# Mother thinks hospital has named baby "Female"--come on! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 11, 1999, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-thinks-hospital-has-named-baby-female-come-on/4384 "1999-10-11T16:25:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KSO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@KSO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KSO)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 1999, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-thinks-hospital-has-named-baby-female-come-on/4384/1 "1999-10-11T16:25:00Z")
Yesterday, my dopey sister told us that her friend’s mom is an OB-GYN nurse and that one of the patients was so stupid, she thought the hospital had named her newborn girl “Female” since it appeared on the baby’s bracelet. I saw an episode of “Designing Women” (it was the 80s and I didn’t know any better) with that stupid joke in it. So, is this another urban legend courtesy of “Designing Women” or can someone confirm that this happened? * * * The answer is none, none more black. ---
**Author:** ![Boris\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@Boris\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boris_B)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 1999, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-thinks-hospital-has-named-baby-female-come-on/4384/2 "1999-10-11T16:41:00Z")
[http://www.snopes.com/spoons/fracture/names.htm](http://www.snopes.com/spoons/fracture/names.htm) It’s funny how snopes seems to have covered everything we’re curious about over here! I’m always going over there and they answer my tacit questions. Of course, it’s difficult to prove a legend negatively - so I don’t know if this _absolutely_ confirms your suspicion that the story is bogus. But it certainly couches the story in terms of the other kazillion “goofy lady gave her baby girl a goofy name” story. There are enough real goofy names out there, we don’t need to make up new ones. Anybody heard of the member of Congress from New England, Richard Swett? Calls himself “Dick”. Not kidding. ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 1999, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-thinks-hospital-has-named-baby-female-come-on/4384/3 "1999-10-11T16:48:00Z")
My mother, who was a teacher, insists that she had a “Female” (pronounced fe-mahlly) in her school. This would have been Lemira Elementary in Sumter, South Carolina in the late '70s or early '80s. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 1999, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-thinks-hospital-has-named-baby-female-come-on/4384/4 "1999-10-12T05:39:00Z")
I have personally met women named Dynel, Qiana and “Lukemia,” so nothing would surprise me. ---
**Author:** ![Dirty\_Devil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Dirty\_Devil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dirty_Devil)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 1999, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-thinks-hospital-has-named-baby-female-come-on/4384/5 "1999-10-11T18:15:00Z")
How about the NASCAR driver, Dick Trickle? I always wonder what went through his mind when he decided to use Dick instead of Richard. ---
**Author:** ![torq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@torq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/torq)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 1999, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-thinks-hospital-has-named-baby-female-come-on/4384/6 "1999-10-11T18:24:00Z")
The credits on the “Oz” TV series (the one set in the prison, on HBO I think) list someone named “Male Baby Alexander” (not sure about the last name, and there’s an accent mark over the e in “Male”). ---
**Author:** ![warinner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8edcca/32.png) [@warinner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/warinner)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 1999, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-thinks-hospital-has-named-baby-female-come-on/4384/7 "1999-10-11T18:45:00Z")
> [@](#): > > My mother, who was a teacher, insists that she had a “Female” (pronounced fe-mahlly) in her school. This would have been Lemira Elementary in Sumter, South Carolina in the late '70s or early '80s. Not to doubt your mother’s veracity, but such claims are often argued on alt.folklore.urban and no substantive proof of them has been produced yet. ‘Funny’ names seem to abound: ‘Lemonjello’ and ‘Orangejello,’ ‘Nosmo King,’ ‘Syphilis’ and ‘Gonnorhea.’ I’m sure that other readers could chime in with many more. Unfortunately, none of these names have been bestowed, at least according to the Social Security Death Index: [http://www.ancestry.com/ancestry/search/ssdi/ssdi\_index.asp](http://www.ancestry.com/ancestry/search/ssdi/ssdi_index.asp) A search did turn up one ‘Female,’ Female Spigner who has born and died on the same day in 1994. I don’t think this unfortunate was the inspiration for all the ‘Female’ funny name stories. What all these names have in common is an unsavory subtext, especially when set in a story that emphasizes the race of the mother. Andrew Warinner ---
