footballer Theo Walcott. Famous people often choose very bizarre names for their
children, sometimes naming them after fruit, flowers and cities! Here are some ...
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Are you happy with your name? What’s the origin of your name? Is it your grandad’s or grandma’s name? Or is it a pop star’s or actor’s name? Is it traditional or modern? Very common or rare? In the UK at the moment the top names for 16-year olds are Tom for boys, and Rebecca for girls. There are lots of traditional names in Scotland, Ireland and Wales: for example, Cameron (for a boy) in Scotland, Sinead in Ireland, and Tegan (for a girl) in Wales. Some Welsh names are impossible for non Welsh-speakers to pronounce! But British parents often choose the name of their favourite pop stars, actors or sportspeople, such as Ewan, after the Scottish actor Ewan McGregor, or Theo, after the footballer Theo Walcott.
Famous people often choose very bizarre names for their children, sometimes naming them after fruit, flowers and cities! Here are some of our favourites: Peaches (Bob Geldof’s daughter), Chanel (Francesco Totti’s daughter), Apple (Gwyneth Paltrow’s daughter), Sunday Rose (Nicole Kidman’s daughter), Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz (the Beckhams’ sons).
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In some European countries, for example Germany and Italy, it’s illegal to give your child a strange or ridiculous name. Recently, an Italian mother and father wanted the name ‘Bottom’* for their baby boy. Fortunately for the baby, the court refused permission and the boy’s name is now Giorgio. How important are names? Some people think that your name determines the level of success in your life. A survey in the UK revealed that people called ‘James’ and ‘Elizabeth’ are successful but people called ‘Lisa’ and ‘Brian’ aren’t very successful at all. But don’t worry if your name is ‘Brian’, ‘Lisa’ or even ‘Bottom’! It is legally possible to change it! *Sedere, fondoschiena
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