In trying to find a reason for the upsurge in Bluebells, I ran across the following description of a short British film called
Bluebell, released in 2004:
Juliette is attacked whilst walking home from school through the bluebell woods. She becomes pregnant as a result of the rape and after struggling with the decision, decides to keep the baby. Five years later she returns to the scene with her daughter to try to come to terms with what happened. During the assault Juliette focuses on the beauty of the bluebells in order to disassociate from the horrific ordeal: the bluebells give her strength and in effect 'save' her, and for this reason she has named her daughter after them as a symbol of survival. When her daughter asks about the origin of her name, however, Juliette is stunned and the question propels her back to the fateful events of that day, unlocking the secrets of the past. Written by Charlotte Crofts
Six minute shorts usually aren't very widely known, but it certainly does strike me that the above story could have inspired a lot of parents to use the name. Since SabrinaFair collects her lists of names from everywhere, it would be interesting to know how many of the Bluebells were born in the UK, where this film was made.
P.S. Of course it's more likely that Geri Halliwell, the singer who was formerly "
Ginger Spice" of the Spice Girls, was more of an influence by naming her daugher Bluebell in 2006. But as Ms. Halliwell is British, I wonder if she saw the film
Bluebell before her daughter was born.
This message was edited 5/27/2007, 4:40 PM