[papertyger]

these are two more instances of giving kids a bad start in life by naming them fashionably rather than after saints which was once the Catholic tradition.

Yeah, just what we need an entire student body composed of Marys, Katherine's, and a smattering of MaryKatherines, just to keep it fresh....

;o)

[BlackElk]

Yep and then we could have some named Agnes, or Susan, or Dorothy, or Maura, or Maureen, or Bridget, or Kathleen, or Isabella (not my choice but apparently the most popular girl's name last year), or Anne, or Elizabeth, or Frances, or Paula, or if you simply MUST have rarer and even a bit exotic sounding, you might choose Reparata or Dymphna or a whole lot of other actual saints' names.

Of course, if you happen not to be Catholic, then our cultural traditions are a) probably beyond your ken and b) none of your business in any event.

The two ladies of ABBA got along well with Agnetha and Anni Frida, which are derivative of saints' names. I believe that neither was Catholic at birth and that, at most Anni Frida MAY have become Catholic when marrying her last husband, an Italian Count. Natalie (aka Natasha) Wood got along fine with her name as a Russian Orthodox as well and never sought a name change to "pop tart." She let her looks and talent and ladylike behavior do the talking for her.

Meanwhile, the aggressively secular can identify their offspring with names from pop culture like Brittany, or Lindsay, or Tiffany, or Miley, or Shania, or Charlize (almost vaguely derived from a saint's name with no corresponding effect on character or belief), or Madonna (with due apology to the Mother of God) or Bo (a lovely lady with Irish ancestry but no role model although she sure beats the hell out of Madonna in that category).....

I am betting that you have no legitimate complaint about a lack of variety of names but that it is the honoring of patron saints as role models that gets your goat. Either that or you have not thought this one through.