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Help[Opinions] Georgia
This name was on my mind when I woke up this morning. I always liked it but today I think it's really awesome. And Georgie is a cute nickname. So what do you think of Georgia? Sometimes called Georgie?
Any idea why it isn't more popular? It really surprises me.
Any idea why it isn't more popular? It really surprises me.
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This is my name. I am 61 years old and I live in the U.S. I was noticing from the posts below that Georgia has become reasonably popular elsewhere lately. I don't think it has in the U.S., though, and I'm not sure why. It might be because it is a state, as someone mentioned.
I've encountered a few other Georgias, but not many. As a child I did not like it because it wasn't popular. I felt my name made me too different, and I wanted to "belong."
As an adult I have loved it. It's not unheard-of, but it is just uncommon enough for my tastes.
There are only a couple of disadvantages. I notice that more and more people are not able to spell it. In my work, I am frequently asked for my name (I work in a call center). If I think the person I'm speaking to is reasonably well-educated, I will say, "Georgia, just like the state." If they don't seem as if they would not know how to spell it, I spell it out for them.
The other disadvantage is that fewer and fewer people seem to be able to pronounce my name if they see it in print. I've heard it mangled every which way.
It doesn't seem to lend itself to nicknames. I named myself Gigi at a very early age. I had been told how to spell my name, but one day I could not remember -- I could remember only that it had two G's, so I said, OK, my name is Gigi. I stuck with it, and people called me that for a few years. Otherwise, I've been called Georgie or George only by people who knew me very well, and spontaneously gave me a nickname.
I've encountered a few other Georgias, but not many. As a child I did not like it because it wasn't popular. I felt my name made me too different, and I wanted to "belong."
As an adult I have loved it. It's not unheard-of, but it is just uncommon enough for my tastes.
There are only a couple of disadvantages. I notice that more and more people are not able to spell it. In my work, I am frequently asked for my name (I work in a call center). If I think the person I'm speaking to is reasonably well-educated, I will say, "Georgia, just like the state." If they don't seem as if they would not know how to spell it, I spell it out for them.
The other disadvantage is that fewer and fewer people seem to be able to pronounce my name if they see it in print. I've heard it mangled every which way.
It doesn't seem to lend itself to nicknames. I named myself Gigi at a very early age. I had been told how to spell my name, but one day I could not remember -- I could remember only that it had two G's, so I said, OK, my name is Gigi. I stuck with it, and people called me that for a few years. Otherwise, I've been called Georgie or George only by people who knew me very well, and spontaneously gave me a nickname.
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Wow... Georgia's really not that hard to spell... I could have done ok w/ it as a kid... Why do people have such a hard time with it? That seems weird to me.
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You have an awesome name! I can't believe people don't know how to spell it! Wow. Pretty shocking, I mean it's the name of a state after all.
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Georgia I like. Georgie, not so much.
It does have SOME popularity these days among younger children... Have never encountered an adult or teen named Georgia though... Guess it's just taken a while for people to decide to really use it... I like that it's around, but not overused. I like the sound of it, but if it got TOO popular, I might get tired of it.
It does have SOME popularity these days among younger children... Have never encountered an adult or teen named Georgia though... Guess it's just taken a while for people to decide to really use it... I like that it's around, but not overused. I like the sound of it, but if it got TOO popular, I might get tired of it.
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I love the female Georg- names and Georgia is no exception. Georgina is lovely too.
Georgie and Gigi are cute nns, and Gina as well for Georgina.
The popularity of Georgia is the UK, Australia, and NZ actually puzzles me.
It really took off in the 1990s and is still riding high - whereas until its sudden rise to popularity it was seldom used, Georgina being the usual female Georg- name.
I'd love to know what factor or factors propelled Georgia to popularity around 1990 (I was in fact thinking of posting a message about this, asking whether anyone knows, because it puzzles me)- does anybody know?
Georgie and Gigi are cute nns, and Gina as well for Georgina.
The popularity of Georgia is the UK, Australia, and NZ actually puzzles me.
It really took off in the 1990s and is still riding high - whereas until its sudden rise to popularity it was seldom used, Georgina being the usual female Georg- name.
I'd love to know what factor or factors propelled Georgia to popularity around 1990 (I was in fact thinking of posting a message about this, asking whether anyone knows, because it puzzles me)- does anybody know?
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Did they suddenly start getting re-runs of "Designing Women" w/ the theme song "Georgia On My Mind"?