**Author:** ![mikehardware](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mikehardware](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikehardware)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 1999, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-thinks-hospital-has-named-baby-female-come-on/4384/8 "1999-10-11T18:50:00Z")
Just did a lookup using Switchboard, and found 7 “Jesus Christ” listings. ---
**Author:** ![tipiwoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6bbea6/32.png) [@tipiwoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tipiwoo)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 1999, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-thinks-hospital-has-named-baby-female-come-on/4384/9 "1999-10-11T20:03:00Z")
hmmm…I don’t know if the radio is an accurate source to beleive, but if it is…two years ago while driving to school, they announced the birth of a female baby “shithead” (pronounced shi-thade)on the radio because the newspaper (Dallas Morning News) would not print it. I dunno…sounds like it could be true… * * * tipi 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 1999, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-thinks-hospital-has-named-baby-female-come-on/4384/10 "1999-10-11T20:38:00Z")
Just recently retired from the California Court of Appeal is a well-respected judge whose last name is Fukuto . . . . I have met the man, argued cases in front of him, and swear that this is indeed his name. -Melin ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 1999, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-thinks-hospital-has-named-baby-female-come-on/4384/11 "1999-10-11T23:12:00Z")
It is not uncommon to find, in the former outer reaches of the British Empire, non-white women whose doting parents named them “Lady”. * * * John W. Kennedy “Compact is becoming contract; man only earns and pays.” – Charles Williams ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 1999, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-thinks-hospital-has-named-baby-female-come-on/4384/12 "1999-10-11T23:29:00Z")
> [@](#): > > It is not uncommon to find, in the former outer reaches of the British Empire, non-white women whose doting parents named them “Lady”. Which differs almost not at all from the number of women in the U.S. named Donna or La Donna. * * * Tom~ ---
**Author:** ![neuro-trash\_grrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ab097/32.png) [@neuro-trash\_grrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neuro-trash_grrrl)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 1999, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-thinks-hospital-has-named-baby-female-come-on/4384/13 "1999-10-11T23:31:00Z")
Once, when I was really bored, I flipped through the White Pages trying to find funny names. I stopped looking when I found “Assa Redd”. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 1999, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-thinks-hospital-has-named-baby-female-come-on/4384/14 "1999-10-12T02:08:00Z")
From AnyWho white pages: Druff,Dan Cohutta, GA 30710-0000 706 555 8550 Druff,Dan 181 Reservoir Avenue Providence, RI 02907-3402 401 555 1529 Snott,D (D. = Drippy?) 16402 96th Street Jamaica, NY 11414-3708 718 555 7390 Mclean,Urine 3474 Seymour Avenue Bronx, NY 10469-2174 718 555 0139 Poop,Scoopers (Now wait a minute! Bakersfield, Is this the SD or pure. . .) CA 93301-0000 805 555 7667 Poop,Deck (Now I know why they swab it 9570 Devils Lake Highway so much.) Addison, MI 49220-9306 517 555 7225 Pooh,Winnie T 26 Pond Court Milpitas, CA 95035-4352 408 555 0510 Pooh,W T 2101 Moyer Street Baltimore, MD 21231-1655 410 555 9263 Pooh,W T 171 Jocassee Lake Road Salem, SC 29676-3104 864 555 5697 Pooh,W T 191 Dickard Road Walhalla, SC 29691-5809 864 555 051130192 Pooh,W T 30192 Rhea County Highway Spring City, TN 37381-5567 423 555 5135 Pooh,W T 2021 Park Road Nw Washington, DC 20010-1022 202 555 2308 Pooh,Winnie 1949 Calvert Street Nw Washington, DC 20009-1557 202 555 3642 Bear,Pooh 1024 Dutch Creek Road Klamath River, CA 96050-0000 530 555 2487 Bear,Pooh Plano, TX 75074-0000 972 555 9701 Come,Together 723 S Joplin Avenue Joplin, MO 64801-4515 417 555 7541 Bowlegs,Iwana (Samata? Dawn Laika 4125 Okfuskee knockknees?) Wewoka, OK 74884-0000 Groom,Iwana (Sadie Hawkins rides again!) Tolar, TX 76476-0000 254 555 4600 Harvey,Iwana (Sorry, he’s already taken.) 204 Martha Drive Winnsboro, TX 75494-3614 903 555 6431 Whitehurst,Yuwanda D (Patty? Only if she’s 2009 Winford Road a pardonable sin.) Baltimore, MD 21239-3737 410 555 0788 Podin,Yuwana (No, but Patty does.) 735 W Treadwell Street Fayetteville, AR 72701-5762 501 555 1824 Wilson,Yuwanna (How 'bout just a 1/2-Nelson.) 1228 Ne 16th Street Oklahoma City, OK 73117-1018 405 555 2789 Mccord,Yawanda (How’re da tires?) 