What's in a name?

"What's in a name. That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."
Romeo & Juliet Act 2 Scene 2

Are names important? As the above quote from Romeo and Juliet shows, William Shakespeare clearly did not think so. For the majority of us however names are important - they give us a social identity.

Many years age we could tell a great deal about a person's cultural heritage from their forename. We could identify them as Jewish, Scottish, Irish etc. But times have changed. Parents have different motives now when choosing a name. There are less social or family pressures on parents to conform to any particular approach. Parents, in the main, simply choose names because they like them.

Names - the historical perspective
Up to the 11th century we only had Christian names to identify ourselves, as surnames were not used until after 1066. Even after this time it was rare to have a hereditary surname passed from father to son. Surnames tended to be descriptive e.g. William the Smith, William the Baker, William son of Watt. The number of forenames was quite limited and tended to noticeably expand when groups such as the Normans, Anglo Saxons and Hugenots, to name a few, came to England. In the 14th century nearly 80% of boys were called William, Thomas, John or Robert. Later it became a tradition to name children after a saint. As most children were baptised, local priests would rarely accept any name other than that of a saint.

How do we choose names?
Every year new or soon-to-be parents buy vast quantities of books on babies' names. These books explain the origins or meanings of particular names. But do hundreds of parents in Wandsworth really choose William for their baby boy because it means "helmet" or "protector"? People nowadays choose names because they like the sound of them or because they hold particular memories. It is becoming less frequent for babies to be named after a member of the family. Much more influential are the names given to characters in soap operas or to the children of famous people and royalty ­ think of the popularity of Harry and William. The much prophesised emotional increase in Diana for baby girls in late 1997 did not materialise. However, the Registrar General did show a national increase in the popularity of Courtney after the birth of a baby of that name in Eastenders in 1997. Many people like to choose unusual or more individualistic names for their children and some of these will be disappointed when they read this database and see that their baby's name is not as unique as they thought. Our apologies in advance if this upsets you.

Are there any restrictions on what you can call a baby?
With the exception of objectionable names there are no restrictions on the forenames that can be given to a baby when registering a birth. People can and do use their imagination when it comes to dreaming up unique names for their offspring. So far, no parents in Wandsworth have named their baby after Crystal Palace or Arsenal but we have had over seventy Chelseas in recent years. Whatever name you give to your baby, you need to think what he or she will think of it when they get a little older. They won't thank you if it means that they become a figure of fun in the school playground. While it may be possible to change names by deed poll when they can't stand it any longer, the name on the birth certificate is the one that must be given on all legal documents.

Popular names
Since we computerised our birth records in 1991, over 68,000 babies have been born in Wandsworth. Between them they were given over 13,000 different names. Many of the names are simply slight variations on the spelling of other versions of the name. Shortened versions of older names have become popular in their own right ­ hence the popularity of Jack, Bill, Dan, Dick etc. The older British names with biblical connections still remain the most popular. As Wandsworth becomes a more cosmopolitan community, more and more babies names reflect the cultural origins of the parents. This is as true for the increase in Irish names as it is for Muslim. The variations in spelling is also relevant here as well as you can see from the variety of ways of spelling Mohammed, Muhammed, Muhammad, Muhamed, Mohammad.

Finally - before choosing the name
Think about the diminutives of the name you have picked. Many mothers who loved the name David were horrified when their little boy was called Dave. William becomes Bill, Richard gets shortened to Dick, Elizabeth becomes Lizzie. Some parents try to outsmart that group of people who try to shorten every name. These parents pick one-syllable names such as John, Jean, Rose, Clare, and Guy. They will not succeed ­ the name shorteners will never be thwarted no matter how short the registered name is. Think of the initials that your child will have. Patrick Ignatius Grant has never forgiven his parents for the initials they inflicted on him. Many parents with interesting surnames know the nickname that their child will get called and they accept the inevitability of this when they register their baby. Mr. & Mrs. Ledger will call their daughter Penny. The Nail family called their new son Rusty. Mr. & Mrs. Bond will need great perseverance to avoid feeling compelled to call their son James. You can guess what the Whittingtons called their son. No doubt you can think of many others in a similar position.

Registering a birth
Guidance on the arrangements for registering the birth of your baby can be found on the on the pages on registering a birth.