Quiz: Named after a London borough

A COFFEE break puzzler this morning: which London boroughs double up as names that parents choose for their babies? The question follows William McLennan’s CNJ story that ‘Camden’, has seen some sort of increase in England and Wales as boy’s name, according to the records held by the Office of National Statistics.

So, quiz points for anybody who can name the other three London boroughs that appear in the baby name charts compiled since 1996.

Think among yourselves, then scroll down.

 

 

 

* hold music *

 

 

 

 

 

Time for the answers.

 

 

 

 

The first one is easy. BRENT.

Next, BROMLEY. Its a girl’s name and had a random three christening spike in 2002.

And completing the quiz is BEXLEY, which the Office of National Statistics says is a boy’s name. Some years see no Bexleys born, but three kids were given it as their first name in 2013.

 

Strangely, nobody seems to have been named Haringey, Westminster or even Islington. Nobody was named Wandsworth, even it sounds like the first name for a scheming lawyer from a Dickens novel. There are no council quiz points for people who answered Chelsea, Kingston or Richmond, because sadly the birth certificates do not say ‘Kensington and Chelsea’, ‘Kingston upon Thames’ or ‘Richmond upon Thames’.

 

The baby names graphs and search facility was created by web developer Anna Powell-Smith and can be found HERE. Only catch is, the ONS do not record names if they are only used once. So, if there is a kid out there called Islington, or Westminster, or Haringey, complain to them (after you’ve done a whimsical ‘I’m the only person to have called my kid, Islington’ page three story with us).