Every few months, about as often as I allow myself to relish a hot caramel sundae and with about the same amount of delicious anticipation, I dip into the London Telegraph birth announcements to see what the upper-crusty British baby namers are up to.
And as with that sundae, the results rarely disappoint. There are always plenty of eccentric three-name combinations, lots of charming sibsets, and a collection of names not often heard in my neighborhood of New Jersey.
One trend asserting itself in this collection: R names, with a raft of children (far beyond those mentioned here) called Rory, Rufus, Rupert, Rex, and Rowley, and on the girls' side, Ruby, Rose, Rosemary, Rosalind (and Rosalyn) and Romilly. R is a letter that's seemed dowdy for quite some time -- blame all those Baby Boom Roberts and Richards -- and is due for a resurgence.
The best of the recent British baby names are, for girls:
- Clementine Annabel Emily, sister for Rupert
- Daphne Olga Amelie, sister for Henry and Beatrice
- Eliza Miranda Rosemary, sister for William
- Ella Persephone, sister for Charlie and Evie
- Freya Audrey Barbara, sister for Hugh
- Grais Bridget, sister for Liam
- Harper Rose Bluebell, sister for Arnold and Madame Cholet
- Henrietta Daphne Mabel, sister for Harry, Digby, and Rowley
- Hermine Halcyon Margaret Isabel
- Isabella Allegra Jessica and Jemima Alice India (twins)
- Loveday Celestine Primrose Kennedy
- Luella Helen Willa
- Marie-Sixtine Alice Verity, sister for Max
- Matilda Daisy Margery, sister for Charlie
- Natsumi Emilia Kashima, sister for Jolyon
- Orla Eleanor Veronica
- Ottilie Ruby, sister for twins Lettice and Edith
- Poppy Angela, sister for Martha, Molly, and AgathAgatha
- Rosalyn Mairead, sister for Fintan
And for boys:
- Alasdair Lorne Leonardo
- Albert Thomas Harry, brother to Anna and Fred
- Algernon Frederick Hanson
- Augustus George Barden, brother for Hugo
- Ezra Martin, brother for Dolly, Albertine, and Lilac
- Hugo Rupert William, brother for Francesca
- Ignatius Mungo, brother for Atticus Monty, Octavius Kit, and Ptolemy Ned
- John Innes Archie
- Leo Michaelis Brocas
- Rex Patrick Wood
- Rory Sinclair Willasey
- Rufus Alexander, brother for Daisy
- Rupert Thor Hastings
- St John Michael Nicholas
- Tancred Thomas Granville (Ruskie), brother for Inca Skye, Inigo Somerset, and Francis Doune
- Thomas Maximilian Neame, brother for Flora
- Wilfred Rocky Otto