.  The initials 'SGP' were engraved on some silverware and the boy knew his granddad was 'GP', so the 'S' had to be 'Sir', obviously!

[Andrew Tarr]

My father in law was called Albert Victor, always known as Vic, my mother in law was called Desdemona, always known as Mona.

My mother-in-law was christened Mona, not short for anything; her elder sister was Sheba, also not short for Bathsheba.  She seemed happy with it, at least until she died at 97.

[Milliepede]

I knew a little black cat called Sheba but it's a lovely name for a lady as well 

[Rosinish]

One online today on RC....

Francis Xavier Robert

I wonder if he was easy to trace 

Annie