Woman's Hour

Shortened

BBC Radio 4 LW

Magazines & Reviews

Podcasts

Factual: Life Stories

Factual: Health & Wellbeing

Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.

Jane name necklace CORAL 1920x1080.jpg

BBC Radio 4 FM

Jane Garvey

Laura Northedge

Jane Pilcher

Eleanor Nickerson

Jane Asher

Jane Brodie

Tracy Alexander

Victoria  Smillie

Esther Robertson

Charlotte Mendelson

Alex Clark

Woman's Hour: What's in a name?

What's in a name?

BBC Radio 4 - Woman's Hour, What's in a name?

Programme that offers a female perspective on the world. How do our names affect our lives?

What do our first names really say about us? More than you might think, according to Dr Jane Pilcher, Associate Professor at the University of Leicester. She claims that our names often reveal important clues about our age, social class and ethnicity that might affect the way that we are treated by other people. She joins Jane, along with name expert and the founder of the British Baby Names website, Eleanor Nickerson to discuss what's in a name.

How has this classic British name become synonymous with being middle of the road? The actor Jane Asher turned 71 earlier this month and was born in the year that Jane entered the UK top 50. Jane Brody celebrated her 30th birthday last week and was born the year after Jane stopped being a UK top 100 name. 

Woman's Hour listener Victoria Smillie wanted to change her surname following her divorce, but realised in doing so that she had never been happy with her given name, Lesley, either. So she changed both. They are joined by another of our listeners, Tracy, who truly hates her name but can't quite bring herself to lose it. By the age of three, Esther Robertson had had three different first names and surnames. Esther joins Jane to discuss how her changing name has affected her life.

The author Charlotte Mendelson keeps lists of names and can deliberate for hours about what to call the characters in her novels. She joins us along with the journalist and editor Alex Clark to discuss the best and worst names in books.

Presenter: Jane Garvey
Producer: Laura Northedge.

BBC Radio 4

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Woman's Hour

What's in a name?

Contributors

Genres

Brand

BBC Radio 4 LW

About BBC Radio 4