Message: "Popularity of DIANA in relation to that of Lady DI"

Popularity of DIANA in relation to that of Lady DI

by Andy ;---) (guest)

6/4/2006, 11:00 AM

Was there a significant increase of DIANA in any country, when Lady Di became popular? What about her death? Did it have any influence?

#popularity

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- JemmaB (guest) +1

6/23/2006, 7:40 AM

Diana was never a very popular name in England. Diane being far, far more popular. It has tended to be regarded as snooty and upper-class. Even when Princess Diana was popular you didn't hear the name much in kindergartens and you still don't.

- morfydd

6/26/2006, 4:11 PM

JemmaB has a curious way of looking at this name. "Diana" held a place among the top 10 favourite names (as advertised in the columns of the national daily "The Times" for years and years before Princess Diana came on the scene. I don't know who regards it as "snooty and upper class" in the experience of JemmaB. One can't, after all, be blamed for the choice of one's parents! In my view, "Diane" is an abbreviated form or/alternatively a French translation of the classical name "Diana" -- cf. Diane de Poitiers, mistress of Louis XIV. Lazy speakers will use it in preference to Diana because it is one syllable less to pronounce. I've even heard the late Princess of Wales referred to as "Princess Diane" where that final syllable was just too much trouble!

This message was edited 6/26/2006, 4:13 PM

- Cleveland Kent Evans (clevelandkentevans) +1

6/4/2006, 1:28 PM

In the USA, Diana increased in use by about 70% just after Diana married Prince Charles in 1981. It had begun to decrease again when Diana's tragic death in 1997 seems to have caused a sudden 30% spike upward in the name. The 1997 increase, however, seems to have been largely confined to the Hispanic-American community. Hispanics are more likely to go in for commemorative naming in response to celebrity deaths than people from other American subcultures are, it seems.

- Andy ;---) (guest)

6/4/2006, 9:33 PM

Thanks! t

Thanks a lot,

this is just what I was looking for. So maybe people from other countries can add to this ...

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