What's in a name? (Barnet Borough Liberal Democrats)

Barnet Borough Liberal Democrats <info@barnetlibdems.org.uk>

What's in a name?

November 19, 2008 12:00 AM
By Cllr Jack Cohen in Hendon Times

We councillors receive loads of unsolicited mail. Every day hefty envelopes containing some glossy publication drop through my letter box… Some of the literature is interesting; most go straight into the recycling box.

Actually I should be more correct and admit my mail no longer drops through my door, thanks to my Dog I have had to install an outside wall mounted box.

Unfortunately he took it in his head to destroy the letters or packages, he has powerful jaws. This was ok as it went but I drew the line when he ripped up a cheque refund from the Inland Revenue.

Anyway back to the glossies. Yesterday someone in the Council sent me a booklet called "Registration, Celebratory and Citizen Services Councillors' Handbook".

Flicking through I came across a section headed Birth Registrations. This contained useful information on how to go about registering births.

But what attracted my attention was a name league table for 2007.

Turns out that the top boys' name registered in 2007 was Jack; Actually Jack regularly appears in the top five boys names league table.

This set me thinking, how many other Jacks do I know?(I discount Johns). I can not recall when I last met another Jack. Take the Council for example. On Tuesday night the Full Council met. During one boring interlude (did I say one?) I decided to take a straw poll of names of Councillors and officers, for good measure I also included the 2007 top girls name which is Grace.

Looking around I spotted a Monroe, a Wayne a Leo, no Jack. Amongst the women, Fiona, Joan, Susette but no Grace. I then looked for next top four names, for the boys Thomas, Joshua, Oliver and Harry and for the girls Ruby Olivia Emily Jessica. I don't think I could count Cllr Daniel Thomas.

And there is a Tom but not sure if that counts. As for the others well no a sign of any of the top five Not a scientific poll but makes one wonder about these tables.

And oh by the way my dog's name is Jake