6 Minute English from the BBC

Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.

And I'm Beth.

Names tell us a lot about a person.

Many names have meanings.

Paul, for example, means humble.

And the name Anna originated from a Hebrew word meaning graceful.

Our name is an important part of our identity.

If you hear someone shout your name in the street, you automatically turn to look.

But names also reveal cultural and family connections, which give us a sense of our history

and our place in the world.

In this programme, we'll be meeting a writer whose name combines two very different sides of her identity.

One English and the other, Indian.

Sheila Banagy was born in Hayes, West London, to parents from the East Indian state of Bengal.

We'll be hearing about Sheila's research into her name and family history.

And as usual, we'll be learning some useful new vocabulary as well.

But first, I have a question for you, Neil.

As every parent knows, choosing your child's name isn't easy.

Names go in and out of fashion.

And a name that was popular one year soon becomes old-fashioned.

So what was the most popular name for baby girls in the UK last year?

Was it A, Florence, B, Olivia, or C, Amelia?

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