.@VickiBatman - What name was popular when you were in school? #namingbaby #MFRWorg #RLFblog #cozymystery

The Name Game
When I went to grade school, there were at least three other girls in my class with the same name. However, they were spelt differently.
I’m: Vicki
Those girls were: Vikki, Vickie, Vicky
Later on and when I thought about it, Susan, Cathy, and Kathy names dominated, as did variations with full names or short names, like Katie, Katy, Kat, Cathie, Cathleen, Suzie, Suzy.
So when I was pregnant with #1son, Handsome and I struggled over naming him, even though we didn't know he would be a boy. I’d toss out something.  “No.” And more. “Nope.”
I was determined he would not have a J name:  Jonathan, Justin, Jacob, Jake, Joshua, etc. Those names were way too popular. I didn’t want him to have to go through what I did. Finally when watching an old and favorite detective movie, I said, “What do you think about this?”
Handsome said, “Yes.”
Great Rejoicing! I can’t say what #1son’s name is because he doesn’t want me to tell via social media. Lol. The funny thing is in his Sunday School class of 24 kids, there were two other boys with the same name. Yikes!
I never thought I’d have a boy. I come from a family of four girls. In my mind, I was going to have girls. And name the first, Holland. The second, Hayley.  And the third, Hattie.
Sadly, no girls came my way. Instead, I got #2son: first name is his dad’s, second name is a church friend’s.
And let’s mention, they get the wonderful Batman as their last name. lolol.
A lot of character’s names just pop in a writer’s head and as a writer, I know when this instance does happen, that name is most likely absolutely perfect.
I have gone the route of looking at the census and seeing which names were popular in specific years. In 2014, these are the names used:
If you want to look up your birth year, go to: Now back to naming the girl thingy—I did get to. I named my heroine from my romantic comedy mystery, Harriette Lee Cooks, Hattie for short. I thought Hattie sounded sassy. And the background for her name came from her grandmother, Harriette.
When I grew up, if my mom yelled my whole name, Vicki Lea, I was in serious trouble and had better hotfoot her way instantly. Hattie’s mom does this also. And I used an L name for the middle name. It’s a way of honoring my sisters whose middle names begin with an L, as well as my mother’s, and my grandmother’s first name was Lillie. Her sisters’ names began with an L too.
So lay it on me: Do you like your name? Were there too many others in your class with the same one? What is your favorite name?
To discover more about Hattie and her wacky journey through unemployment, her romance with a hunky hero, and murder, go to: Amazon