# How and why did you decide on your username? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 3, 2004, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-did-you-decide-on-your-username/277933 "2004-12-03T18:52:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-did-you-decide-on-your-username/277933/21 "2004-12-03T21:21:52Z")
Oooh, look, another one of these threads. For my name, I was writing a story, and needed a name. I’d recently read _The Face on the Milk Carton_ and there’s a part where the main character (Jane) is trying out fancy spellings for her name. Jayn was inspired from that. Newell I just tacked on since it’s a common surname. Stories written over a few months, with no advance planning and at least a week between sittings don’t work out very well (It was an English project though–As long as I wrote, no matter what it was or how good it was, I got full marks). But the original idea sucked anyways. So, when I was younger I couldn’t think of a username that stuck. Once I tried this one, and it did. I’ve been using it for, oh, about 5 years now. ---
**Author:** ![TheFaerie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c57346/32.png) [@TheFaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheFaerie)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-did-you-decide-on-your-username/277933/22 "2004-12-03T22:01:13Z")
My SO is in a band called Elvendrums, so I often refer to him as The Elf, thusly when I got together with him, I picked up the handle The Faerie. I am also known as The Evil Dark Faerie among some of my friends, or TEDF for short. My vanity plate says FAERIE and when I get a new car I am thinking of changing it to THE EDF. ---
**Author:** ![PinkMarabou](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@PinkMarabou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PinkMarabou)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-did-you-decide-on-your-username/277933/23 "2004-12-03T22:28:24Z")
It actually took me a while to think of a name. I pondered over this for a while before posting, but I couldn’t really think of anything clever so I just settled on something I knew I could live with. Basically it came down to this: I really LOVE the color Pink and the other day I was flipping through a catalog, I saw a pair of those fuzzy, kitten-heeled, mules that the glamorous women wear in movies . . . I love them!! The fuzz on those shoes is called marabou. So there you have it, PinkMarabou. ---
**Author:** ![AntaresJB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@AntaresJB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AntaresJB)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-did-you-decide-on-your-username/277933/24 "2004-12-03T22:31:42Z")
My name is Antares (really, it’s on the birth certificate, I swear). J and B are my middle and last initials. I’ve used this screen name for years, since I first got AIM and was trying to come up with a unique SN. I tried Antares, then AntaresB, then finally AntaresJB and ta da! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-did-you-decide-on-your-username/277933/25 "2004-12-03T22:39:31Z")
ABC used to have the Saturday Morning Cartooniverse. A few hours of truly top-drawer cartoons. Harkens back to the carefree days of wandering Thouron Avenue and playing in the fields past Ivy Hill Road… --dreamy sigh– Cartooniverse ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-did-you-decide-on-your-username/277933/26 "2004-12-04T00:41:33Z")
**Freddy the Pig** was the title character in a popular series of children’s books by Walter R. Brooks. I deliberately chose a silly name to discourage myself from posting in argumentative GD and Pit threads. > [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](#): > > 1.) It sounds badass. I gotta admit, that’s about the most badass name I’ve seen on these boards. See, if I had a name like that, I couldn’t control myself. I’d be King Cock in the Pit, flaming everybody in sight and getting myself banned in about 6.2 days. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-did-you-decide-on-your-username/277933/27 "2004-12-04T00:45:28Z")
Was drunk & watching _The Brincess Bride_ shortly after my old man had died during a 6 x bypass heart surgury. Dad was always pretty cool to me so I missed him terribly, and given my altered state at the time I was watching the movie I quickly discerned that a metaphorical 6-fingered man had slaughtered _my_ father. Inigo Montoya’s grief as expressed in the movie worked for me. ---
**Author:** ![VampyChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5daacb/32.png) [@VampyChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VampyChick)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-did-you-decide-on-your-username/277933/28 "2004-12-04T00:59:33Z")
Many moons ago when I was a teenybopper fourteen-year-old, I opened my Yahoo! account with a variant of this username, plus an ‘al’ at the end and some underscoring. Then I registered with a message board with that name and got kind of well known. Since then I’ve pared it down a bit, but people know me by this. I doubt I’d be able to adjust to answering to something else without a lot of mental retraining. So I stick with it, despite the dork factor. ---
**Author:** ![Rock\_n\_Roach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Rock\_n\_Roach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rock_n_Roach)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-did-you-decide-on-your-username/277933/29 "2004-12-04T01:49:01Z")
I love music and pot. No, that’s not it - but I’d bet that more than one person has thought that. HEY turn that up and pass the twinkies. Now what was I saying…ahhh, It’s really big stones and bugs that I’m into. wait, that isn’t it either. “Rocky, will you go lay down. I’ll let you out in a minute.” Where was I, oh Rock n Roach…it’s a play on mine and my dog’s names ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-did-you-decide-on-your-username/277933/30 "2004-12-04T02:10:22Z")
