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HelpRe: Miley
in reply to a message by Lily
But Hilary was a name long before Hilary Duff came around. My stepsister is named Hilary and she was born in 1965. Hilary Duff was a celebrity who happened to have the name Hilary, just like Joan Crawford was a celebrity who happened to have the name Joan. Miley wasn't a name until Miley Cyrus popped up, so it may always stay associated with her, even if she is forgotten as a celebrity in the future. It may, I don't know for sure, but it's possible.
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This wasn't about Hilary's name at all but about Hilary. Hardly anyone remembers HER (unlike Cher or Madonna) so I wonder whether people will still think of Cyrus or of all the Mileys born in the past two years or so. I know that Hilary is an old name.
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NB: Cher and Madonna both had single-person names. Those make someone more memorable!
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Okay. Now do you think this is a good analogy or not:
My name, Janice, didn't exist until 1899, when it was coined by the author of a popular novel, "Janice Meredith." The novel was so popular at that time that there was a dance named after it, "The Janice Meredith Waltz", and a silent movie was made in the 1920s. As soon as the novel was published, people began using the name Janice, though not in great numbers until about 1930. Then the name stayed popular for about thirty years and most people who used it had no idea where it originated and hardly anybody today, I find, knows anything about "Janice Meredith."
So would this indicate that it's probable that people won't associate Miley with Miley Cyrus in the future? Or do you think the two situations aren't comparable because Miley Cyrus exists in a world of visual images and mass communication?
My name, Janice, didn't exist until 1899, when it was coined by the author of a popular novel, "Janice Meredith." The novel was so popular at that time that there was a dance named after it, "The Janice Meredith Waltz", and a silent movie was made in the 1920s. As soon as the novel was published, people began using the name Janice, though not in great numbers until about 1930. Then the name stayed popular for about thirty years and most people who used it had no idea where it originated and hardly anybody today, I find, knows anything about "Janice Meredith."
So would this indicate that it's probable that people won't associate Miley with Miley Cyrus in the future? Or do you think the two situations aren't comparable because Miley Cyrus exists in a world of visual images and mass communication?
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I think the same thing happened to Shirley. It was used for a female character in a book and from then on parents named their daughters Shirley instead of their sons (it was never really common for boys anyway). Then Shirley Temple came along and for some time people seemed to have named their daughters after her (at least that's what I read even though it was already a common name at the time).
Today it isn't associated with the book or Shirley Temple simply because there are so many around. And Shirley Temple is still well known in general, kind of like Charlie Chaplin.
So I'd say it depends. If Miley is being used more in the next couple of years and Miley Cyrus' career fades it will probably be usable. Unless she turns into a Lindsay Lohan case - no real career but always on the news for breaking the law.
Today it isn't associated with the book or Shirley Temple simply because there are so many around. And Shirley Temple is still well known in general, kind of like Charlie Chaplin.
So I'd say it depends. If Miley is being used more in the next couple of years and Miley Cyrus' career fades it will probably be usable. Unless she turns into a Lindsay Lohan case - no real career but always on the news for breaking the law.
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