h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Working for the Pension Service, you come across names not used beyond a certaind ate- no-one born post-1940 has ever been named Ethel, for example. Edith is another elderly name, as are Philomena and Ernest, soon there will be no-one alive with these names and they will die out from popular memory.

And I've come across one gentleman in his 90s named Lemuel. Like Samuel, only with Le at teh start. How great a name is that? I want to name my firstborn son Lemuel now.

There's an interesting article in the addendum to the book *Freakonomics* about names and how they become obsolete or unpopular. Interesting.

Good luck with the firstborn thing.

You don't see Lois or Ruth used much anymore, either. Or Maude. Both of my grandmothers were named Ethyl. Second name for both of them.

Lately there are altogether too many names ending in a vowel, I say.

My father actually told me to avoid women with names that end in a vowel. It was a joke, of course (I hope it was!) and I ended up with someone with a name that ended with *Y* so I sort-of followed his advice.

But alas even that didn't work out after a while. Perhaps if I changed my name to Dale or Ali or Chucky....

Oh, and I knew an Ethel once. Ethel Alexandria Cohall.

You know...



























Ethel Al Cohol

My father's stepmother was named Ethel. She'd have been born in teh very early 1900's I'd guess as my grandfather was born in 1890something

I just can't imagine calling a tiny newborn 'Ethel'.

Mabel seems to be coming back into fashion though.

YES ! My daughters are safe their names ending in a - a - e - e - e, my son however remains at risk - his name ends in Y

*drops in from the INFO page, having seen this hours ago ...*

My baby will turn 26 in September, and is the Mom of my 4 grand-kids. She was named after some noteable women in my (now-ex-)wife's tribe. Her given names are Mavis Iris.

Neither are what I have seen anywhere, since the first day she stuck her at me.

There are plenty of Northern English pensioners called Mavis, I can tell you that.

Grenville is another name that I have only come across through work, and another that I just can't imagine anyone being named.

Ah, ... well, ... living as she does "on the Rock" (aka Newfoundland) she will remain a bit distinctive then.

Have a happy thread. ta-ta ...