A British Rose By Any Other Name

A recent examination of British birth certificates has revealed that a number of parents are choosing to name their children after celebrities. 426 boys are named "Dre," after Dr, Dre. There are 27 Tupacs, six Jay-Zs and three Snoops. It's not just boys names that are following the celebrity route. 288 girls have been named, "Madonna." Britney is the name of choice for 1,611 girls. There are 2,614 Shakiras and 7,261 Kylies. 36 boys and girls have been named "Arsenal," after my favorite Premiership football team, Arsenal F. C. 6,074 girls have been named Keira, supposedly after Keira Knightley. Six boys have been named "Gandalf." 265 girls are named "Beyonce." Two boys are named, "Superman" and one "Harry Potter."
I feel like saying, "and a partridge in a pear tree." What are these parents thinking? Sarah Malone, a marketing executive with http://www.findmypast.com/, attributes some of this trend to "the famous British sense of humour." Are parents who treat their child's name as a joke thinking about the welfare of their child? Surely, some of these children will be teased by other children, because of their names. It reminds me of when Frank Zappa named his daughter, Moon Unit. Thankfully, the most popular names in Britain remain Jack, Joshua, Thomas, Sophie, Jessica, and Emily. But maybe Jack is inspired by the character from "Lost." "Thomas" could be inspired by Thomas the Tank Engine. Joshua? That's a bit biblical, innit?