1008 15th Avenue S Nashville, TN 37212-2414 615 555 3313 Schmuck,Youra (Waddaya want, Babee?) Las Vegas, NV 89125-0000 702 555 6990 Derryberry,Iva L (Just stereotype of 836 Pisgah Dulan Road Dixieland) Brilliant, AL 35548-3413 205 555 2870 Gardner,Iva (So I seed.) 5980 Highway 96 Fayette, AL 35555-5326 205 555 4916 Geer,Iva N (Now let out da clutch.) 1061 Wrenn Road Boaz, AL 35956-5652 256 555 1091 Olive,Iva (Now all ya need is gin & 8560 County Road 7 vermouth.) Florence, AL 35633-5702 256 555 6163 White,Iva D (Den you move first, Honey.) 2nd Avenue Hanceville, AL 35077-0000 256 555 6637 Allday,Ivan (Sucker!) 210 Gray Street Linden, AL 36748-1812 334 555 0747 Bac,Killam (If 'e kills ya, . . .) 10 Ferry Street Concord, NH 03301-5022 603 555 7000 Dung,Duc K San Jose, CA 95139-0000 408 555 1133 Dung,Duc 271 Calvary Street Waltham, MA 02154-8365 781 555 2198 Dung,Man 7132 Fenway Drive Westminster, CA 92683-3158 714 555 3498 Dung,P El Sobrante, CA 94803-0000 510 555 5762 Dung,P Santa Monica, CA 90401-0000 310 555 2281 Dung,Phu 2313 Johnston Street Los Angeles, CA 90031-2720 323 555 0835 Dung,Ho (Make your garden grow.) 9127 Beechnut Street Houston, TX 77036-6917 713 555 3430 Dung,Thai 4310 Elmwood Drive Alexandria, VA 22310-1317 703 555 0052 Dung,Dang 11401 3rd Avenue Se Everett, WA 98208-5500 425 555 9671 This’s gotta be the most serious Internet addiction there is. Ray (Phone numbers have been changed to protect the innocent. -Nick) [Note: This message has been edited by Nickrz] ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 1999, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-thinks-hospital-has-named-baby-female-come-on/4384/15 "1999-10-12T02:16:00Z")
Bingbang T T W W…(303) 555-0026 3970 Greenbriar Blvd BOULDER CO 80303 OO EE OO AH AH Straight from USWESTDEX Been in the Boulder phonebook for as long as I can remember. Always wondered, never called. * * * “The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.” –Mark Twain (Changed phone number prefix - Nick) [Note: This message has been edited by Nickrz] ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 1999, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-thinks-hospital-has-named-baby-female-come-on/4384/16 "1999-10-12T02:22:00Z")
What exactly does that social security index pull up? I put a bunch of names of people and none came up. And these are real people. ---
**Author:** ![Temujin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Temujin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Temujin)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 1999, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-thinks-hospital-has-named-baby-female-come-on/4384/17 "1999-10-12T05:36:00Z")
My father’s middle name begins with F, and back when some professions were listed in the telephone book, his listing ended with “Fatty,” because he was an attorney, and “atty” was kerned too close to his middle initial. (He was actually very fit.) Also, I recall reading somewhere about a police blotter item in a newspaper about a man named Fnu Mnu Lnu. Turns out this is the name that was listed in the original police report, but it was shorthand for “first name unknown, middle name unknown, last name unknown.” With nearly 300 million people living in America, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a few “Females” out there. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 1999, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-thinks-hospital-has-named-baby-female-come-on/4384/18 "1999-10-12T12:05:00Z")
The oddest name I ever encountered was a Korean one. I worked for an insurance comnpany, one of hose clients was a psychiatrist named “Yoo-suck Kim” How a man gets through life each day being called “Yoo-suck” is beyond me. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 1999, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-thinks-hospital-has-named-baby-female-come-on/4384/19 "1999-10-12T13:45:00Z")
There is actually a gentleman in New York City named Fuk Yu. I want very much to date him, just so I can have the pleasure of introducing him at parties. Can you imagine what a horror his life became as the import of his named slowly dawned on him? There are also two people in Chicago named Sharon Tate and Charles Manson–I very much hope someday they meet; perhaps a Very Special love story will result. ---
**Author:** ![warinner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8edcca/32.png) [@warinner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/warinner)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 1999, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-thinks-hospital-has-named-baby-female-come-on/4384/20 "1999-10-12T14:14:00Z")
> [@](#): > > What exactly does that social security index pull up? I put a bunch of names of people and none came up. And these are real people. Are they real dead people who used to have SSNs? Andrew Warinner [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-thinks-hospital-has-named-baby-female-come-on/4384.md?page=2)