# Parents that are just askin' for it **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 4, 2006, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-that-are-just-askin-for-it/347004 "2006-03-04T02:51:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SusanStoHelit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@SusanStoHelit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SusanStoHelit)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-that-are-just-askin-for-it/347004/1 "2006-03-04T02:51:46Z")
I work for an HMO that manages Medicaid for this part of Oregon. Due to budgetary concerns Oregon welfare is pretty much only accepting children and pregnant women right now, so I see a lot of children who sound like they were named by, well, teenage mothers. Actual names I have seen: Jealousy Rose Destiny Fyre And a dumpster full of Ashleighs, Hunters, Coles, and Masons But today I ran across a family with 4 boys: Justin (fine) Austin (a little repetitive, but no big deal) Custin (Custin?) And finally, born 1/1/2006… **Ustin** Did they run out of ideas? Did the dog eat their baby-name book? Or do they just want their children to disown them? Remember parents - your children will pick your nusing-home someday. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-that-are-just-askin-for-it/347004/2 "2006-03-04T03:08:38Z")
A coworker and his wife just had their fifth child, a boy, and named him Odin Thor. Do the first four kids have similar mythy names? Nope, just this one. Dad’s a short, smallish Mexican American guy, and Mom’s very petite, way to give the kid not likely to be large enough to defend himself such a great targeting name. ---
**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:** [March 4, 2006, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-that-are-just-askin-for-it/347004/3 "2006-03-04T03:31:12Z")
> [@SusanStoHelit](#): > > I work for an HMO that manages Medicaid for this part of Oregon. > Due to budgetary concerns Oregon welfare is pretty much only accepting children and pregnant women right now, so I see a lot of children who sound like they were named by, well, teenage mothers. > > Actual names I have seen: > Jealousy Rose > Destiny Fyre > And a dumpster full of Ashleighs, Hunters, Coles, and Masons > > But today I ran across a family with 4 boys: > > Justin (fine) > Austin (a little repetitive, but no big deal) > > Custin (Custin?) > > And finally, born 1/1/2006… > > **Ustin** > > Did they run out of ideas? Did the dog eat their baby-name book? Or do they just want their children to disown them? > > Remember parents - your children will pick your nusing-home someday. What, no Dustin? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-that-are-just-askin-for-it/347004/4 "2006-03-04T04:02:37Z")
I work for the PA Department of Welfare, entering applications into our database system, so I manage to see a LOT of dubious naming. “Destiny” is very popular, if just a bit grandiose. Texas cities are big, for some reason…I see a lot of Dallases and Austins and even saw a Houston once. One thing I noticed just today was the fact that if a family has two boys, and one is named Jeremy, the other one will be named Justin at least 70% of the time. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-that-are-just-askin-for-it/347004/5 "2006-03-04T12:38:59Z")
> [@SusanStoHelit](#): > > And a dumpster full of Ashleighs, Hunters, Coles, and Masons. I teach preschool, I have a Hunter and a Mason in my regular class this year. In my afternoon enrichment class, I have an Ashley and an Ashleigh and two Coles. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-that-are-just-askin-for-it/347004/6 "2006-03-04T12:51:44Z")
When naming the China bambinas, one thing I did was check popular names. If any of my potential name candidates was in the top 50 or so names for the past year/decade, then it was off the list. The above examples are just the lowest common denominator taken to a revolting degree. ymmv ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-that-are-just-askin-for-it/347004/7 "2006-03-04T13:14:30Z")
> [@SusanStoHelit](#): > > And finally, born 1/1/2006… > > **Ustin** I’m wondering… were they trying to come up with a creative spelling for “Houston”? Not that Houston would be a great name for a boy either, but uh… ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-that-are-just-askin-for-it/347004/8 "2006-03-04T13:39:57Z")
I’m thinking how confusing it would be to yell down the hall “Justin, come here” and get four kids because they each heard their name. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-that-are-just-askin-for-it/347004/9 "2006-03-04T13:49:12Z")
I hope the next one is Mustin. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-that-are-just-askin-for-it/347004/10 "2006-03-04T13:56:58Z")
