The lives of Boris Johnson’s children are of no public interest, unless they themselves decide to make it so, but their names as decide one hopes between Johnson and his partner of the moment have some passing note.
Sonia Purnell’s biography of Johnson, Just Boris, reports that he wanted to call his first child with his now ex-wife Marina Wheeler, Lettice. It is (of course) a Latin name used in Medieval English the modern translation of which is Letitia. Ms Wheeler’s preference won-out and the baby was named Lara.
His new baby with Carrie Symonds has been called Wilfred, Old English, which seems like a modest step forward from the Latin. Wilfrid (634-709) was an an Anglo-Saxon Saint and Bishop of York. The name fell into disuse but was revived from the nineteeth century on having nowadays perhaps an association with Victoriana.
Progress in history.
Leave a Reply