Celebrities and public figures have a huge impact on the choosing of names for our children. You can bet your bottom dollar that if a particular actor, actress, singer or musician with an unusual and relatively rare name comes to the fore of the public consciousness, within a couple of years the name will rocket up the popular baby name rankings.

It’s a funny business, sometimes we can imbue a name with certain characteristics that have very little to do with its aural or etymological appeal.

Names become vessels of association. Perhaps this is why the name Keira has become hugely popular ever since Keira Knightley burst onto the scene with her breakthrough role in Bend it Like Beckham.

Mostly, beginning with that feel good role and moving onto other blood-warming turns, such as Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice, Knightley has taken on the task of playing the kind of appealing English Rose-type roles that many new parents hope their daughters will grow to echo in real life.

It may also help explain why the name Adolf always stays well clear of the top-rating monikers.

However, the desire of parents to avoid their children suffering notoriety by nominative association is sometimes not enough to protect kids from seemingly cruel and embarrassing names.

Just look at rocker Frank Zappa’s son, Dweezil, for example. Although he is a strong and healthy adult, I wouldn’t wish his name on anyone.

And what about those names that are sponsored, such as an American baby who was christened Goldenpalace.com Silverman after a casino paid for “naming rights? Was this ethical?

And how would you feel about calling your next-born Duck2water Car Insurance? Our belief is that no matter how much you believe in a product or brand, the naming of a child is a sacred process and should forever remain unsullied by commercial motives.