There are some daft boys' names around and many parents have a habit of saddling their male offspring with irksome lifelong labels. Take The Beckhams for example - calling their boys Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz! Poor devils! They'd have been better off with solid English Christian names like Arthur, Bernard and Walter.
There are many other trendy boys' names around including Adrian, Robert, John and Thomas - which to me belong in the same fluffy bag as Duane, Brady, Kirk and Wesley. If you are looking for a great name for a baby boy - a solid, respectable yet imaginative name - you can't do much better than picking the name Neil.
Neil is a highly masculine first name of Gaelic origin. The name is an Anglicisation of the Gaelic Niall which is of disputed derivation. The Gaelic name may be derived from words meaning "cloud", "passionate", or "champion" but nowadays it is generally accepted that Neil means "champion".
Many notable men have been fortunate enough to be blessed with the name Neil - including the following three - Neil Armstrong, Neil Young and Neil Diamond. You may have heard of them:-
But I understand that Neils around the world have recently been incensed by the promotional activities of a British sofa company called Sofaworks. In sponsoring the Channel 4 series "Gogglebox", Sofaworks came up with the idea of an animated sloth puppet who - apparently to great hilarity - precedes each section of the popular programme. His name is Neil which I am sure you will agree is outrageous and an insult to all the great men who have proudly borne the name Neil on behalf of the WNO (World Neil Organisation):-
I think the latest Neil will make a fine avatar for Neils around the world ~ cute, slothful ~ and definitely hilarious.
ReplyDeleteThe idea would need WNO approval but in my view it hasn't got a cat in hell's chance of getting through the committee stage.
DeleteThe first Neil looks a bit effeminate, if you ask me. The second Neil looks a bit belligerent and probably drinks more than he should. The third Neil looks quite satisfied with himself, like the cat that just swallowed the canary, or is about to. The fourth Neil, though, is the real deal, and reminds me of the photo in the Welcome box at the upper right of this blog.
ReplyDeleteMethinks that the Brague spectacles may need replacement. How long since your last eye test sir?
DeleteNeil Kinnock.
ReplyDeleteIt's unfair to mock people with silly names. There are some peculiar surnames around. Frisby, Thursday are just two I can think of.
Is it true that you were often bullied at school when the other special needs children discovered your full name was Adrian Herbert Bidet-Powderpuff? I guess it's the main reason you went to sea and changed your name to Captain Pugwash.
DeletePS I was only kidding!
DeleteHow about that other Neil , you know the one in the TV series The Young Ones. He was a fine example of the good name Neil !
ReplyDeleteYes that Neil was really cool man! And what about the great Aussie cricketer Neil Harvey? Now he was a good example of what it means to be a Neil.
DeletePAH! My son is a Robert, I will have you know!
ReplyDeleteOn behalf of all Roberts everywhere - I always thought that Neil was a command, not a name. So there.
Isn't "Bob!" also a command when people are throwing clods of earth at you?
Delete(By the way my reference to Robert was only intended to provoke a certain R. Brague of 13 Red Indian Avenue, Canton, Georgia - I am sorry if I have caused you any offence JR!)
And to think, YP, that those of us who know your true moniker have been kind enough not to use it. Perhaps in future you will not hide under the cloak of nominal anonymity.
ReplyDeleteGads Lord Eagleton, thou hast turned the ground whence I stood into a veritable quagmire of instability!
DeleteActually - you are right. In fact his name may cause him to be in some trouble at some point. As he is a 'Rob' and not a 'Bob'.
ReplyDeleteHe has just caused me some considerable consternation as he has just put lots of photos on facebook of a new art gallery. He visited it on his way to the shops. I fear someone may have stolen his identity - or at the very least, his phone! Most un-Robert-like behaviour. I bet a 19-yr-old Neil wouldn't indulge in such behaviour.
No dear Lady Jane for all that the nineteen year old Neil knew was red phone kiosks which are exceedingly difficult to purloin. In addition the notion of an art gallery was quite unknown to him in those far off days.
DeleteYou bring to mind the best I ever heard but would never wish to be saddled with. The skier Picabo Street was named after a street in San Francisco by her Hippie and possibly spaced out parents. Mr. Street said at the time, he wished it were a boy since he had "Juan Way Street" all ready to go.
ReplyDeleteIf my surname were Street I would have called my son Dead End and my daughter Pedestrianised. Rather catchy I feel.
DeleteExcellent choices, YP.
DeleteInteresting that immediately after the name 'John', you should think of Thomas...
ReplyDeleteI don't know what you mean Dick.
DeleteNeil the sloth is my favourite.
ReplyDeleteMmm... your taste in Neils is questionable ma'am.
DeleteOh, come now sir, surely everybody knows that the name Neil has its origins in the phrase
ReplyDelete'Northern,
Exceedingly
Intelligent
Lord'
and was only bestowed upon those of the highest Yorkshire heritage and character. Any others who lay claim to it are mere charlatans and anyone having the stupidity to think that a lazy South American Megalonychidae who sleeps hanging upside down for 18 hours a day could ever hope to achieve the status of a real deal Neil is frankly crazy.
Thank you for your support Queen Elizabeth.
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