I think seeing them in the context of sisters' names would make me think of the Biblical story, which might make me think they were Jewish.

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If I met two sisters in real life called Naomi and Ruth, I might think 'maybe they're Jewish'. But if I met a girl called Naomi with a sister called Susan, and a girl called Ruth with a sister called Poppy (for examples), I wouldn't think they might be Jewish.

For me it depends on the date. You meet English Ruths going back in history, but Naomi as a non-Jewish name is pretty recent...

Emma

A lot of people like biblical names, and IME they are more often thought of as biblical than Jewish, but the people who like them are often not liking them because they, or the names, are religious, but because they sound traditional rather than tacky. People who prefer Joseph to Darren, or Rebecca to Kylie.

I was christened Deborah and my parents are neither religious nor have any links with Judaism.

Deb

Ah, if I can't call her Naomi, Deborah would be brilliant. It's a great name.

Hmmm, think I asked because I feel they are too Jewish sounding when put together, if the characters aren't Jewish. But the names feel right for the people.

Naomi is 54 and Ruthie is 25. Naomi is home counties gel and Ruthie is Scottish American social misfit. There's a Nora across the road from me who's a Naomi type. Maybe Nora would work. Thought of playing with the letters of Naomi - Mona - but can't call her that as she does have her bitter snot fair moments, so don't want to give her a sandwich board advertising the fact. Amoni - not very home counties.

Love Deborah though. It has that strong, handsome, more-to-her-than-meets-the-eye feel to it.

Deborah would be brilliant

My first wife was called that. I like the name, too, but she hated it because of having been called 'Debra the Zebra' at school. She always pronounced it De-boh-rah, with the accent on the middle syllable, but she made me promise never to call her by the full name, on pain of being glared at. Luckily, I like the diminutive Debbie even better.

Alex

I like the diminutive Debbie even better.

But I'm actually quite tall, Alex....

Love Deborah though. It has that strong, handsome, more-to-her-than-meets-the-eye feel to it.

Wow, Cherys, if I'd have heard that before I changed my name I wouldn't have changed it... I was christened Deborah, but was always called Deb or Debbie, so Deborah reminded me of going to the doctor and other unpleasant things, and I loathed it. So just before I married my husband I changed my name legally to Debbie - now no-one can call me that!!

Deb

But I'm actually quite tall, Alex....

Interesting that you should pick that meaning of 'diminutive', as my wife was actually very small (4 feet 8 inches). So my statement that I liked the diminutive Debbie works both ways.

Alex

Isn't it funny how just a slight addition or removal of the odd letter can make you love or hate a name. For instance Diana is much more glamorous than Diane and Anna than Anne.

Deborah is a lovely name but I didn't used to think so when it was very popular after Debbie Reynolds. My daughter's name is Rosalind which I love but she calls herself Roz which I like less. And I hate my name which makes me feel very, in Susannah's words "home counties". Either that or Irish, which I'm not. I love the name Susannah, by the way, but not Susan, or Suzanne.

When I was at school the popular names were Pat, Susan, Linda for girls. You can always almost tell how old someone is by their name, can't you, which is what I try to impress on writing students.

I recently met a British woman called Kylie and it reminded me just how old Ms Minogue is these days, as I still think of her namesakes as being around 7.

Bit of ramble this. Basically, I just don't want to have to get out of my dressing gown and face the day, even though it's 11.45.

I also immediately thought of the biblical story and may well have imagined the choice was deliberate, looking for parallels to that story in your own.

Isn't it funny how just a slight addition or removal of the odd letter can make you love or hate a name.

I've always been slightly puzzled by the name Sara. I don't recall encountering it before the 1980s, when it suddenly seemed to have become very popular. It's a name that seems to me to be missing an 'h' at the end, as if the parents couldn't spell 'Sarah'.

Alex

I was best friends at school with a Sara - not pronounced Sarah but Zara with an 'S'.

She was born in 1969.

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Also Jackie was very popular in the 1960s - with Jackie Kennedy - although it seems to be more of a working class name when you meet many of the people called Jackie. Then there is Jackie magazine...

Alex, I knew which meaning you meant, but was making a joke... Interesting about your wife!

Geri, when I was at school I think the most popular names were Debbie, Jenny, Sarah, Helen, Linda etc.

Sara is, I believe, a foreign spelling of Sarah, so not a misspelling but using an unusual spelling for the UK. I know a Swedish girl called Sara.

Deb

The heroine of A Little Princess is called Sara with no H. Pubbed about 1890, I think, so it must have been around (Tho' Frances HB was educated in America, tho English by birth). I was interested when that spelling started to being pronounced Sahra - I don't think I'd heard it that way when I was reading the book, which is one of my favourite children's books ever ever ever.

She always pronounced it De-boh-rah, with the accent on the middle syllable,

Which of course is closer to the Hebrew pronunciation of Devorah, which is where it all starts.

Emma

The name Deborah actually means 'bumble bee', which always amused my wife. (I wonder whether that's why she always called me 'honey'?)