(no subject)

[slemslempike]

I did that "what would your name in a different decade" be, and I am singularly unimpressed with the results.

My name today would be Collins. Collins. I know that Americans seem to like giving surnames to girls, but really. Mr Collins from P&P. I suppose you could think Jackie Collins which would be better, but even so. I am even more narked off about it because if my name were spelt incorrectly, I'd be Malia.

Other decades:
2000s Lesli (that seems much more 1980s)
1990s Malika (rather nice)
1980s Patience (this seems much more 1880s)
1970s Edie (best of the bunch)
1960s Corliss (actually I wouldn't mind this at all)
1950s Bobbye (nope)
1940s Trula (I haven't heard of this before, but rather sweet)
1930s Kathaleen (to me this seems a redundant syllable)
1920s Orene (Oh-reen or Or-een?)
1910s Anabel
1900s Pecola (isn't this a type of cheese?)

and most oddly of all, in the 1890s, Guy. Not to be all gender-policey, but I told them to tell me about GIRLS' names! Guy is just another word for boy anyway.

I accidentally used over 90% of the monthly internet package I was given on arrival in one night by downloading Game of Thrones, Bluestone 42 and Brooklyn Nine Nine. AND I STILL WANT MORE.

Comments

[ankaret.livejournal.com]

Apparently I'd be Abigail. I don't associate Abigail with babies at all, though come to think about it I do know some people with babies with Biblical names despite not being at all religious, so maybe it's a trend.

2000s: Kayla (which is a name I do associate with small children, thinking about it)
1990s: Amber
1980s: Angela
1970s: Susan
1960s: Barbara
1950s: Brenda
1940s: Margaret (could live with that)
1930s: Ruth
1920s: Anna (could also live with that, though had been hoping for something a bit more flapperish)
1910s: Alice (another name I associate with children, though I do know several Alices who are my own age or slightly younger)
1900s: Lillian (annoying to constantly be spelling it, would prefer Lilian)
1890s: Bessie. Um.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

I've heard about some baby Abigails, but not any Kaylas. You seem to have a list of nice sensible names, people who would be solidly good types in a story. (Except Angela. Angelas obviously have fluffy blonde hair and are both airheaded and spiteful - in books).

Would you be the full Margaret, or do you have a preferred shortening?

[whatho.livejournal.com]

If I go with my abbreviated name, and I do, my '50s name is Trinidad. And my 1900s name is Archie.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

TRINIDAD. You have the best alternative name. It's way better than China, or India, or Asia. Trinidad!

[katlinel.livejournal.com]

I do not believe you would be called Collins under any circumstance. There must be better surnames for you to be known by.

Shouldn't that be Lesley for girls? Although I think Leslie is popular for girls in the U.S. but not really a 2000s name.

Oreen-ee? More likely to be Irene or Eirene, like Antonia White, I'd think.

It told me my name was the 449th most popular name when I was born, which is not at all true. It was a top ten name in the U.K., which is what counts. Stupid meme. If my name had only been 449th, there wouldn't have been four of us with it in my O level English class.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

I think that Clare as spelled properly is quite low down the list, so you start getting variant spellings of more popular names, like Lesli.

Is it a variant spellings name as well - maybe C-you is more popular in the US?

[huskyteer.livejournal.com]

My 1930s name would be Richard. Huh?

My favourite is 1890s, 'Matie' [sic].

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

Aye aye, Matie!

So 1930s you, 1900s whatho and 1890s me are all gender swapped. What fun!

[hfnuala.livejournal.com]

There aren't enough Nuala's in America for the widget to work :( No, wait, if I lie about my birth year and claim to have been born in 2006 I get Aalia.

2000s Mekenzie (ick!)
1990s Lisbeth
1980s Sumer
1970s Zulma
1960s Dorris
1950s Felicita
1940s Gearldean
1930s Rina
1920s Clelia
1910s Placida (!!!!!!)
1900s Angelyn
1890s Melina

All girl names, I guess. I quite like Rina.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

Gearldean???? Oh, it's like Geraldine! I think Zulma's pretty cool.

Are either of your kids on there?

[spiralsheep.livejournal.com]

Malia... wickest witch in the west!!1!!

I'm currently reading a 1940s novel with an Edie but you're not alike in any way, for which you should be glad. My alt names are all very USian and the one for 2014 is almost the same as my actual name. I feel cheated out of a fictional alter ego. I might have to go and look up lists of UK baby names now.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

I am too lazy too look up UK names, but would love to know.

What is your Edie like? Insipid or dreadul?

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

Apparently my "today name" would be Kylie. I feel that this encapsulates how naming is about more than relative list position!

