My mother’s first name was Phyllis, but she was never ever called that, she was always called by her second name. Similarly one of her sisters was never called Renee, her first name, nor was their brother ever called by his first name, William. her oldest sister had but one name, and that was what she was called… I think she was always slightly sorry about this, felt as if something was missing.
We never knew where the name Phyllis came from, and although I now think it sounds pretty, she always thought it was a ghastly name, and soooo old-fashioned! It comes from Greek mythology, daughter of a king who married the son of Theseus.
But where did it come from? What inspired our grandmother to call her that? Doing some family tree research, I come across a Phyllis; she was not in our direct line, but married one of my grandmother’s cousins. They were of a similar age and I wondered if they had been friends and so my grandmother named her daughter after her? I’m never going to know, but I can just wonder, can’t I?
Lois Elsden 