Pangur Bán
Deconstructed
Survey 1, the surname survey comes from the records of deaths, births and marriages in 1995. Anglo-Scottish does not usually here mean "Anglicized Scottish name"; it usualy means, an Anglo-Norman name which came to Scotland in the high/late middle ages and became confined largely to Scotland; or, also, English- sounding names which originate in Scotland. Certain types of English name proliferate in Scotland, probably owing to naming trends popular in pre-modern Scotland. There are lots of -son names in Scotland, because pre-modern Scottish society emphasized kinship and family and not feudal ties to the same degree as so-called "Frankish Europe". Colours are also popular, because of the Celtic-Scottish tendency to use colours as nicknames for great warriors. This isnt so bad. It proves that, since the middle ages, the only immigrants to make a serious impact on Scotlands surname genepool, are English artisans and Irish immigrants.
However look at the most popular forenames in Scotland. Survey 2, the 98 most popular boys names, reveals that only 30 of 98 names are actually Scottish.
A few other names, like Ciarin, Gary, Elliot and Jamie, arguably qualify as Scottish, but not enough really to be called such IMO. Some, OK, are Christian names common to all European countries, but most, like Ryan, Jack, Liam, Max, Jay, etc, are blatantly foreign.
What really makes me worry, though, is Survey 3, the 98 most popular girlss names. Only 9 out of the top 98 girls names for 1998 in Scotland are actually Scottish names. That is shocking and very worrying. Where are good old Scottish names like Malcolm, Douglas, Ian, Alastair/Alasdair, Donald, Kenneth, Neil, Derek, Mirren, Ranald, Fingal, Farquhar, Lachlan, Mungo, Murdo, Dougal/ Dugald, Innes, Ivar or Donnan, names that were all significantly more popular in the last century? Or female names like Brenda, Gillian, Mairi, Lorna, Rhona/Rona, Morag, Flora, Muriel, Ina, Una or Bonnie? Are generic Anglo-American (not claiming they were originally so
) names like Chloe, Amy, Emily, etc, sooo much better?
This makes me very sad and worried. I know that Scotland is not alone in this experience, but that really doesn't help.
QUESTION: Does this mean that Scotland is facing a cultural crisis? Am I right to be so worried?
However look at the most popular forenames in Scotland. Survey 2, the 98 most popular boys names, reveals that only 30 of 98 names are actually Scottish.
A few other names, like Ciarin, Gary, Elliot and Jamie, arguably qualify as Scottish, but not enough really to be called such IMO. Some, OK, are Christian names common to all European countries, but most, like Ryan, Jack, Liam, Max, Jay, etc, are blatantly foreign.
What really makes me worry, though, is Survey 3, the 98 most popular girlss names. Only 9 out of the top 98 girls names for 1998 in Scotland are actually Scottish names. That is shocking and very worrying. Where are good old Scottish names like Malcolm, Douglas, Ian, Alastair/Alasdair, Donald, Kenneth, Neil, Derek, Mirren, Ranald, Fingal, Farquhar, Lachlan, Mungo, Murdo, Dougal/ Dugald, Innes, Ivar or Donnan, names that were all significantly more popular in the last century? Or female names like Brenda, Gillian, Mairi, Lorna, Rhona/Rona, Morag, Flora, Muriel, Ina, Una or Bonnie? Are generic Anglo-American (not claiming they were originally so
) names like Chloe, Amy, Emily, etc, sooo much better? This makes me very sad and worried. I know that Scotland is not alone in this experience, but that really doesn't help.
QUESTION: Does this mean that Scotland is facing a cultural crisis? Am I right to be so worried?
In my opinion weird names are a good thing, unless of course they are names that are also words like "Destiny"
