Would you name your child Diot Coke?

Would you name your child Diot Coke?

The article in Ancestors Magazine

06 April 2004

Forget Emily and Chloe, a new study reveals that in 1379 there really was a baby girl called Diot Coke!

Research published in the April issue of The National Archives' family history magazine ANCESTORS also reveals that names we now consider masculine, such as Philip and Thomas, were once used for girls.

Writing in Ancestors Magazine about his 30 years of research into first names, George Redmonds says that the variety of names recorded in the late 12th century rivalled those of present day, but by the mid 1300s just a few names dominated, and these remained popular for the next 750 years. Yet in 1377, names like Godelena, Helwise, Idony, Avice and Dionisia were more popular than some of the names we now consider traditional, such as Mary. And in 1881, there were only six males in Great Britain called Derek.

Up to 1600 the gentry introduced new names and godparents were responsible for passing them on. These traditions constructed the first name networks through which names can be tied to precise localities. Many surnames are derived from first names, so knowing where they originated can help family historians trace their roots.

Now in its third year of publication, Ancestors Magazine is now available from newsagents, including WH Smith.