# I need a Faire name **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 26, 2003, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-faire-name/197811 "2003-08-26T19:11:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-faire-name/197811/1 "2003-08-26T19:11:45Z")
What would be a 16th century approximation of a computer geek? I’m definitely not looking to be a wizard, but there’s got to be something I can use as a persona, right? Someone had mentioned the closest occupational title might be something like “numeric mechanic” :dubious: Failing that, I suppose I could be something like Lord Richard of Solaris. ---
**Author:** ![ajlilhammer225](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/cc9497/32.png) [@ajlilhammer225](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ajlilhammer225)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-faire-name/197811/2 "2003-08-26T19:19:20Z")
That sounds okay to me. I’m a squire in my mideval group and my name is Jaymee of London… ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-faire-name/197811/3 "2003-08-26T20:55:21Z")
Call yourself… **Queen Elizabeth** I don’t _think_ that’s been done. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-faire-name/197811/4 "2003-08-27T00:41:40Z")
Depends on whether you do hardware or software. 🙂 Scholars of mathematics were well known, and Webster’s dates the term “Mechanician” to 1570 – being one who designs/builds mechanical devices, _a la_ Leonardo. On the other hand, if you want something like Wizard but rather more historical, then you might consider “Alchemist” – some of whom were actually proficient chemists, and others were really just charlatans who were only good at turning lots of their patron’s gold into less gold. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-faire-name/197811/5 "2003-08-27T01:22:27Z")
Hmmm… There wasn’t anything equivalent to even a primitive computer, so you might have to settle for a different variety of geek. Examples: siege engineer geometer alchemist professor of algebra and higher maths master of the counting house ---
**Author:** ![Rabid\_Squirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Rabid\_Squirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rabid_Squirrel)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-faire-name/197811/6 "2003-08-27T01:50:40Z")
I suppose the ultimate catchall would be ‘artesian’. From what I’ve heard, it’s interchangable with ‘engineer’ Other suggestions: - Practitioner of Natural Philosophy (scientists and geeks) - Dabbler of the Mystic Arts (pretty general) - Numerologist (An ‘real life’ branch of divination through numbers) - Court Crackpot :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![DaToad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@DaToad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaToad)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-faire-name/197811/7 "2003-08-27T03:11:18Z")
Binary Imagineer