I went to grade school with a kid name ‘Colon’. Not Colin. Colon. :smack: He had a brother named ‘Rebel’ and a sister named ‘Stormy’. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-that-are-just-askin-for-it/347004/11 "2006-03-04T14:06:02Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > I work for the PA Department of Welfare, entering applications into our database system, so I manage to see a LOT of dubious naming. “Destiny” is very popular, if just a bit grandiose. Texas cities are big, for some reason…I see a lot of Dallases and Austins and even saw a Houston once. One thing I noticed just today was the fact that if a family has two boys, and one is named Jeremy, the other one will be named Justin at least 70% of the time. Houston, Dallas, and Austin are named after Texas heroes, so they are “real” names, at least as real as Madison and Mason. I can’t say that I’m a big fan of using last names as first names, though. It sounds very pretentious to me. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-that-are-just-askin-for-it/347004/12 "2006-03-04T14:09:17Z")
I recently met an “Atom” and a “Tigger”. I also once met a “Melena”. Ewww. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-that-are-just-askin-for-it/347004/13 "2006-03-04T14:14:48Z")
I recently met an “Atom” Hey, they had a nuclear family. ---
**Author:** ![Walkabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/46a35a/32.png) [@Walkabout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walkabout)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-that-are-just-askin-for-it/347004/14 "2006-03-04T14:42:58Z")
I read in our local paper about a child born to one of our University basketball players. They named the poor kid Kwinsie. ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-that-are-just-askin-for-it/347004/15 "2006-03-04T14:48:45Z")
My wife worked at the local hospital when we lived on Kwajalein. The hospital no longer delivers babies (except in emergencies, of course), but back in the mid-1980s they did, and sometimes the Marshalese would be in the unit, and she would handle the birth certificates. Two examples that stand out in my mind: Rocket Brain \_\_\_\_, and Cinderlella Lace \_\_\_. Actually, I thought the last one was rather pretty. ---
**Author:** ![Hokkaido\_Brit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d26b3c/32.png) [@Hokkaido\_Brit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hokkaido_Brit)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-that-are-just-askin-for-it/347004/16 "2006-03-04T14:48:49Z")
In my class at school we had a Duane (really odd for rural England!) an Elgar and a Bryher to name but a few. But I have an extremely oddly named child now, (and one with a bog-standard ordinary name, which is even odder) so I can hardly point any fingers. ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-that-are-just-askin-for-it/347004/17 "2006-03-04T14:50:03Z")
Crud…“Marshallese.” ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-that-are-just-askin-for-it/347004/18 "2006-03-04T14:56:29Z")
> [@Ca3799](#): > > I recently met an “Atom” and a “Tigger”. I once knew a girl named Tigger, but it was short for Antigone, which I guess isn’t much better. My friend has a half-sister named Phaedra. Do these people just pick then names because they sound good, regardless of meaning? ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-that-are-just-askin-for-it/347004/19 "2006-03-04T15:35:47Z")
> [@SusanStoHelit](#): > > But today I ran across a family with 4 boys: > > Justin (fine) > Austin (a little repetitive, but no big deal) > > Custin (Custin?) > > And finally, born 1/1/2006… > > Ustin Hubby works in a prison. Back when he was a case manager, he had to approve visiting lists. One inmate listed his five children. LaTeisha LaMeisha LaKeisha LaVisha LaDeisha And not all of them were girls. Honestly, I can’t imagine what it must be like to be one of those kids. My grandparents had a hell of a time keeping all of their kids’/grandkids’ names straight. I would often hear, “Sara-Laurie-Megan-Lissa . . . whatever your name is-- come here!” > [@Rubystreak](#): > > I once knew a girl named Tigger, but it was short for Antigone, which I guess isn’t much better. My friend has a half-sister named Phaedra. Do these people just pick then names because they sound good, regardless of meaning? I went to school with a Brazillian exchange student. Her best friend, she told me, was named Copy Machine. Her parents spoke no English, but thought those words sounded very pretty. (Well, they kinda do, I guess.) ---
**Author:** ![SusanStoHelit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@SusanStoHelit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SusanStoHelit)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-that-are-just-askin-for-it/347004/20 "2006-03-04T16:18:43Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > What, no Dustin? That was my thought too. I guess they’re saving that name for the next lil’ 'stin **jayjay** , I get a lot of Destinys also. I’m so glad that I never got to name a real kid when I was 14 _shudder_ We’d probably have had an extra Gwenivere or Winifred in therapy. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-that-are-just-askin-for-it/347004.md?page=2)