Names

It doesn't look as though too many people called Garrett will be getting Christmas presents this year with snowmen attached ... This board (at Michael's, where I was buying a whole lot of fancy ribbon for parcel tying, and some green yarn for cat toy mending) is a pretty interesting indication of - NJ? or nationwide? - current Popular Names (do they change the board for each state?).   So yes - lots of Jackies and Graces: more surprisingly, Hannahs - I had a goldfish called Hannah, once; I have a 2nd cousin called Hannah - which struck me as being a rare and distinguished name when she was given it.   And then I started thinking ... maybe these snowpeople are all aimed for four year olds called after Hannah Montana?   It should be noted that whereas there are plenty of Jennifers and Laurens and Joshes and Mikes - just like my classes - there weren't even any pegs for Kate (and I'm told by friends in England that every second girl in junior school is now called Kate, or Cate, or Cait, which makes me feel very undistinguished, or at least easy to buy name-specific kitsch junk for) or Alice (who will doubtless be relieved to know that's she's under no threat of receiving any gift labelled in this strange way).