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Does anyone know how Georgia became so common in Britain, Aus, NZ etc?(more)
Just wondering what made Georgia so common in Britain, Australia and New Zealand in the 90s. Does anyone know? How about Jorja?
@Just Jonquil
Yeah, me too. And especially why people thought it was a good idea to use Jorja. I hope someone will reply to this post.
Just wondering what made Georgia so common in Britain, Australia and New Zealand in the 90s. Does anyone know? How about Jorja?
@Just Jonquil
Yeah, me too. And especially why people thought it was a good idea to use Jorja. I hope someone will reply to this post.
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I just assumed the popularity of Georgia was due to the popularity of George which also became very popular in the '90s (and has always been used anyway due to royal connections and George being the patron saint of England). Georgia Taylor may have had some influence, in that she was in Coronation Street which is the most popular TV show in Britain (and was in the '90s) and the soaps are always featured in the papers and magazines.
The name Georgina was well known, maybe people got bored of that and just wanted an alternative to that and then Georgia really took off? I hadn't thought about it until now, I must admit.
The name Georgina was well known, maybe people got bored of that and just wanted an alternative to that and then Georgia really took off? I hadn't thought about it until now, I must admit.
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Oh right! St. George is the other reason it has been historically so popular (and George itself too). Forgot about that.
I think Georgia seems like something that just follows trends (both in the UK and US), but it can stand to be more popular in the UK because you don't have the state association to worry about.
I think Georgia seems like something that just follows trends (both in the UK and US), but it can stand to be more popular in the UK because you don't have the state association to worry about.
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Good point about the state name. The fact that it's a state hadn't occurred to me but it probably would occur to Americans which would explain why it isn't as popular there. Mystery solved!
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That explains why it's not as popular in the US as in the UK, Australia and NZ. But the question as to why it suddenly hit the bigtime in the latter three having been distinctly underused remains unanswered!
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Sorry, I suppose I was meaning that the fact it wasn't used in the US meant it looked like it suddenly became popular in the other places when perhaps it was just part of a trend along with George which came back into fashion in the 90s. But I didn't explain myself very well! And really, I have no idea why it did become popular. I kind of link it to old names like Ella, Francesca, Harriet, Olivia etc which also became popular at the same sort of time. It kind of has a similar vibe in my opinion but that might just be me!
I can't think of any other cultural references at the moment which might explain it better.
I can't think of any other cultural references at the moment which might explain it better.
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I don't think it explains anything :P I mean Dakota made the top 100 for boys and is a state name.
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Oh, I guess I didn't realize you were talking about current popularity. I just know that's why it was used historically, along with other feminizations of George.
This message was edited 5/5/2012, 3:25 PM
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Jorja (yuk!) might have mimicked actress Jorja Fox (b. 1968) and I wonder whether soap star Georgia Taylor (b. as Claire Jackson in 1980), who was on "Coronation Street" from the late 1990s brought Georgia to people's attention.
I noticed two girls called Georgia Phoebe in the online peerage - both born in 1997 and an aristocratic Georgia Giselle b. 1993.
I noticed two girls called Georgia Phoebe in the online peerage - both born in 1997 and an aristocratic Georgia Giselle b. 1993.
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Oh my, I know a girl named Georgia-Taylor. Now I wonder whether she was named after the Georgia Taylor you mentioned. I always thought it was such an odd combo. Kind of like Eva-Harley or something. She always goes by both names and was born in Australia.
edited: the Georgia-Taylor I know was born in 1998.
edited: the Georgia-Taylor I know was born in 1998.
This message was edited 5/5/2012, 11:54 AM
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It's a good name, I like it. You U.S. people have good state's names! You don't see people calling their children Manitoba.Or Saskatchewan. (Although I remember someone trying out the name Nova, as in my home province of Nova Scotia.)
My late sister-in-law was named Georgette. Although she was rarely called that, she had one of those family nick-names, nowhere near her real name.
My late sister-in-law was named Georgette. Although she was rarely called that, she had one of those family nick-names, nowhere near her real name.
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I did meet an Alberta once.
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I like it, I've always thought it had such a fresh, springy, upbeat feel. The first one I ever met was a girl a class ahead of me in high school. I thought it was such a pretty name. I think Georgie is a really cute nn too.
It's probably not more popular because it's a state.
It's probably not more popular because it's a state.
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