i thought you all would appreciate this!

[politicking.livejournal.com]

my grandmother had a small book Names For Boys & Girls from 1966! i thought i would type up some of the things in it, including names, & tips on naming your child :)

first, Things to think about when selecting a name: "...one of the first things to keep in mind is your national and racial heritage... Another point to remember is the physical characteristics of both sides of the family... Then there's another important thing to remember: does it go with the last name?... The rule is this: A long name goes better with a short first name and vice versa."

The nickname will be important: "If you don't like the nickname Meg, then don't name your baby girl Margaret... in recent times the use of nicknames as given names has become quite acceptable. And so many birth certificates now carry a name such as Polly, Jim, Dick, Betty, and Becky."

Edit: advice on uni-sex names:
"And even though they're lovely names... be careful of names that, at least soundwise, fit both sexes. Examples are: Francis (Frances), Jean (Gene), Kerry (Carrie), and Gail (Gale). These are safer used as middle names with a first name that is unmistakably masculine or feminine."

Comments

[freezemyazaleas.livejournal.com]

I really like the name Polly but I hate Paula, Pauline and especially Paulina, so I'd use it as a full name. However, Dick as a given name in these days would be disastrous!

And I think the tips are really good and they still apply today.

[jazzyaimsaru.livejournal.com]

my mom's name is Polly :)

[lneef.livejournal.com]

I'd say this is all pretty good advice. Though I have no idea what physical characteristics have to do with naming. Racial/cultural, maybe, but purely physical, not really. Unless you're saying not to name a kid "Red" when the family's never had a redhead.

[politicking.livejournal.com]

as for physical characteristics it says:

"If your baby's ancestry features average or smaller height and weight, the name Lionel (lion-like) might not be the best choice. And, of course, the families peopled with large, brawny individuals, the name Orville (serene) might misfire."

[lneef.livejournal.com]

Yeah, because we all know what Orville means... wow, that's stretching.

[moldycelery.livejournal.com]

I think the nick-name thing is sort of ridiculous. Using the example, my name's Margaret and my parents loathe the nick-name Peggy, and I hate the nick-name Maggie. I generally go by Meg, and no one calls me Peggy or Maggie. In short, the moral of the story is, if you like a name but not the nick-name, then choose another nick-name, or don't use a nick-name all together.

[politicking.livejournal.com]

haha, that's what i thought, too. when i hear Orville, i think of popcorn... not "serene" lol

[kimber-leigh.livejournal.com]

in recent times the use of nicknames as given names has become quite acceptable. And so many birth certificates now carry a name such as Polly, Jim, Dick, Betty, and Becky.

i don't like it when people do this.. my grandparents (both sides) did this.. on my mom's side, i have an aunt named Becky Lou instead of Rebecca Lucille (which i think is a beautiful name) and an uncle named Tommy instead of Thomas.. and on dad's side i had an uncle named Ricky.. ugh..

[th3-unicorn.livejournal.com]

those are great rules now too!
except the part on nicknames on your birth certificate

[th3-unicorn.livejournal.com]

I know some girls in Italy named Chiara (Kee-ara), which translates to Claire and is the common-use italian word for 'fair-coloured', that hate their name because they have dark features.

It's funny though, because Ciaran/Kieran (similar in pronounciation to Chiara) actually mean 'dark'. So you never know lol

[so-there.livejournal.com]

I thought polly was a nickname for... mary.. or something. most old nicknames don't sound a thing like the original name.