I could swear I was just writing about the birth of Petal yesterday.
After three girls, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and his wife Jools have a son. His name?
Buddy Bear Maurice
Maurice is after Jools’ father, no word yet on the rest of it. What do you think? He’s filing in behind Poppy Honey Rosie, Daisy Boo Pamela, and Petal Blossom Rainbow.
It’s a little bit in Peanut and Buster territory, but I love Buddy Guy, so I’ll take it. Still, my inclination would have been to put William on the birth certificate.
{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
We call our little man Buddy all the time. As his nickname. It’s one of those times where it just seems silly, particularly paired with Bear. I mean… yeah. But then again, I guess it goes with the cutsie childish theme of his other kids.
I think all four names are darling together — for little children. I wonder if any of them will change their name later on.
Just checked out Buddy in the SSA “Beyond…” list: 41 baby boys were given that name last year.
Doubt it. Poppy and Daisy are pretty standard.
Not really my speed, but Buddy is fine. My question is this: we want to name our newest addition some cognate of Mary. Our oldest daughter is already Mary Madeleine. The middle name would be Chrysanthe. Any help you could offer would be much appreciated.
Do Brits even use the nickname Buddy? Or it just an Americanism? I ask because almost all of the well-known individuals named Buddy are Americans.
It would be a cute nickname, but Buddy Bear sounds like a Sesame Street character.
I checked the complete list of 2008 baby names in England and Wales: there were 23 boys named Buddy and the name ranked 1082. I’m not surprised that Buddy turned up since there are so many nicknames as given names among their top names, including Alfie and Charlie in the 2008 top 10. (The government list of top baby names for 2009 is promised for October or November — at long last.)
Good point about the English and their love of bestowing nicknames as given names!
It’s seen as an Americanism, yes. It’s not really used as a nickname very often at all.
In Australia the word Buddy is used and it is the nickname of footballer (afl player) Lance “Buddy” Franklin who plays for the Hawthorn Hawks he is mostly referred to as Buddy by the media
i love their girls first names but buddy is a bit insubstanial for me, unless of course it was a nickname. also as far as i’m aware buddy hasn’t been used in england the same way as americans have used it, but still i think that reference will be there for a lot of people either side of the atlantic.
It strikes me as an Americanism, but I don’t really remember if Brits use the nickname. I’d expect a British person to say “mate” meaning friend, rather than “buddy”.
Buddy is too ‘nicknamey’ for my personal tastes. It sticks in my mind as what my (American) husband called our newborn son in the hours before we’d picked a name for him. He’ll occasionally call our son that as a nickname today.
I looked up Buddy on wikipedia and it seems that most of the people listed as Buddy, were given ‘full’ names at birth and then later became known as “Buddy”.
Bear is a decent enough middle name, but paired with Buddy it does sound very much like a friendly teddy bear character.
A Buddy married into our family and since our Buddy/Bud’s given name is Herman, I find Buddy rather appealing.
But I agree that Buddy is preferable as a nickname. Daisy is the only one of the girls’ names that I’d consider. But aren’t they lovely looking little girls, just as pretty as… Poppies, Daisies and Petals!
I just spotted the connection between the new baby’s name and those of his older sisters: Buddy/BUD! Another flower-related name, and for a boy at that. Aren’t they clever!
You’re so right. Went right over my head. Good spot Patricia.
good catch!
I think they did well with Daisy and Poppy (though both their middle names are questionable), was not so sure about Petal, and really dislike Buddy – it’s very American-sounding and too nicknamey for me. Also, his first and last initials are BO, as in ‘body odour’! Do people not think about these things? And Bear as a middle name… hmmm, not so sure about that either.
Still, I really love Jamie and Jools (if you haven’t read Jools Oliver’s book ‘Minus Nine to One’, it’s a wonderful and very funny account of her journey to motherhood), and am delighted Jamie has finally got his much hoped-for son!
It’s nice. Perhaps a little too nice, in the sense that it is cuddly rather than substantial. Does that make any sense?
BUT, it does fit well with the set. It has that upbeat, ultra sweet, nursery-rhyme feel which Jamie and Jools seem to like, such as Poppy Honey Rosie.
Randomness: All the kids have five-letter first names, and all but Petal’s end in ‘Y’.
Anyone else wondering what they would have named another girl? I’m thinking Flora Winter Moon.
I adore Petal. I actually like all of their little girls’ names.
It suits them and jamie can get away with anything in my book. His work for healthy food, his cooking shows are so great and he’s so darn charming. I bet Buddy Bear Maurice sounds perfectly normal coming out of his mouth. What a sweet family!
“His work for healthy food, his cooking shows are so great”. Oh yeah, he does all this altruistically. Did anyone mention his 8 figure salary? Didn’t think so.
All his childrens’ names are moronic, Buddy Bear is the tip of the iceberg. Except him to be bullied at boarding school. Poppy and Daisy are fine on their own, but paired with those middle names? Sound like names you’d give a poodle. Petal is stupid as Jamie can’t even pronounce the “T”!
That was a little vitriolic for a naming blog, having your own opinion is fine but expressing it in such an aggressive way is just unecessary. You Can’t Call It It is a positive website for light-hearted discussion about names and it’s frustrating when comments like yours bring the tone down.
I love the name Buddy… it just works perfectly for their family. It really does. Well done to them for picking a name that actually sounds fresh and appropriate and suits them and their family. I’m sure the little boy will not suffer for it. Teasing (and bullying) is a whole other ball of wax and your name does not discount you from nor invite you to being bullied.
Hey Elisabeth.
I’d like to ask for a great middle name for the first name of Eleanor ?
Other names are
Hadyn Scott madson
Francys Kate madson
And
Eleanor ? Madson
Needs to be simple and sweet to lighten up the heaviness of Eleanor. What do you think?
I do like Eleanor with something classic but light. Try:
Eleanor Ada
Eleanor Daisy
Eleanor Georgia
Eleanor Lucy
Eleanor Marigold
Eleanor Mirabel
Eleanor Olive
Eleanor Pippa
Eleanor Poppy
Eleanor Sadie
Eleanor Zinnia
Eleanor Zoe
Eleanor’s the best by far from your list, but I do love FrancEs.
My GG’s name was Eleanor Pearl.
I have a Daisy, named for her great-grandmother, and I like that it’s a little hippy/a little classic. I don’t really like nicknames as birth certificate names.
Okay those are a bit too sweet. I’m a kid. I was just curious about Jamie oliver’s kids cuz I’ve seen him on tv. Poppy honey? I like Poppy but honey is a nickname. Daisy Boo? I almost named my puppy that! Boo Boo is her nickname! Petal blossom rainbow?! Honestly? Buddy bear Maurice? Buddy bear=nickname and teasing. Maurice is great because of rocket Richard. That’s just my opinion and trust me being a kid myself those kids WILL be teased!