Johnson Family Tree

In the era before contraception, mass-immigration and immunisation, Australians tended to have larger families than they do now.

And while it was once commonplace for couples to begin breeding before they travelled extensively and purchased two cars, a home and an investment property, it isn’t now.

The trend to have smaller families runs parallel with the broadening of the range of first names (many not Christian) and surnames (many not pronounceable) Australians choose to brand their progeny, much like modern marketers do.

Gone are the days when names such as Bruce, Barry, Debbie, Raelene and Jenny were as quintessentially Australian as Vegemite, Holden and Myxomatosis.

Today you’ll find names like Ashleigh (also spelt Ashlee, Ashelea, Ash-Lea, Aschele and Ahshli, among the more common variants) and Dillon, Ahmed, Swati and Jurgen are increasingly prevalent.

As are imaginative names such as Bree-Ann and Leaf and Gragan and Windchyme, all of which are designed to set a child apart and ensure that it is always seen as wildly individualistic, self-absorbed, attention-seeking and pretentious.

And never regarded by the majority with traditional Australian names, as being suitably self-effacing, community minded, accepting and normal.

The Johnson Family Tree piece reflects the still strong cultural belief in having names and profiles which reflect an acceptance of Australian traditional values, rather than being another voice screaming desperately, “Look at me! Look at me!”