Re: Christian, and it's obvious religious ties
in reply to a message by Dianatiger
I appreciate family names; also the names of friends. But there are so many to choose from ... I have two grandfathers named Thomas and two great-grandmothers named Christiana, and I haven't used either name. Both are good. But, I'd be more likely to use Thomas, nn Tom, as a fn and Christiana as a mn: Thomas is biblical, but it's also been used freely for millennia. Christiana ... does seem more like waving a specific flag. And as a completely non-religious person, that would seem like sailing under false colours. As a mn, that problem - if it is one - goes away. And Hypothetical Daughter could always say 'I'm Jane. Actually, I'm Jane Christiana Florence, after some of my mum's ancestors', and that would be fine.