As promised I’m back with the second half of my quirky names series. I will admit I had a more difficult time compiling a list of unusual male British names. The traditional ones like James, John, Tom, Robert, Steve, etc. are still popular on both sides of the pond. Not unknown in the States, but heard less often, are names such as Martin, Simon, Hugh and the even more rare, Clive.
Below are five of the most distinctly British names I could brainstorm. As with the ladies segment earlier, if you can come up with a better, more characteristic example, please share in the comments section at the end of the post.
Benedict Cumberbatch
As far as I’ve been able to ascertain, this is indeed the Sherlock actor’s given name. In fact his father and fellow actor, Timothy Carlton, doesn’t even use the family surname in his professional life so I think young Ben took a calculated risk when he retained this unusual moniker. The formality of “Benedict”and the whimsical quality of “Cumberbatch” sets this actor up as a classic British character. Besides the iconic Mr. Holmes, Benedict has also portrayed illustrious Brits such as Stephen Hawking and Prime Minister William Pitt. Whether a choice of family loyalty or a dodgy gamble, judging by the trajectory of his career, Mr. Cumberbatch made the right decision.
Rupert Grint
While almost any character in Harry Potter’s world could have made this list (Neville Longbottom, Barty Crouch, or Dudley Dursley for example), Rupert Grint is one of the few actors whose name fit right in with the quaint characters in the films. Rupert is common enough in the UK, but few and far between in America. And Grint, well it sounds as though it’s right out of Roald Dahl story.
Noel Fielding
It might seem odd that the French word for Christmas has become a male British name. However, with the change in pronunciation from the French (No-el) to something more like Noll, the English have made in their own and Noel Fielding is, in my opinion, a prime example of the country’s renowned eccentricity. From the Mighty Boosh and The IT Crowd to his self-titled Luxury Comedy sketch show, Mr. Fielding’s whole being screams that he’s an artsy, mod goth with a totally off-the-wall way of looking at the world and he doesn’t care who knows it. What could be more British than that?
Julian Rhind-Tutt
I chose Mr. Rhind-Tutt as a representative for all those Brits with hyphenated last names which we Yanks have been trained to associate with money and breeding. Although from what I’ve read in the past, aristocratic blood doesn’t run in his veins. Julian’s parents just did what a number enlightened couples do when they marry; they combined surnames. Still sounds classy though, right? Rhind-Tutt has portrayed a few posh blue bloods in his career in Blandings and The Lady Vanishes for starters. He’s also played a number of coppers and doctors, the most famous being Dr. Macartney in Green Wing.
Ralph Fiennes
Ralph (pronounced Rafe) Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, to be exact. And according to Wikipedia, this talented gentleman is, in fact, a gentleman, reportedly an eighth cousin to Prince Charles. I had a neighbor named Ralph and we called him “Ralf”. To be honest, when I first heard this actor’s name spoken I thought he was Ray Fines. Regardless of spelling or pronunciation, Mr. Fiennes is a grand example of the British acting profession. He’s conquered Shakespeare, Dickens, and more recently the Bond franchise among other roles. He’s THE Voldemort for God’s sake! Never mind that most of us became acquainted with him as the most horrible Nazi on film ever!
Surely Bernard, as in Bernard Cribbins, surely you don’t have them over there? And what about Kenneth, as in the classical actor Kenneth Cranham?
Well, Kenneth isn’t an unusual name here, though we might call them Ken or Kenny. As for Bernard, might call them Bernie and we pronounce it more like Ber-NARD opposite to how I hear it said in the UK. Cribbins is a lovely English sounding name though, I agree.
Big crush on Mr. Fiennes. He is “Fine” in my book.
Thanks for the input:) Sorry I didn’t use a more flattering photo…
Rhys!
Just thought of something…could you address the TERRIBLE “th-fronting” that’s spreading like wildfire lately in British speech? I hear it ALL the time now when it seemed limited to certain areas only a mere 3-5yrs ago!
I could ask my sister-in-law about it as she’s a linguist, but for those who don’t know what th-fronting is, here’s a Wikipedia article explaining the basics.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Th-fronting.
If I decide to do a post about accents and dialects in the future I’ll be sure to mention this phenomenon.
Nigel? Ian? Graham? (pronounced Gray-am)
All wonderful examples though Ian is quite popular here in the States. My kids have gone to school with loads of Ians and Liams for that matter.