# 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:** 14
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/261 "2004-04-27T13:11:18Z")
**ZAMB:** _I’ve never heard of anyone called after a country before._ Well, there was India Wilkes in _Gone with the Wind_… I believe “India” actually was used as a girl’s name in nineteenth-century Britain, but I don’t have a real-life example. ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/262 "2004-04-27T13:12:57Z")
That seems to be getting more common, around here at least. I went to school with a Jamaica, and when I was shooting portraits a few years back I came across a whole slew of toddler-sized Asias China/Chynas and Egypts One kid’s parents called him “Rocky” the entire shoot, but on the paperwork I saw his full name was Morocco. Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![ZombiesAteMyBrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b4bc9f/32.png) [@ZombiesAteMyBrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZombiesAteMyBrain)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/263 "2004-04-27T13:45:54Z")
> [@belladonna](#): > > That seems to be getting more common, around here at least. > I went to school with a Jamaica, Poor thing - I bet she heard a lot of versions of the joke which ends with “Jamaica???” “No, she went of her own accord.” ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/264 "2004-04-27T13:49:48Z")
Heh, I bet you’re right. The funniest was her boyfriend though, who was fond of saying things like “Sorry, I won’t be able to make it to the game. I’ll be in Jamaica.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![theR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@theR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theR)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/265 "2004-04-27T14:16:27Z")
[http://www.namestatistics.com/](http://www.namestatistics.com/) ---
**Author:** ![htns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@htns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/htns)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/266 "2004-04-27T15:02:48Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > I’m still waiting for someone to name a kid **LaQwerty** Naw, too common. Try **La",.pyf** instead. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Serpentine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3be4f8/32.png) [@Silver\_Serpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Serpentine)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/267 "2004-04-27T15:23:16Z")
I don’t think a lot of folks in the area knew the cricket was a game. It was more like, “Meet my kids, Cricket and Bobbie Joe.” So, yeah. Names from countries: I go by my last name, which is Irish. Does that count? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/268 "2004-04-27T15:47:31Z")
I know a sister-brother team of Savannah & Savion. I think Savion’s mother came up with his name, but I image a few boys will end up with it. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/269 "2004-04-27T15:55:29Z")
That should have read “Savion **Glover’s** mother.” Mrs. Glover invented it as a variation of Savior. ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/270 "2004-04-27T16:26:40Z")
> [@ZombiesAteMyBrain](#): > > An internet acquaintance has recently been telling everyone about her new grand-daughter who has been called **Ireland**. I’ve never heard of anyone called after a country before. India is a long-standing girl’s name. There’s a famous author named Jamaica Kincaid. Kim Basinger’s daughter is named Ireland. (Maybe that’s where your friend got it.) My grandmother was named America and her sister was named Italia. America, in particular, was quite common as a girl’s name in late 19th century Italy. It was often shortened to “Mary” (pronounced the American or English way.) ---
**Author:** ![Ottoerotic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6de8d8/32.png) [@Ottoerotic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ottoerotic)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/271 "2004-04-27T16:54:33Z")
> [@andygirl](#): > > James Barrie invented Wendy, which is a perfectly servicable name. [Tiny nitpick](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mpeterpanwendy.html) ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/272 "2004-04-27T17:32:05Z")
> [@Max Harvey](#): > > Tiffany, Heather, Cody, Dylan, Dermot, Jordan, Taylor, Brittany, Wesley, Rumor, Scout, Cassidy, Zoe, Chloe, Max, Hunter, Kendall, Caitlin, Noah, Sascha, Morgan, Kyra, Ian, Lauren, Q-Bert, Phil That sounds like the names of our 6 y.o. daughter’s classmates. We have a 5 y.o. daughter and a 6 y.o. daughter. Their names are **Elizabeth** and **Catherine** , respectively. To our surprise, this upsets people. “Why did you name them such traditional and conservative names?” :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/273 "2004-04-27T18:04:05Z")
