Beyond Charles and Diana: An Anglophile's Guide to Baby Naming (Paperback)

~ (Author), (Author) "The style of names in Britain has always been similar to American style, with a few fairly radical differences..." (more)
Key Phrases: Wodehouse Mulliner Nights, Few Green Leaves, Waugh Unconditional Surrender (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

You stayed up until 2 A.M. reading Jane Eyre. You woke up at 4 A.M. to watch the Royal Wedding. And you waited with baited breath to hear the names of Britain's newborn princes and princesses. But instead of wondering how the royal family could have chosen such eccentric names as Henry or Beatrice or even Eugenie, you wondered where you could find more of them.

Beyond Charles & Diana is where you can find a whole empire of British names-- from universal to uniquely English, from royal to lower class, and everything in between. With the same wisdom and wit that made Beyond Jennifer & Jason the reigning authority on baby names, and with inside knowledge-- one author lives in London and the other is married to an Englishman-- this book tells you everything you need to know about British names:

* The Brit Hit Parade-- what's hot in England these days and what's not, and what's in London Limbo
* Class Consciousness-- the more names, the better (but Elizabeth Krystle Kayla Debbie doesn't quite make it!), and which names are "U" (Henrietta is; Heather isn't)
* Literary Lights-- from Shakespeare, the Bard of Naming, to Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, to the modern Waugh, Wodehouse, and Pym

Plus royal names from the reign of the Saxons to the present, Scottish names and Welsh names, and much, much more....

About the Author

Linda Rosenkrantz is the author of the novel Talk and coauthor of Gone Hollywood and SoHo. The former editor of Auction magazine, she now writes a nationally syndicated column on collectibles. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter.

Pamela Redmond Satran, former fashion features editor of Glamour, writes a syndicated column aimed at working parents. Her freelance articles have appeared in numerous publications, including Self, Elle, Working Mother, and The Washington Post. She lives with her husband, daughter, and son in London.

Their first collaborative work, Beyond Jennifer & Jason, was so popular that it spawned a series of specialized naming books, which also includes Beyond Sarah & Sam: An Enlightened Guide to Jewish Baby Naming and Beyond Shannon & Sean: An Enlightened Guide to Irish Baby Naming.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (January 15, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312069022
• ISBN-13: 978-0312069025
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,239,753 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best for unusual but classy names., October 22, 1998

By A Customer

This book is for those with eccentric tastes who don't want something totally weird or made-up sounding. The English use some fabulous names; hopefully this book will inspire more Americans to follow suit.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best Baby Name resources, August 1, 2000

By A Customer

The information I found in this book helped me tremendously in my search for names. With their usual wit and flair, Rosenkrantz and Satran present what you need to know about British names, the most stylish choices now, and important issues about class. Of course, if you've ever read any other books by them, you know they're into lists, and­­sure enough, there's plenty of lists here. I find English names almost perfect­­elegant, cool, calm, mysterious, but warm-hearted. Although some (like Emma, Isabella, and Justin) have been used to the point of critical mass in the US, most are astoundingly fresh yet at the same time familiar and usable today.

This book will help you find a distinctive name for your child that others will complement him or her on but will not make him/her feel like an outcast. Most of the time, the names on the "upperclass" list are classics or at least names that will not go out of style, whether they've ever been well-used or not; and the names on the "lowerclass" list are, while not making a person with that name a lowerclass person, generally choices that are dated, overly trendy, or not very well-thought-of. And just watch: as American parents get tired of the Wonderbready top picks that they're choosing today, they'll be turning to names like these to save the day.

Other than Beyond Jennifer and Jason, I think this is Rosenkrantz and Satran's best book, and is definitely worth shelling out the bucks for. Great job, guys!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, September 4, 2001

By	Henry Raddick (London UK) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book which my parents-in-law gave me in what I suspect is their latest salvo in the battle which erupted after my twins Farouk and Kylie's christening.