# Do You Know Any YOUNG Men Named Wilbur, Floyd, Elmer, etc.? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 4, 2009, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-young-men-named-wilbur-floyd-elmer-etc/508877 "2009-09-04T16:24:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-young-men-named-wilbur-floyd-elmer-etc/508877/41 "2009-09-05T03:09:41Z")
One of my assistants is named Elmer. He’s about 20 and goes to Cal State L.A. What’s the big deal? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-young-men-named-wilbur-floyd-elmer-etc/508877/42 "2009-09-05T05:39:22Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > In the other thread it was mentioned that a lot of young people with older names are of Asian origin. I used to know a guy, now probably 30ish, named Eugene. Yes, he’s Asian. > > We used to call him Gino. I’ve got a 33 year old friend who’s a white dude named Eugene. Everyone calls him Gino but his name on Facebook is Eugene. Hehe ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-young-men-named-wilbur-floyd-elmer-etc/508877/43 "2009-09-05T05:45:02Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > I like odd and unused names, but some of them defy shortening into a nickname - what do you do with, say, Felix, for short? “Feel”? Oliver: “Ollie”? Webster: “Webby”??? I know people are pressed for time these days, but it’s not always necessary to shorten a two-syllable name. 😉 And there are infinite ways to come up with a nickname. But “Ollie” is definitely the short version of Oliver. ---
**Author:** ![AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-young-men-named-wilbur-floyd-elmer-etc/508877/44 "2009-09-05T06:11:14Z")
> [@](#): > > My 5 year old grandson has a playmate of the same age named Farley Is his nickname Fudge? All the talk about Oscars cracks me up…I keep thinking “Oscar the Grouch” ---
**Author:** ![StaudtCJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@StaudtCJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StaudtCJ)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-young-men-named-wilbur-floyd-elmer-etc/508877/45 "2009-09-05T07:07:33Z")
I know a ten year old Sylvester, as I mentioned in another thread. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-young-men-named-wilbur-floyd-elmer-etc/508877/46 "2009-09-05T11:41:13Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I’ve got a 33 year old friend who’s a white dude named Eugene. Everyone calls him Gino but his name on Facebook is Eugene. Hehe _checks_ Nope, age is a little young or I’d think we knew the same guy. This guy got his name from an older relative, Italian descent. He’s just glad he didn’t get the other Italian name that produces the nickname of Gino - Ginocchio. Swear to god, I’ve seen it in Italian cemeteries and the like. ---
**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-young-men-named-wilbur-floyd-elmer-etc/508877/47 "2009-09-05T12:27:56Z")
I went to high school with a Eugene. We are both 34. My wife and I almost named our son Felix. It was the second choice on the list after the name we chose. I really wanted to name him Ulysses. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-young-men-named-wilbur-floyd-elmer-etc/508877/48 "2009-09-05T12:51:30Z")
> [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](#): > > I also regularly deal with a guy name Hubert and one name Eugene, names which are much less common today. My dad’s name is Hubert Eugene. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-young-men-named-wilbur-floyd-elmer-etc/508877/49 "2009-09-05T15:54:19Z")
> [@interface2x](#): > > I used to know a kid who is 21 now named Carl. Also went to high school with a Carl (I’m 32). Forgot to mention - though these two guys have absolutely no relation to each other, nor even know each other, they also have the same last name. ---
**Author:** ![wierdaaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eada6e/32.png) [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-young-men-named-wilbur-floyd-elmer-etc/508877/50 "2009-09-05T18:09:06Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > I saw a little Finn the other day. (Inspired no doubt by Phinneas, Julia Robert’s offspring). Cute! I like odd and unused names, but some of them defy shortening into a nickname - what do you do with, say, Felix, for short? “Feel”? Oliver: “Ollie”? Webster: “Webby”??? One of my choice names is Ransom. It’s kind of historic, from a specific movie I like, and has the awesome nicknameability of “Rance.” Only problem is the potential awkwardness of having a kid named Ransom. I don’t know if the term for kidnapping money came _after_ the name or what. ---
**Author:** ![sjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@sjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sjc)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-young-men-named-wilbur-floyd-elmer-etc/508877/51 "2009-09-05T20:01:45Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > _checks_ Nope, age is a little young or I’d think we knew the same guy. This guy got his name from an older relative, Italian descent. He’s just glad he didn’t get the other Italian name that produces the nickname of Gino - Ginocchio. Swear to god, I’ve seen it in Italian cemeteries and the like. No way. That’s a first name?! Seems rather odd to call your kid “Knee”, but then the Italians do have some interesting names. Incidentally, the Nicaraguan who live next door to me in college was named “Wilbert” (IIRC). ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-young-men-named-wilbur-floyd-elmer-etc/508877/52 "2009-09-05T21:14:09Z")
I know of an under-10 named Melvin. ‘Round here in Sweden it’s still apparently a very popular boys’ name. Kicker is, he’s a relative on my mother’s side of the family, so he’s ended up with the same first name and surname as my favorite grandfather. I’m hoping to meet him at the next family reunion. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-young-men-named-wilbur-floyd-elmer-etc/508877/53 "2009-09-06T01:57:59Z")
A couple of years ago, I taught a first grader whose name is Chauncey. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-young-men-named-wilbur-floyd-elmer-etc/508877/54 "2009-09-06T03:16:23Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#): > > I also have a family friend who named her son Wyatt, which is an " old" name to me. Wyatt was the #62 most popular boys name in the US for 2008. It’s been in the top 100 for four years now, ranking higher every year, so there are lots of little Wyatts running around. I did know a couple of Randals (both went by Randy) now in their early-to-mid 30s, which is _kind of_ unusual considering that #492 was the highest that name ranked between 1975 and 1980. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-young-men-named-wilbur-floyd-elmer-etc/508877/55 "2009-09-06T03:20:05Z")
My middle name is Elmer. Old family name - I was named after my grandfather and this was the first name of my great-grandfather as well. I’m nearly forty - don’t know whether I’m young by the standards of the OP but I’m not a geezer quite yet. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-young-men-named-wilbur-floyd-elmer-etc/508877/56 "2009-09-06T03:52:03Z")
How about a roughly 12-year-old Walter (sometimes called “Walt”)? (I like it.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-young-men-named-wilbur-floyd-elmer-etc/508877.md?page=2)