Zoe Cummings: Now imagine, calling your child Armani, Loreal, or Bambie. One of the new survey from Bounty has discovered that more and more parents are opting the ever stranger names when it comes to naming your child. Simon Williamson from Bounty and Catherine O'Dolan, the Editor of Junior Magazine have joined us here to talk about it. Thank you very much for joining us. Now Simon, how surprised were you by the results of the survey?
Simon Williamson: Well, quite surprised in that, it's a reasonable departure from what we have in the year before, moving to these unusual names is something we've seen in the States, but in the UK it's not doing pretty as well.
Zoe Cummings: Now what's the craziest name you came across?
Simon Williamson: Well, that's a personal thing really I guess. Levis by unusual, Finsley, I mean they have named after a place the baby is conceived, that kind of thing.
Zoe Cummings: What is a Levi - biblical name to start?
Simon Williamson: It is yes, and it maybe named after that another, maybe it named was after the jeans.
Zoe Cummings: Well Catherine, what do you make about to this? Why do you think it is that parents are all putting the stranger names?
Catherine O'Dolan: I think it's very much a sign of the times and also the whole kind of celebrity thing that started perhaps with Victoria and David Beckham, 'Blame it on the Beckhams' yet again with Brooklyn and forget about what Cruise, is the latest, isn't it, but you know they kind of forget I guess that they are actually just Dave and Vicky themselves so you know I think everybody thinks why not give my child an extra exotic name and lend a bit of glamor into our lives that stays.
Zoe Cummings: But you yourself didn't go to that. Did you?
Catherine O'Dolan: I've opted for a very, very simple traditional name Joseph, Joseph Patrick, that kind of showing his Irish heritage as well and you know, it's just a name that we like to have personally, I wouldn't really want them to be a little Armani, I don't think.
Zoe Cummings: Simon, when you were doing it, what reasons did people give for deciding to choose unusual names for children?
Simon Williamson: Well, we naturally asked that specifically, but in terms we have given it some thoughts since then. One of the things that happened in the last twelve years, the average age of the first time mom is gone up from 25 and a half to 28 and a half. So, they are more confident and that they might mean that they are more prepared to go beyond the traditional.
And also we are finding that naming ceremonies now one of which we promote a not necessarily religious, so that means you'll not under the same kind of pressure that you might had been in the past when people to be named after the saints. So there is two good reasons and there is no brothers as well. I think that's the two possible reasons to why people are brighter generally.
Zoe Cummings: Catherine, as editor of a children, baby magazine, what do you find in your facts of these strange names that happen on children?
Catherine O'Dolan: Well, I suppose that'd be worry for some parents that a name like that might actually be the cause of bullying or teasing and so on. In fact, I saw an interesting piece on the new website which was started by Mr. Joe. His parents obviously decided to give him an interesting Christian name, Digby Milo but he started his website called "I hate my name". So that's for anyone else who feels that parents have given them a ridiculous name and they really want someone else to sort of sympathize and emphasize with them, a life of taking the mickey out of your name.
Zoe Cummings: Simon, is it common that people who said that they hate their name, they have given or do people say it is an incentive?
Simon Williamson: You mean unusual name?
Zoe Cummings: Yeah.
Simon Williamson: We actually find out that people either prefer the name more or less than the norm. So, like it was a cold-blooded hated response to that, but generally, most people actually grow into their name and -- with 25% of people who had unusual name said that they received some kind of pulling to be strong but some kind of, if they are going to laugh at their expensive school, they actually {Voice Overlap] distinguished through the name.
Zoe Cummings: Give us some of the names that you came across when you're doing the survey?
Simon Williamson: Well, Mauritians need - Mauritians like things like sunshine and clothe and jewel. When you think about the meaning, jewel for example, it's being special and valuable. It was just -- people got their expectations about what they want their children to have and it's really about those children having to stand up in what people say in ever increasing competitive world.
Zoe Cummings: But what about brand names? It seems making in roads into society? Why are people choosing names that, other people associate with products?
Simon Williamson: Well, I am not sure that's really going on the UK, but in certainly States that's happened. I don't know why people called their children Armani, for example, but no ones come up with a name like John Louis, that would be an electrical one.
Zoe Cummings: In itself, it's not typically unusual name either?
Simon Williamson: Well, that's right we'll actually [Voice Overlap] Casey Booth.
Zoe Cummings: Catherine, do you ever get letters from readers asking advice about the effects that have by giving children strange names or do people nowadays are saying have the confidence to go ahead and call their children what they want?
