# General sources of user names **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 11, 2011, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-sources-of-user-names/599364 "2011-10-11T23:41:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-sources-of-user-names/599364/61 "2011-10-12T16:18:53Z")
Uninteresting. The AOL era SDMB just used your regular AOL screen name; and when I picked that out I wasn’t shooting for clever. First init, last name. “That one is taken, AOL suggests (add a random cumbersome string at the end)”. I didn’t want to be AHunter279 or whatever so I started low and found a hole at 3. ---
**Author:** ![MegaBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@MegaBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaBee)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-sources-of-user-names/599364/62 "2011-10-12T18:02:52Z")
Other. Unofficial name for the robot bee that Scorponok launches from his claw in Transformers: Beast Wars. Also the shadow leader of the Predacons in my personal canon. ---
**Author:** ![mkecane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@mkecane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkecane)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-sources-of-user-names/599364/63 "2011-10-12T18:35:55Z")
“Relevant to my life” It’s a name carried over from other boards. It’s a combination of location and favorite team. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-sources-of-user-names/599364/64 "2011-10-12T19:04:47Z")
Because when you’re 15, using the name of a fallen angel best associated with sadistic sex is, like, you know, _sooooo_ cool. :o I like to pretend only the first trilogy exists. ---
**Author:** ![Sea\_Creature\_Turner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@Sea\_Creature\_Turner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sea_Creature_Turner)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-sources-of-user-names/599364/65 "2011-10-12T19:26:20Z")
Mine’s from a television show. So I chose the ubiquitous “other”. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-sources-of-user-names/599364/66 "2011-10-12T20:03:53Z")
Mine’s based on an old high-school nickname, so I chose “other” as well. ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-sources-of-user-names/599364/67 "2011-10-12T23:04:17Z")
I just wanted something anonymous and it happened to be nerdy, as in D&D or something (don’t they have paladins and stufff?), so I figured why bother change it. Totally random, nearly. ---
**Author:** ![SeldomSeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@SeldomSeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeldomSeen)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-sources-of-user-names/599364/68 "2011-10-12T23:05:58Z")
Literary allusion, sort of. Taken from Seldom Seen Smith, protagonist of _[The Monkey Wrench Gang](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monkey_Wrench_Gang)_. Why yes, I am an Edward Abbey fan…why do you ask? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-sources-of-user-names/599364/69 "2011-10-12T23:46:19Z")
Hayduke lives! ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-sources-of-user-names/599364/70 "2011-10-12T23:52:27Z")
\*\*Some event or condition relevant to my life: \*\* I love to travel by auto. Since I enjoy camping and boating, I am constantly pulling either a camper, or a boat, or both at once (sort of a 3-car road train). Since there is almost always something affixed to the rear of my truck, my relatives tend to ask “What’re you pullin’ today?”. Hence the name. PS. I just want to state FTR that “ **rachelellogram** ” is probably the coolest username I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2011, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-sources-of-user-names/599364/71 "2011-10-13T00:05:46Z")
Historical. I do medieval recreation with the SCA, and have a hunnic persona for camping [pants and boots are way better for camping then full elizabethan:eek:] so I got what is considered one of the best reference works on Huns, and scrounged around in it learning about naming conventions. One problem exists, not many female names are known - the few that are mentioned are actually more titles than names [which goes also for many male names] but there is a reference to a female named Aruvqan, who was apparently some sort of shamaness or priestess, or some other ceremonial position. Her name translates roughly to qan of the sky. [or as I jokingly translate it, sky princess] Qan is a term that refers to someone in charge of _something_ such as the qan of 10 men, or qan of 100 men, or qaqan, qan of qans. It is roughly pronounced chru’hf’khan [i have no idea how to do the funktastic phonetics of the throat clearing consonant combos, deal with it :p] so in general I go by Rue. The prof got almost all of the names from extant documents, generally treaties between mercenary groups and the diverse Roman legions hiring them, trade treaties and such. Some names were extrapolated from writings about the Huns by several Romans who were political hostages with them. I use the name in most games as my main character, makes life easier. ---
**Author:** ![poker\_in\_the\_rear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dc4da7/32.png) [@poker\_in\_the\_rear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poker_in_the_rear)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2011, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-sources-of-user-names/599364/72 "2011-10-13T00:53:16Z")
Buggery ---
**Author:** ![Crackrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Crackrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crackrat)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2011, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-sources-of-user-names/599364/73 "2011-10-13T05:52:31Z")
Nickname that I got back in high school. I used to stay up late playing video games and would show up to school in the morning with bloodshot eyes. One of my friends gave me the nickname, and it stuck. And I’ve never run into it being taken when I register for things online. ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2011, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-sources-of-user-names/599364/74 "2011-10-13T06:15:57Z")
My surname is Blackman, and since I’m not playing a part or hiding who I truely am, I have no real need for a psedonym here, I only reversed my name because I didn’t want to mislead people into thinking I am of recent African descent. On other less reputable forums, I use one of several pseudonyms, and on the less controversial boards, I just use my Given name+Family name. @Roddy 》Are you the same Roddy who runs a certain language forum? ---
**Author:** ![Soliloquy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@Soliloquy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soliloquy)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2011, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-sources-of-user-names/599364/75 "2011-10-13T06:19:35Z")
Mine is my favorite word. I love the way it sounds and the way it feels when you say it. Often, I’ll add my badge number to the end of it (as in my email address). I handpicked my badge number, and I love it because it is 9-1-1 backwards. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2011, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-sources-of-user-names/599364/76 "2011-10-13T12:26:31Z")
Other - “Jophiel” is from Jewish lore and is traditionally thought to be the cherubim in Genesis who drives Adam & Eve from the Garden of Eden and guards the Tree of Life. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2011, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-sources-of-user-names/599364/77 "2011-10-13T12:29:58Z")
I picked “some event or condition relevant to my life”. Being from Navarra is such a large piece of my identity, it’s absurd… I’ve been living “outside” for over 20 years and I still get surprised by how many things are different in that itty bitty piece of land and Elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2011, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-sources-of-user-names/599364/78 "2011-10-13T12:35:41Z")
> [@Silophant](#): > > I’m assuming I just made it up for no particular reason, but the first thing I remember signing up as Silophant for was Runescape, when I was about 13, so it’s been eight years. … I think I’ll quote this next time someone asks about “things that have made you feel old”… _goes in search of a walker_ Example of something which is different about being from Navarra: I just got a phone call from the equivalent of IRS telling me there is a document I need to file within 15 days to avoid sanctions. I don’t think IRSs elsewhere do that. ---
**Author:** ![Napkin\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8dc957/32.png) [@Napkin\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napkin_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2011, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-sources-of-user-names/599364/79 "2011-10-13T12:44:22Z")
One of the first threads I read while lurking here featured curlcoat, and somehow the fabulous idea of napkin sandwiches was brought into the conversation. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2011, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-sources-of-user-names/599364/80 "2011-10-13T13:45:55Z")
> [@paperbackwriter](#): > > You need a “Songs” or “Music” category, methinks. Yeah, wuzzup with dat? mmm [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-sources-of-user-names/599364.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/general-sources-of-user-names/599364.md?page=5)