Comments on: Changing names

By: Ian Poulton

Ian Poulton — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 08:56:20 +0000

BW,

I had never even thought about it! The North is another world here and there’s not much interest in its affairs.

By: Blackwatertown

Blackwatertown — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 22:21:30 +0000

Smith is straightforward. As long as you’re not a Smyth, or a Smythe.

But to be called the Reverend Ian? Do they put on a special gruff voice when they say it?
I know it’s your name, and your title. Either separately is innocuous. Ian is particularly fine. And with a Poulton on the end even better.
But the Rev and the Ian combined… well… I can’t help think of that other bloke. (I’m clearly failing to transcend my roots.)

By: Ian Poulton

Ian Poulton — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 21:34:07 +0000

I get called ‘Reverend Ian’ by most people in the parish – which is nice, and helps avoid the odd pronunciations!

By: steph

steph — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 16:14:25 +0000

You should try living with the name ‘Blandford’, my married name. It originated in Blandford Forum, Dorset.

Living in Ireland with an English name, as you well know, has it’s problems.

I’ve been called Bradford, Langford, Blanchford, Blatchford, Blanchfield, and Blanchard but the most common one in Ireland, is Blanford without a ‘D.’ It doesn’t seem to register when you say that your name has a ‘D’ in the middle as it’s still left out When I visit England, it’s always spelt correctly.

Mind you, my single name ‘Nairn’ wasn’t any easier to live with as it was Scottish in origin (I suspect my ancestors may have been part of the Ulster Plantation) although I’m Irish through and through!

By: Baino

Baino — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 00:34:44 +0000

Ah Bainbridge is a place in Yorkshire but that’s my married name. Dunn is my maiden name and who knows where that comes from . . . Ireland I suspect! An I didn’t realise my name was a toponymic. Thanks. I feel so much more important now! hehe

By: Les Plant

Les Plant — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 21:09:10 +0000

You should have a name like mine..!!!!!

By: Ian Poulton

Ian Poulton — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 08:31:10 +0000

I met a man one time who asked where the name was from, ‘Maybe Lancashire’, I said.

“We’re neighbours’, he said, ‘my name is Fleetwood’.

We then reflected on how many people we knew who had Lancastrian names – going through the Boltons and the Blackburns and all the other towns that appear as surnames

By: Póló

Póló — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:42:34 +0000

Saw an Oulton grave yesterday.

If you were Welsh you would have belonged there.

Ap Howell = Powell, Ap Rhys = Price, Ap Oulton = Poulton?. Ap=mab=son.

Oh that life were so simple