I always think as a parent, when deciding on your child's name your first thought should be as to whether they're going to be teased at school because of it. If the answer is yes, then decide on another one. Fortunately, that wasn't a necessary thought for my ex-wife and I as we immediately decided on strong traditional names for our boys. The only oddity is that both boys have the same second middle name, Ashborn, which is my ex's maiden name. This is due to the fact that her Dad has 2 older brothers and between the 3 of them, she was the only child so it was thought that was the best way to show the family link.
Once, in a previous lifetime as a teacher, I taught a child named Mallard Watts. A girl. Apparently named after the steam engine, not the wild duck. Mind you, this was in Ramsgate.
Thanks for the memory prompt GG - reminds me of a young Aboriginal girl I met years ago. Many Aborigines have two names - their main name being a traditional tribal name on thier own language, usually as unpronounceable as Welsh, and an 'Anglicised' one which they use when dealing with Government departments and 'white fellas'. Sometimes the Anglicised names simply reflect an everyday object or occupation with which they are familiar - hence in Queensland there are many families called Mailman, Daylight, Dustbin, none of whom are actually related. Whilst working in a small town in far west Queensland, I met mum and daughter from a family called Blanket, and when told that the daughter's name was Mallard, I had to ask the obvious question - why? Mum showed her sense of humour with her answer - her husband was a stockman who worked in the bush for up to a month at a time & when he came home the first thing he would say to her was "duck under the blanket woman". True story.
Might have had similar origins in Ramsgate actually. Quite a few kids had dads who were 'in Saudi Arabia' i.e. staying her majesty's pleasure. Not quite like working in the bush, but certainly absent for several month at a time!
I don't know, Paul is quite a nice name! GG - I thought Ramsgate was rather posh compared to the rest of Thannet?
I once worked with an Irish girl called Breda. She married a Mr Cattell....but was very evasive about her husband's surname for quite a while...
