May 2, 2004

Oy! Utsire! Get over 'ere!

Having observed a family earlier today in which one of the children appeared to be called "Bailey" (okay, that's possibly a surname, but I didn't think it was a first name) I came to the conclusion that the name had to have come from the Shipping Forecast area of the same name. This made me wonder what other shipping areas could provide parents with appropriate names for their children.

  • Finisterre: Doesn't actually exist any more (now renamed FitzRoy), but would make a perfect sister to Fionnula and Patricia.
  • FitzRoy: A brother to Finisterre, Fionnula and Patricia.
  • Rockall, Fastnet: Would make splendid rock star child names.
  • South-East Iceland: Something of an avant garde one this, but might well have been the next name Frank Zappa would have used had he had any more children after Ahmed, Dweezil and Moon Unit. Either that or "Irish Sea".
  • Tyne, Thames, Humber: If "Shannon" (also a shipping forecast area) can be a name, why can't these? (answers on a postcard...)
  • Viking: For misguided American parents who think this demonstrates their Nordic heritage (i.e. one of their grandparents came from Oslo)
  • Hebrides, Cromarty: Ditto, except make that Scottish ancestry.
  • Wight, German Bight: When Goths start to breed.. (heaven forbid)
  • Utsire: Possibly for twins (North and South), but definitely for those looking for an exotic, Eastern European-sounding name for their child which they'll have to spell out every time they ring a call centre.
  • Portland: For parents who want their child to get bullied over their name at school for 14 years, emerge as an embittered wreck and go on a shooting rampage.
  • Fair Isle: For birdwatching couples who follow the Beckham child-naming policy.
  • Trafalgar: Perfect for members of the UK Independence Party. Just give the kid a decent second name they can quietly adopt in their teenage years, for pity's sake.
Posted by mpk at May 2, 2004 10:13 PM | TrackBack
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