His grandfather was also named Adlai Stephenson, and was Grover Cleveland’s vice president.
And since I’m mentioning vice presidents, how about:
Elbridge Gerry
Millard Fillmore
Schuyler Colfax
Garret A. Hobart
Alben W. Barkley
Hubert H. Humphrey
Spiro T. Agnew
The name “Oscar” took a noise dive in popularity in England after Oscar Wilde’s sodomy trial.
I know a man named “Cledith”. I’ve never encountered that name before - has anyone else?
Not an unusual name in his native land, the Czech Republic.
My Father-in-law is Czech and is called Milos.
NB: The final s has a little hook above which means it should be pronounced Milosh. Dunno how to make that appear right though.
“Capability” Brown was a nickname, although his real name was Lancelot and you don’t find many of them around any more. The Victorian British often had weird names – I’ll post some when I get around to it.
And Millicent Martin used to be famous in Britain in the '60s.
Is this how you write Miloš?
That’s the fella. š. I should have thought a bit longer, I could have got it from the Unicode Character Map in Accessories. Duh.
Garrett Fitzgerald is also a well-known name this side of the Atlantic.
Went to school with a Garrett and there used to be a guy named Garrett where I worked.
I am on speaking (or at least email) terms with people named Irmgard, Neusa, Toru, and Dubravka (whose husband is another Miloš–there seem to be a lot of Milošes around here).
I had a relative (female) with the middle name Keziah. And another named Nan.
And what elmwood called ‘old lady names’: aren’t these merely the fashions of fifty or sixty or a hundred years ago? You don’t get many children named Vera in the English-speaking world these days, for example. I would argue that ‘dated’ is precisely the description that fits them: associated with a particular ‘date’, or time period.
Twenty or thirty years from now, Debbi will be an old-lady name and the kids will be named something new… or possibly Edith and Percival.
Oh, please. Englebert Humperdink took his name from the nineteenth century composer who wrote a lot of works, including Hansel and Gretel. When you order a CD by EH, you have to specify which one.
Dino Martin
Myron?
I know a girl named “Murray”
I was talking about the composer. I guess I should’ve made myself clear.
I always wondered why someone would change their name toEnglebert. The Singing Englebert’s real name is Arnold George Dorsey. Not so bad.
Some peculiar British Victorians:
Decimus Burton, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Florence Nightingale (the first woman called Florence apparently) and Barnes Wallis (not a Victorian, but I bet there aren’t many Barneses out there).
And more recently, I’m surprised with all the comments about Madonna, that nobody has mentioned baby Lourdes.
Also (slightly sad this because their mother had an unhappy end to her life), Bob Geldof and Paula Yates were at one time famous/notorious for picking even weirder names for their kids than the Zappas: Fifi Trixibelle Geldof, born 1984
Peaches Geldof, born 1991
Pixie Geldof, born 1994 and Heavenly Hirrani Tiger Lily Hutchence, born 1996, (Paula’s daughter with Michael Hutchence).
Maybe people are expecting copycat namings for these poor souls in the near future?
Or what about Chastity Bono? Surely unique in recent times?
Also, I know it’s short for Irving, but is anyone else called Ving as in Ving Rhames?
Idi, as in Amin.
Sorry dude (make that Dude-et)
As a Tallahasseean, I can say for a fact that Jeb Bush is actually “John Ellis Bush”, and is known by his ititials, as an acronym. Not to many folks can do that. Far as I know, just Jeb and my girlfriend TAZ.
How about Shaquille (how the hell to you spell that? wait a minute: Shack!) O’neal.
Or Buzz? (as in Aldrin)
Don’t hear that one much, but not sure if it’s his real name.
And, BTW, I went to High School with a guy named Wilbur. Went by his middle name Steve though.
Slight hijack:
My grandmother has 6 sisters… 3 of them are named: Joe, Bobby, and Marion. I get the feeling that (great) Grampa Skipper wanted a boy.
My mother is the only female I’ve ever met named Lary. When I was a young kid I thought it was a woman’s name, as it isn’t very popular among men either.
[hijack] Does he have a brother named Anal? [/hijack]