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

Despite having seen and heard the name Kylie for as long as I remember, it has started to look all weird written down, like it should be in a space opera.

[jekesta]

It's american so it thinks I am the top most popular name of 1980 so I get all the most usual of names, which are basically, Emma, Emily, Jessica, and then I'm just Mary until the dawn of time.

I love that they think you're just terrible at spelling names.

According to this in the UK in 1984 which is the closest I can find to my birth year, Jennifer was only 11th most popular, and then I'm Amanda, Tracy, Ann, Valerie, Dorothy, Betty, Gladys and Gladys. I'm not sure I'd want to be the first two (don't be cross) but then I rather like them.

I have edited this to correct my html sorry.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

Would you like Gladys? I would not like Gladys. Valerie and Betty are nice though.

[yiskah.livejournal.com]

Yep, me too. My name was the third most popular name in the year I was born (in the US - it peaked a long while later in the UK) and so I just get a whole load of very popular names across the ages. Nothing exciting at all!

[lsugaralmond.livejournal.com]

I got Madison which is distressingly passé

I rather like Collins! But maybe for a cat rather than a person.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

Collins is acceptable if you are a dictionary, no more.

[joyeuce]

I tried with both the full and abbreviated versions of my name. I'm not convinced many of these are even names; they look more like the results of selecting random Scrabble tiles. The only one I'd be prepared to take on is Valeria!

2010s: Rylie/Mina
2000s: Jacey/Mindy
1990s: Tianna/Kenyatta
1980s: Ami/Tamica
1970s: Marni/Kenneth
1960s: Louann/Selma
1950s: Carleen/Leatrice
1940s: Valeria/Amparo
1930s: Lovie/Willadean
1920s: Audra/Felice
1910s: Lera/Erline
1900s: Lossie/Roselle
1890s: Lular/Garnette

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

Gosh, you have got an interesting selection! Kenyatta must be from when he was first elected, I'd have thought - Kenneth is as baffling as my Guy. Roselle would suit the Abbey Girls.

[medland.livejournal.com]

THIS. IS. AMAZING. Marguerite was the 647th most popular name in the year I was born - I'm surprised it was that high actually. If I was born today I'd be called Emmeline.
2000s - Jaci
1990s - Sheryl
1980s - Temeka
1970s - Sanjuanita (best!)
1960s - Vernice
1950s - Willene
1940s - Rilla
1930s - Claris
1920s - Ernest (WTF)
1910s - Pearlene
1900s - Erva
1890s - Sylvester

Going with my middle name (Sally) my today name would be Haven.

[medland.livejournal.com]

Isn't there a character in Rent called Collins? Although that's such an early 00s musical and cultural thing that I'm surprised if it was still having an impact on names now.

[peeeeeeet.livejournal.com]

My today name is JEREMIAH. I win at today names.

Pecola is the name of the main character in Morrison's The Bluest Eye. I would like that name so I could shock people with the tragic backstory. Or just tell them it's a type of cheese

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

Jeremiah! Well done on that.

Get you with your literary knowledge.

[felinitykat]

Apparently my 1930s name would be Bernice which I quite like, I quite fancy being a Bernie.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

If you were Bernie I think people would assume that you were a Bernadette. Do you have a preference?

[majea.livejournal.com]

My today name is Raelynn! I do not accept this. I'm still in California, after all.

Other than Lavinia, the rest were pretty boring, so I used my other name and hit the jackpot. Unique, Leisha, Bernardine, Exie, Dola, and Zelia. I obviously need to change my name.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

Zelia. Be Zelia!

[alitheapipkin.livejournal.com]

Late to the party because I've been away on holiday.

Oh, my name was obviously much less popular in the USA than in the UK, I got some nice ones, although nothing as odd of some above:

Today - Josie
2000s - Nichole (with an 'h'?)
1990s - Maritza
1980s - Misti (what am I, a horse?)
70s - Isabel
60s - Roseann
50s - Eula (what?)
40s - Rosalee
30s - Juana
20s - Monica (sounds very modern to me because of Friends)
10s - Mina (I rather like this)
1900s - Ludie (well, it's different!)
1890s - Mertie (maybe not)

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

Eula could be short for Eulalie. Interesting to see Isabel, which was SO popular for babies more recently, in amongst Rosalee and Maritza.

[alitheapipkin.livejournal.com]

And with my pseudonym I got Rihanna, Marla, Lianna, Brea, Roseanna, Janette, Hettie, Donetta, Rheba, Ozzie, Rufina, Olla and Roe!

This is too much fun, I'm so using this next time I'm stuck for character names :)

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

Ozzie! Prince of darkness.