View Message

New Post
Search
Help

This is a reply within a larger thread: view the whole thread

An observation...
by coldplayer9
3/14/2011, 3:27 PM
in reply to a message by Sofia

What is it with Brits and naming their sons nicknames like Alfie and Archie?
Archived Thread - replies disabled
vote up1

Replies

- Orsino (bananarama)
3/15/2011, 2:59 PM
Archie has actually been used on its own for a while. I've heard of older Archies who were not Archibald.Alfie, on the other hand, sounds infantile.A lot of nickname names were quite popular in America during the 1880s.

This message was edited 3/15/2011, 3:00 PM

vote up1
- Anneza
3/14/2011, 11:25 PM
They've been at it for a long time! My family tree contains a great-aunt by marriage who was born in 1879 and named Nellie. Her mother's given names were however Sandford Pick, so clearly nothing proves anything.
vote up1
- Kitty (vomiting)   +3
3/14/2011, 7:13 PM
Nicknames with a long history are popular in the U.K. Even Katie is right up the top in popularity in Ireland.
vote up1
- coldplayer9   +2
3/14/2011, 8:09 PM

There's still something about that which strikes me the wrong way. I believe in giving the child a proper full name, and using a nickname only in practice. Who wants to be a 70 year old Abbie or Katie when they could be an Abigail or a Catherine?
vote up1
- Dracotorix   +1
3/14/2011, 8:26 PM
There are some American ones too. Liam is popular in the US, and it's a nickname. Also Jack (that's a little more British too, but it's also popular in the U.S., unlike Alfie and Archie) and things like Luke.
vote up1
- coldplayer9
3/14/2011, 8:34 PM

Very true. I wouldn't name my son Liam or Jake, but Jack I do see as a name on it's own. Probably because it sounds nothing like John.
vote up1
- Betsabé (betsabe)   +2
3/14/2011, 3:56 PM
Brits love their nicknames for boys and girls.My cousin's two sons are actually called Alfie and Archie, and her reason for using the nicknames, was that Alfred and Archibald are "too posh for someone like me." She also has a daughter called Abbie, and this time it wasn't that Abigail was too posh for her, she just thought it would be odd to use a full form when she hadn't for the two boys.
vote up1
- coldplayer9   +1
3/14/2011, 4:11 PM

Lol that's funny. Yeah I've noticed that many Brits do that.Abbie, Archie and Alfie... that's a matchy sibset lol.
vote up1
- Betsabé (betsabe)
3/14/2011, 4:21 PM
Yes it is matchy, and needless to say I'm not a fan, but of course she doesn't know that lol!
vote up1