# Don't name your child after a JOKE in a TOM HANKS MOVIE! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 4, 2002, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896 "2002-09-04T01:08:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/1 "2002-09-04T01:08:15Z")
The second most poular name for girls in the USA is now “Madison.” The only reason anyone would name their daughter this is that it was a joke in the movie “Splash,” starring Tom Hanks, that the mermaid claimed her name was “Madison” because she saw it on a street sign. The joke in the movie was that it was a stupid name but was the best the naive mermaid could come up with. Prior to “Splash,” the name was unknown as a girls’ given name. If we allow uncaring parents to name their poor daughters Madison, we’ll soon be giving them any number of last names, and we’ll have girls running around name Maddox, Jackson, Washington, Phillips, and Farmer. It’s a terrible name. Please, help stamp out “Madison” as a girl’s name. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/2 "2002-09-04T01:28:23Z")
Martin Luther King named his kid after a boulevard. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/3 "2002-09-04T01:37:57Z")
Enderw24, you think that’s bad, Lou Gehrig was named after a friggin’ disease, for Christ’s sake! ---
**Author:** ![Rhum\_Runner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rhum\_Runner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhum_Runner)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/4 "2002-09-04T01:52:09Z")
And think of all those poor boys named John, James, Peter, Paul etc… Where did those come from? The nerve! ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/5 "2002-09-04T01:52:46Z")
OK Rev, don’t be doing that when I’m eating. I nearly choked! I love that joke- an oldie but a goodie! ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/6 "2002-09-04T02:08:47Z")
[Denis Leary] Poor Lou Gehrig. Died of Lou Gehrig’s disease. How the hell did he not see that coming? [/Denis Leary] ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/7 "2002-09-04T02:35:16Z")
What’s wrong with Madison as a name? Sounds perfectly lovely. It’s not like everyone who hears the name is going to think, “Hey, that’s from that really lame semi-obscure Tom Hanks movie from twenty years ago!” It’s not like people are naming their kids Lyfislika Boksachoclets. And, btw, cite that no one was ever named Madison prior to 1984? ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/8 "2002-09-04T02:45:38Z")
Makes me wonder about all them kids named Lexy. One friggin’ block, and it could have been an epidemic. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/9 "2002-09-04T02:46:09Z")
There was a really cool dance called the “Madison,” back around 1962 or so. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/10 "2002-09-04T02:46:27Z")
Apparently Madison is Old English [meaning](http://www.pregnancy-info.net/m.html) “son of a soldier”. Good name for a girl. Anyways, the trick to a name crossing over genders is for it to become so unpopular that no one can think of someone with that name. Then it loses it’s gender and can be re-assigned, in this case by a Tom Hanks movie. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/11 "2002-09-04T02:47:12Z")
Well, I can attest that my cousin _did_ name his daughter Madison after seeing Splash. He thought it went very nicely with his last name - Manden. He named his subsequent children Mason and Madeline. ---
**Author:** ![Sylkyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@Sylkyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylkyn)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/12 "2002-09-04T02:52:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ukulele Ike \* > \*\*There was a really cool dance called the “Madison,” back around 1962 or so. \*\* “Anybody know The Madison?” - Brad (The Rocky Horror Picture Show) Heh. I haven’t ever even seen _Splash_. I just thought folks were coming up with “different” names for kids. I think I need to maybe, you know, get out sometimes. I might could catch up to the early 80’s by November, if I really try. ---
**Author:** ![andygirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@andygirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andygirl)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/13 "2002-09-04T03:32:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LifeOnWry \* > \*\*Well, I can attest that my cousin _did_ name his daughter Madison after seeing Splash. He thought it went very nicely with his last name - Manden. He named his subsequent children Mason and Madeline. \*\* Cruel bastard. There is such a thing as too much alliteration. Eh, every name has to come from somewhere. James Barrie invented Wendy, which is a perfectly servicable name. ---
**Author:** ![Sputnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Sputnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sputnik)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/14 "2002-09-04T03:35:50Z")
[slight hijack] I’ve never been a big fan of “crossover” names like Madison, Taylor, Morgan, etc. But what I really dislike are the brand new made-up names. You may know some little girls named “Kayla” which AFAIK is a recently invented name that has become very popular and at this point, pretty much mainstream. I’ve also seen more little girls named “Michaela” and “McKenzie” recently. But I saw the worst, most mutant combo name on an unfortunate little girl’s nametag at church not too long ago: **McKayla** [/slight hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/15 "2002-09-04T03:37:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ElwoodCuse \* > \*\*[Denis Leary] > Poor Lou Gehrig. Died of Lou Gehrig’s disease. How the hell did he not see that coming? > [/Denis Leary] \*\* [Denis] His friends tried to warn him… They said “Lou, there’s this disease out there with your name ALL OVER it!” [/Denis] ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/16 "2002-09-04T04:19:23Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ve also seen more little girls named “Michaela” and “McKenzie” recently. Nuthin’ wrong with Mackenzie as a name. Fine old Scottish name. Boy’s name, mind you, and I’m not hugely thrilled to see it co-opted by the other gender, but it’s hardly new-minted. Been in my family for generations. Heck, I’m proud to be named Mackenzie. Especially since, according to my mom, it was that or “Struin.” ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/17 "2002-09-04T04:41:32Z")
I’m naming my kid Ford. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/18 "2002-09-04T04:50:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sputnik \* > \*\*[slight hijack] > I’ve never been a big fan of “crossover” names like Madison, Taylor, Morgan, etc. But what I really dislike are the brand new made-up names. You may know some little girls named “Kayla” which AFAIK is a recently invented name that has become very popular and at this point, pretty much mainstream. I’ve also seen more little girls named “Michaela” and “McKenzie” recently. But I saw the worst, most mutant combo name on an unfortunate little girl’s nametag at church not too long ago: > **McKayla** > [/slight hijack] \*\* Me too, either. But I must point out that Michaela is the REAL name from which McKayla, Kayla, Kaila, Mikaila, or the absolutely reprehensible Mickayla derive. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/19 "2002-09-04T04:56:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Silentgoldfish \* > \*\*I’m naming my kid Ford. \*\* I’m naming my daughter Polk. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/20 "2002-09-04T05:11:28Z")
My niece is unfortunately named Mikayla. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896.md?page=2)