Why do people select a name following this pattern (though of course they are nearly always unaware that they are following any pattern)? It seems that, in selecting names, we go for familiar patterns, even if we do not realise it.
Yesterday, my second grandchild was born, and she has been called Elsie. Now my wife's name is Ellen (a name she selected herself — her real name is 艶 玲 Yan Ling). My son's name is Alexander and my daughter's Elizabeth. Then my grandson is Oliver and my granddaughter is now Elsie. Do you see the pattern? Every single one begins with a vowel followed by /l/, and for the females, the initial vowel is always 'e'.
It seems that following a familiar pattern in selecting a name is not just found in Brunei. And, just the same, my son was certainly not aware that he was following any pattern when he and his wife chose the names for their children.