> [@andygirl](#): > > 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. I have three cousins named Brett, Brady, and Brian BECKER. How’s that for alliteration? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/274 "2004-04-27T18:07:12Z")
> [@](#): > > How’s that for alliteration? It should be punishable by imprisonment. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/275 "2004-04-27T19:02:58Z")
It’s ok if you’re a tough guy. Sure, he was really named Marion Cobretti, but everyone called him Cobra. “You’re the disease, I’m the cure” ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/276 "2004-04-27T20:10:50Z")
> [@CloudCar](#): > > My mom’s name is Karn. She might be entertained to know that her name has now been appropriated by a [Magic: The Gathering Card](http://www.wizards.com/magic/autocard.asp?name=Karn#Silver#Golem) I have two grown up female cousins (28 and 33 or so) who are named **Meagan** and **Caitlin** , so I suppose their parents were way ahead of those respective curves. My mother is named **Edwenna** , which is an extraordinarily obscure variant of **Edwina**. (It’s pronounced ed-WEE-nuh). I have a hippie cousin whose children (now ages 25-35 or so) are named **Omar** , **Sierra Wildrose** (she goes by “Sierra”) and **Alana Joyful Raven** (she goes by “Joyful”). The current crop of under-10 cousins in my family includes **Siena** , **Skye** , **Gray** and **Noah** , all of which I think are perfectly nice names. (Oh, and I do have one naming peculiarity myself, which is that I have two middle names, one from each side of the family…) ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/277 "2004-04-27T20:42:17Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > My mother is named **Edwenna** , which is an extraordinarily obscure variant of **Edwina**. (It’s pronounced ed-WEE-nuh). In 1978 [The Residents](http://www.residents.com) released an album called **Not Available**. The first song, which lasts 9 minutes and 25 seconds, is called **Edweena** (two e’s). It’s a _ **great** _ album. Seriously. Info about the album and the song: [http://www.rzweb.net/albums/classic/notavail.html](http://www.rzweb.net/albums/classic/notavail.html) [http://www.rzweb.net/app/lyrics/notavail.html#edweena](http://www.rzweb.net/app/lyrics/notavail.html#edweena) [http://www.emd.pl/muzyka/r/residents/reno.htm](http://www.emd.pl/muzyka/r/residents/reno.htm) [http://www.theresidents.co.uk/recordings/albums/rnavail.htm](http://www.theresidents.co.uk/recordings/albums/rnavail.htm) [http://www.musicdish.com/mag/index.php3?id=2731](http://www.musicdish.com/mag/index.php3?id=2731) ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/278 "2004-04-27T21:23:45Z")
> [@Silver Serpentine](#): > > When I first moved to Texas, I was confronted by a name I’d never heard anywhere else in the country: Cricket. My mom ent to school with one, worked with another, and one was a news lady. > > Is this just an area fluke, or are there more people out there named after an annoying bug? There was a girl at my high school (in NC) named Cricket. Although I think it was spelled Kricket. The valedictorian of my graduating class was named Chance. That was the better name. His middle name was Ashley. I always thought that if I had a daughter I’d name her **Cecily Jane Morgana**. I won’t be having that daughter, but I’d still like to give that name to someone. So if anyone’s looking to name a girl, there are three servicable names bolded up there… ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/279 "2004-04-27T22:39:55Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > I have two grown up female cousins (28 and 33 or so) who are named **Meagan** and **Caitlin** , so I suppose their parents were way ahead of those respective curves. 😃 My nieces are named Meghan and Caitlin. They’re 19 and 22, though. Perhaps they were just at the beginning of the curve. And speaking of the name America, I have a Great-Great (several greats) Aunt named America, and I believe she was called Mary. Her twin sister was named Amelia. ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896/280 "2004-04-27T23:44:53Z")
And in the news today…oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden gives birth to twins: “The 44-year-old and her husband, Thaddaeus Scheel, had a boy, **Hudson Harden Scheel** , and a girl, **Julitta (Ju-LEE-tah) Dee Harden Scheel**, last Thursday in New York. The actress and her husband also have a 5-year-old daughter, Eulala (You-LAY-lah) Grace” JULEEETAH Actually, I kinda dig Eulala Grace. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-name-your-child-after-a-joke-in-a-tom-hanks-movie/126896.md?page=15)