What’s in a name, eh? Quite a bit, surely. We couldn’t help but notice a Herald story on Saturday about the top baby names in NSW. Olivia and Oliver topped the list, followed by Charlotte and William, Amelia and Jack and Ava and Noah. All good names. As we know, there’s also a trend in “unique” names. We’re talking about names like: Alivia, Alize, Ash-Leigh, Ashtyn, Bacardee, Beejay, Blayde, Bylinda, Caprice, Coopa, Deklyn, Danyella, Ebonni, Elease, Enessa, Exavier, Feebi, Halee, Harmoni, Harisyn, Izak, Jakxsen, Jarren, Jazlyn, Jessykah, Justyn, Jorja, Kendrew, Kiranda, Kortnee, Laken, Mystique, Nevaeh (heaven spelt backwards), Phelicity, Rhyannon, Rylee, Rybekkah, Samuyl, Skyelah, Timiny, Wyliumm and Zyler. We’re not judging these names. We’re really not. All we’re saying is, we miss the old-school names.  We’re talking about Kevin (Kev), Trevor (Trev), Sharon (Shazza), Karen (Kazza), Kylie (Kyles) and Cheryl (Chezza). We think Australia has lost a bit of its identity with the loss of these names. It’s such a waste. So many great names are being wiped from history.  We used to love Darren (Dazza), Wayne (Wayno), Warren (Wazza), David (Davo), Barry (Bazza), Gary (Gazza), Terry (Tezza), Larry (Lazza), Ian (shout-out to Kirky) and Eric (Ecca). How could we ever forget Tracey (Trace), Stacey (Stace), Kelly (Kell), Cathleen (Cathy), Rebecca (Bec) and Christine. There’s the formal James (who became Jim and Jimbo) and Robert (who became Rob, Bob, Bobby and even Bobbo). We fondly recall Shane (Shayno), Steve (Stevo), Peter (Poida), Lance (Lancey boy) and Greg (Greggo). Don’t forget Lyn, Debbie, Sue, Carol, Janet, Charlene, Charmaine and Raelene. Going further back in time, we had Beryl, Hazel, Madge, Dorothy, Beverley (Bev), Betty, Shirley and Joyce (Joycie). How about classics like Doreen, Noreen and Maureen. Or Noelene, Pauline, Mary, Anne, Alice, Edith, Edna, Daphne, Helen, Gwen, June, Margaret and Nancy. For the blokes, we had Donald (think Bradman), Des (Dezzie), Douglas (Dougie), Max (Maxie), Reg (Reggie), Jack (a stayer), George, Harold, Richard (Dick), Albert, Alfred, Cyril, Cecil, Neville (Nev), Nigel (Nige), Percival (Percy), Gordon (Gordo), Ronald (Ronnie) and Warwick (Wazza). We’re calling on all pending parents to have a good think about restoring these names to the fold. After all, it’s our history. Go Straya! Hot and Cold We wrote on Saturday about Elaine Darby’s memories of Carrington back to the Great Depression. Elaine, 81, recalled summers of Carrington’s past. “When I was young, it was a lot hotter than it is now,” she said, despite the science of climate change. And nowadays she also reckons winter doesn’t get as cold as it once did. Edgeworth’s Geoff Masters agrees. Geoff, 72, emailed us to say: “She is correct when she says in those days, and even into the late ‘50s, it was hotter in summer and a lot colder in winter than it is now”. “It does make us wonder just where, or who, took these records that science speaks about now, with their talk of the climate getting hotter,” he said. “You have a hot day now and again, but in the past you got these hot spells and they went on for weeks. “Some afternoons around 4pm to 6pm, you would have a tremendous thunderstorm that would drop the temperature by 10 to 15 degrees very quickly. “On many nights, I slept outside on the lawn in an attempt to get a breeze that would allow me to sleep. “When others speak of the heat or the cold, I always have a giggle to myself and say under my breath, ‘brother, you don't know what hot or cold is’. “Elaine has one in agreement with her. Make that two –  my wife also agrees.” Annoying Things Reader Dawn has responded to our call for examples of annoying things.  “It annoys me that toast take so long.” At the risk of sounding impatient, we’re not going to disagree with that. topics@theherald.com.au
