Lauren Miller, posting over at nameberry, a baby names site, sounds like someone we’d like to know: she’s a true Austen enthusiast, and we appreciate her thorough knowledge of and appreciation for the names in Austen’s books. And I appreciate her suggestion of naming your child after the hero or heroine of your favorite book—a friend of mine named her daughter Serenity, and I think there’s nothing wrong with that (though I would not name my child Enterprise.) Yes, your Elizabeths, Janes, Emmas, Annes, bring ’em on!
However, I do think Ms. Miller is a trifle naive in some of her name suggestions. To wit:
Kitty: Ms. Miller realizes you probably don’t want to name your kid Fanny. But naming her anything that can be twisted into the name of another female body part is really not a good idea. Alas, I speak from experience here.
Lydia or Maria: There’s nothing wrong with either of these as names. But do you want to name your progeny in honor of Lydia Bennet or Maria Bertram? Why not call her Scandal and be done with it?
Benwick: “It’s ‘Ben-ick,’ not ‘Ben-wick.’ On second thought, just call me Ben. Ha ha, Icky Ben! Like I haven’t heard that one before.”
Bertram: What ho?
Bingley: Is it my own dirty mind, or is this potential phallic territory? Rhymes with Dingaling, doesn’t it?
Dashwood: Similarly . . . Though we may have to face the possibility that NO name is safe from that sort of thing. But this one really does sound like a porn name. Sorry.
Wickham or Willoughby: See above re Lydia and Maria, plus, I think I’d kill my parents if they named me Wickham. At least Willoughby could be Will.
Darcy: As a girl’s name there’s nothing wrong with it except that it’s so . . . 80s. Isn’t it?
Grey: I know people can get used to virtually anything being someone’s name, and can forget its original meaning. But Grey, especially for a girl? Why not name her Dreary or Grim and be done with it? Also, small point, but Miss Grey in Sense and Sensibility was not exactly a nice person.
Price: LOL, think of the emotional scarring! Poor girl, branded as a prostitute from birth. “The Price is right!” The jokes are really endless.
Tilney: More random than anything else, I guess. But, Tilney? Really?
For the record, Ms. Miller, I love your other suggestions. Isabella: a nickname of mine, actually; Emma: a name I’ve considered for my own (strictly potential) daughter; Georgiana: just plain awesome! And considering some of the actual names people have actually named their actual children, I know it could be worse. But, please, think of the ramifications before you suggest these things! And, we’d love to hang out sometime and talk Jane Austen with you. You can even call me Isabella.
Photo credit:
austenacious 
That’s a seriously cute baby, Mrs. F!
I’m partial to Elinor, Elizabeth, and Isabella. And Anne (with an “e”). 🙂 I think Grey would be a silly name, and boring (Gray Davis, anyone?). Reminds me of the name Trey, which was used on the soap opera “Capitol” way back in the early 80s.
LikeLike
My husband’s first name is Price, but I don’t think it’s an “over-tired” boys name. lol! Don’t know many boy’s named Price…
But I agree on the “The Price is Right” jokes… That’s one of his many nicknames… (Half-Price being a favorite since he’s a Jr.)
LikeLike
Ooh, but Miss O, you know who’s also named Grey? Liz Lemon’s hot cousin, whom she accidentally dates (briefly) in the first season of 30 Rock. “No, YOU’RE holding up the line!” Heh. /obscure fictional men
It’s also true that Darcy is a (first) name I associate almost entirely with young adult novels approximately of the 1988-1992 period, though I couldn’t tell you which ones.
LikeLike
I thought Tilney was an odd suggestion when I thought she’d meant it as a boy’s name. Then I read the original post. Naming a girl Tilney? Really? Same with Price–okay for a boy, odd for a girl.
LikeLike
Hooray for Anne-with-an-e! That’s the name I would pick, as an homage to Anne Shirley, Anne Frank, and Anne Elliot. That may be too much expectation to put on one child though…
LikeLike
Janefan: Indeed, hooray for Anne-with-an-e! That *would* have been my name, had my father not overridden my mom with “Heather.” Ugh. There, now you all know my name!
Emily Michelle, Miss Ball, Sarah: Yeah, I thought it was clear in the post that Tilney, Grey, and Price were to be girls’ names, but maybe not. No offense to Mr. Sarah! I think all of them are ok enough for boys’ names, but NOT for girls!
LikeLike
Funny! I am not a big surnames-as-first-names person, but I agree that Anne, Elizabeth and Elinor are awesome. Marianne might also sound nice on someone who was really cool and poetic.
LikeLike
I’ve used Marianne in my wannabe novel, so I guess that makes her a “child” of mine. 😉
I love Anne as well, but I’m also partial to Anne without an E because that’s my middle name. (And I share it with my mum’s oldest sister, Carrie Ann – “Hey, Carrie Anne, what’s your game now?” LOL)
I happen to be quite opinionated about baby names and I think, on the whole, one can do much worse than Austen monikers… 😉
LikeLike
Hi!
I took the liberty of replying to a bit of your comments back on my original NB post, if you feel so inclined to read them. It’s good to hear all of your thoughts (even though I don’t necessarily appreciate being called “naive” – I know many of these names should come with a caveat, but there are certainly worse out there)…
LikeLike
The more I say Tilney the more I like it as a first name….for a girl! This is from someone who was saddled with the first name of Dallas…mostly a boys name, but I’m meeting more and more girls with it. (try growing up in TX with it!! LOL) If I only had a penny for every “is your middle name Fort Worth, is your last name Texas??? HAHAHAHAHA” …
As a kid my name bugged me a bit, but as an adult I love it. As much as I love it though, if I were to ever have kids, I definitely lean more towards strong tradition names like Elizabeth and William. I’d love to do FitzWilliam but don’t think I could bring myself to do that to a kid who’ll have to attend a US school!! 😀
LikeLike
Hey – she overlooked Musgrove, Heywood, Gardiner, Yates, Thorpe, Suckling and Patridge! One can only imagine how kids would be teased with those names. 😉
LikeLike
My husband’s first name is Price, but I don’t think it’s an “over-tired” boys name. lol! Don’t know many boy’s named Price…
But I agree on the “The Price is Right” jokes… That’s one of his many nicknames… (Half-Price being a favorite since he’s a Jr.)
LikeLike
I know for a fact there are several Emma Janes out there. My own sister claimed the name for her future daughter years ago, and is soon having her third son, so the name is held hostage continually.
I think Palmer could be a nice boys name, and could also see Tilney as a girls name.
LikeLike
Has anyone ever considered pemberly for a girl?
LikeLike
You could also name a boy Austen and nobody would notice till high school!
LikeLike