Catherine O'Dolan: I think it's very, it's a very difficult thing to actually name your baby. I mean it's a lovely thing but you know everybody has an opinion of oh! You are going to call Nikawa (ph) once knew someone who wasn't nice so, you know, has all these different associations but I think parents should be able to go with that gut instinct and if they want to call Apple then I think that's fine and good luck to them really.
Simon Williamson: Yeah, I think, just to get the most popular names, or actually reasonably what people will never see these traditional names. So it's sort of -- if it goes Alley, Emily, simple Pauly and for boys it's Jack, Joshua, Thomas, and James. So these are traditional names.
Zoe Cummings: So the unusual names then seem to be simply along the names of the celebrity.
Simon Williamson: Oh, yes. I think people will -- but if it is highly unusual creative names then that is certainly different.
Zoe Cummings: Catherine, Joseph has his feelings about these strange names?
Catherine O'Dolan: I think he might be wishing he had a more exotic name or something, hearing some of those we've mentioned.
Zoe Cummings: If the people don't have a real interest in brand marketing of their children, is that something parents look at now?
Catherine O'Dolan: I think certainly parents are lot more designer aware, you know, of labels and so on and you know they want to dress their children in a baby Barbury (ph) and Armani and DNG and I guess if you are sort of parent who is into that glamor side of life then why not give your child a name that sort of reflects those values.
Simon Williamson: I think they are more marketing so they are thinking in those terms in a way -- because they think it's just about making -- children look for them in the increasing competitive world.
Catherine O'Dolan: I think, you know, name like Mercedes might be popular, but nobody wants to call their boy Skoda --
Zoe Cummings: But of course, we talked a little bit about the hindrance of unusual names. Can you bring it to children before giving, all there positives besides the individuality that we just mentioned?
Catherine O'Dolan: I would say that would be a strength and maybe been able to defend yourself in the playground is a good thing. I don't know if that's -- you know, I think if your child feels that they are individual and you know they are right their name gives them that sort of confidence, then that's a good thing.
Simon Williamson: Yes, that's true. So it'd be right to choose their surnames and so we live with that, so I want to live with that first name as well.
Zoe Cummings: I suppose it's the ways of possibility to change your names.
Catherine O'Dolan: They always depopulate their -- yeah, they can change.
Zoe Cummings: When you have been talking to parents and obviously, when you get letters from readers coming into the magazine, do you find that naming a child is incredibly difficult process that people do agonize over it?
Catherine O'Dolan: I think you do, yes, and you know, a lot of parents don't know the sex, so either you have a boy name and a girl name and sometimes you know girls come more easily in your list of names and then it's a boy in your life, oh, what do we do here. So it is a big decision and you know it's something that's going to live with them throughout of their live, so it is an important one but I don't think parents should worry about it. They should try and sort of look at it as a positive and you know, joyful thing to name your baby really.
Simon Williamson: What we want to do next is some searching to if it's different between personal -- moms. I am sure that moms are more relaxed, well parents are more relaxed generally and they might have an impact from where they chose an unusual name or not .
Catherine O'Dolan: And I think because you know fashions change so much as well that you know the second name you might have had, I mean my daughter Grace is nine and if she was going to be boy, she was going to be Cameroon, but now when Joe was born, we've gone off that name because there are lot of Cameroons around and I am sure there are lot of Josephs too, but at least it's a very sort of traditional name that has family associations for us.
Zoe Cummings: And do you think is there any correlation between the name that you have given as a child and how well you succeed later in life?
Catherine O'Dolan: There has been some research or anecdotal I think among teachers who, just a few months ago something is saying that they go down the list and say, oh, I have got a Page in the class she is going to be trouble or Kailey and so they have all these associations with different names which in their experience would be troublesome -- you know, all of us going to be a wiggler that sort of thing, which I think is a shame. It sounds like it comes stereotypes but maybe there is something in it.
Simon Williamson: We haven't been there in the research so that's fine you tell, so that's the case.
Zoe Cummings: Do you think that advice to parents if they want advice when they think about naming their children, what would you say having spoken to people about choosing names?
Simon Williamson: Well, first we are very personal, and so it's down to leave with the parents and we believe that parents are ultimately, hope that they are working out with -- families. So in terms of giving an advice, just take your time which you do have and you will come to worry about.
Zoe Cummings: Simon and Catherine, thanks very much for joining us.
Catherine O'Dolan: Thank you.
Simon Williamson: Thank you.
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