I’ll follow **Hal Briston** ’s lead and paste (after slightly editing) my answer from the thread he linked: My explanation can be found in post #59 of [this thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=252045&page=2&pp=50&highlight=Kate+Starbird) Don’t feel bad about bringing up the subject, though, **Spongemom** – there are always new posters, old ones who change their screen names, and veterans who missed previous opportunities to enlighten their kindred spirits of the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-did-you-decide-on-your-username/277933/31 "2004-12-04T02:23:55Z")
It came to me in a dream. ---
**Author:** ![Daithi\_Lacha](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daithi_lacha/32/5430_2.png) [@Daithi\_Lacha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daithi_Lacha)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-did-you-decide-on-your-username/277933/32 "2004-12-04T03:03:33Z")
> [@Freddy the Pig](#): > > **Freddy the Pig** was the title character in a popular series of children’s books by Walter R. Brooks. This is the nuttiest thing, but the other day I was thinking of a Freddie the Pig book I had when I was a kid - the one where he thinks he’s on the moon, but it’s just the site of a forest fire… My name is from an Irish cartoon dating back a ways… means “Dave Duck,” pronounced “DAH-hee LAH-ka.” Sadly, it has been pointed out to me that my name should have an “i” at the end, not an “e.” I’m not Irish; my wife is. I’m Anglo-Rican! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kiminy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Kiminy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiminy)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-did-you-decide-on-your-username/277933/33 "2004-12-04T03:07:16Z")
Eons ago (in the ancient days of BBS and pre-Internet), I chose to use my cat’s name as my online nick. I spent a lot of time on French chat boards, so I spelled it Crickette, in part to make it look feminine, and in part to differentiate it from the sport known as cricket. (I know NOTHING about the sport except a little terminology!) After a few years, though, I became extremely annoyed by the number of people who kept asking me which cricket team I supported in the various online chat boards I participated in. Since my real first name is Kimberly (aka Kim), I decided that Kiminy would be a good nick to use. Kiminy Crickette was essentially a variation on Jiminy Cricket, so the chat rooms and bulletin board I was active in would have a “hook” to remember the new nick. For many years I was even the only Kiminy I ever came across. However, it appears that others have started using that nick on some places, so I have an alternative of KiminyMe when just plain Kiminy won’t work. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-did-you-decide-on-your-username/277933/34 "2004-12-04T03:15:02Z")
One day, I was walking along the street, when the clouds burst open, light streamed forth, angelic voices sang in heavenly choruses, doves fluttered on white wings… …okay, okay, the truth is, we were studying _The Odyssey_ in a lecture, and I came across the following: > [@](#): > > First, for her beauty’s sake, she freshened all her fine features > with ambrosia, such as fair-garlanded Kythereia uses > for salve, whenever she joins the lovely dance of the Graces. and I thought that Kythereia sounded cool. There you go. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-did-you-decide-on-your-username/277933/35 "2004-12-04T03:30:09Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > > [@Aesiron](#): > > > > …I always name myself after mythological figures and Aesir is the name of the principal Norse gods. Since Aesir by itself is usually taken and I hate using numbers in my user names, I added “-on” to the end to make the name my own. > > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=3714042&postcount=79](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=3714042&postcount=79) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=5147812&postcount=7](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=5147812&postcount=7) ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-did-you-decide-on-your-username/277933/36 "2004-12-04T03:59:13Z")
I misheard and misremembered the name “Satoshi.” And not just _any_ Satoshi…"[Satoshi,](http://www.leenite.org/thecritic/jaymisc.htm#satoshi) the [Eater of Souls."](http://www.leenite.org/thecritic/graphics/satcookp.jpg) (And “Cookie Pusses.” As seen on an episode of _The Critic_.) \*Rrrrgh…Who has disturbed my thousand year sleep?[/o] ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-did-you-decide-on-your-username/277933/37 "2004-12-04T04:51:13Z")
How the hell does one get from **Satoshi** to **Ranchoth**? Mine was suggested by one **Shirley Ujest** after a board-wide contest to find me a new name. See here: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=235742&highlight=username](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=235742&highlight=username) ---
**Author:** ![shamrock227](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@shamrock227](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shamrock227)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-did-you-decide-on-your-username/277933/38 "2004-12-04T04:51:54Z")
Back in the long ago and far away of the 1980s when I had a Commodore 64 and a 9600 baud modem I just went by my first name last initial. But, apparently, I have a very common first name (Susan) and it was becoming more and more difficult to sign up for things with that username. So I made a change… My initials are SHM and I am of Irish decent - hence **sh** a **m** rock. the 227 is my birthday. ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-did-you-decide-on-your-username/277933/39 "2004-12-04T05:14:03Z")
It’s supposed to be an oxymoron, kinda. The spelling mistake in the name isn’t a continuity error, but a spelling error, so the name itself is discontinuous… trust me, I thought it was really clever when I came up with it. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-did-you-decide-on-your-username/277933/40 "2004-12-04T05:21:19Z")
I use my real name because it’s easy for me to remember. Most days I can even spell it right, although in writing script I often screw up the doubled “m.” It comes out either 1-1/2 “m’s” or just a bunch of miscellaneous humps. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-did-you-decide-on-your-username/277933.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-did-you-decide-on-your-username/277933.md?page=3)