# Good-ole-boy names like "Sonny" & "Bubba" - do they exist in other languages **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 8, 2001, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-ole-boy-names-like-sonny-bubba-do-they-exist-in-other-languages/71687 "2001-07-08T13:10:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![StephenG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@StephenG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StephenG)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-ole-boy-names-like-sonny-bubba-do-they-exist-in-other-languages/71687/21 "2001-07-10T03:48:24Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by matt\_mcl_ > **In Québécois, the prefix ti- (for petit) affixed to a shortened name**… > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bordelond \* > **As I understand it, “ti” derives from the French _petit_.** Right. Moving on… 🙂 > [@](#): > > Can “ti” be used as a rustic, diminuative nominal prefix in Continental French? In Continental French, I believe the /p/ is pronounced, so it’s “_p’tit_”. The initial consonants sort of blend together, then there’s a long vowel sound, and the final consonant is, of course, silent. ---
**Author:** ![Dapy\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@Dapy\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dapy_Man)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-ole-boy-names-like-sonny-bubba-do-they-exist-in-other-languages/71687/22 "2001-07-10T04:50:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ruadh \* > \*\*“Paddy” is often used in Ireland to represent the stereotypical hick-from-the-sticks (or “culchie” as they’re called here). I can’t think of a female equivalent off the top of my head. \*\* I’ve heard (and I beliebve) that the term Paddy Wagon (which refers to a police van which schleps around convicts) derives from this slang. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Doris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@Sir\_Doris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Doris)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-ole-boy-names-like-sonny-bubba-do-they-exist-in-other-languages/71687/23 "2001-07-10T08:05:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bordelond \* > \*\* > > Maybe. Are these names “marked” for urban wealth or are they marked for a rural or working-class environment? > > Can those names carry a pejorative connotation? Can they be used in a general sense to convey contempt (ex: _“There might be 4 teeth & a pair of shoes among every Darryl, Dwayne & Darren in the sticks.”_)? \*\* I’m not sure there’s a rural vs urban thing in the UK, but certainly such names can be perjorative. Sharon and Tracy / Essex girls are the subject of a lot of jokes. And ask any primary school teacher about the name Wayne or more recently, Kyle … A popular TV comdedy sketch show features the characters Wayne and Waynetta Slob, who could be described as white trash. Their children bear rather fanciful names (again many school teachers would say this characterises the lower working classes) ---
**Author:** ![SteveinSpain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@SteveinSpain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveinSpain)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-ole-boy-names-like-sonny-bubba-do-they-exist-in-other-languages/71687/24 "2001-07-10T09:31:27Z")
Over here you got Pepito & Pepita Pérez. (Joey & Josefina). ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-ole-boy-names-like-sonny-bubba-do-they-exist-in-other-languages/71687/25 "2001-07-10T09:59:30Z")
In South African jokes, the “Bubba” character would be a guy with the surname “Van de Merwe” (_fun-der-mare-r-ver_), who is also known by his first name, Koos (_k-w-i-s_) - the butt of all jokes, really - so anyone with a country name would be the equivalent - here, they tend to be older-style Afrikaans nicknames - Koos, Frikkie etc [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-ole-boy-names-like-sonny-bubba-do-they-exist-in-other-languages/71687.md?page=1)