# Pleased to meet you, my name's... Hitler **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 15, 2005, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleased-to-meet-you-my-names-hitler/335782 "2005-12-15T19:35:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Martha\_Medea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@Martha\_Medea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martha_Medea)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleased-to-meet-you-my-names-hitler/335782/1 "2005-12-15T19:35:10Z")
I was in the [GD thread about holocaust denial](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=349672), when I came across this and other similar asides. > [@Lochdale](#): > > In Dublin, there is a restaurant called Mao’s. It doesn’t seem to offend anyone that the man was a mass-murderer. That place still bothers me. I started typing my reply, but then realised I didn’t have anything to add to the OT because several posters had already made my points for me. I also got a little more het up than GD permits, so here’s a pitting instead. Where I live, a couple of people on the fringes of public life have ‘Hitler’ as their _given_ name. It fills me with revulsion, but no one else I know bats an eyelid. It amazes me that they feel OK about going around with a name like that, and that they don’t get spat upon by everyone they come into contact with. For people who say ‘it isn’t their fault, they didn’t choose to be named that’ - even if your parents were deranged or ignorant enough to give you that name, wouldn’t the civilised thing to do be to drop it in favour of something less offensive? I can understand up to a very limited point that maybe the full horror of the holocaust is not so resonant in countries like this one, that were not affected, but when you see that the US Embassy here even has one of them on their [list of local recommended lawyers](http://santodomingo.usembassy.gov/Consular/ACS/attorney.htm), it makes me wonder what the fuck they were thinking of. Scroll down and see for yourself. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleased-to-meet-you-my-names-hitler/335782/2 "2005-12-15T19:41:28Z")
Since my last name is **Eichman** , I really don’t see your point here. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleased-to-meet-you-my-names-hitler/335782/3 "2005-12-15T19:43:36Z")
[Deer] _Bummer of a birthmark, Hal._ [/Deer] ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleased-to-meet-you-my-names-hitler/335782/4 "2005-12-15T19:47:17Z")
I just can’t wait for the next John Smith to start world-wide genocide…penis will ensue when that comes to fruition. ---
**Author:** ![Martha\_Medea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@Martha\_Medea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martha_Medea)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleased-to-meet-you-my-names-hitler/335782/5 "2005-12-15T19:53:09Z")
As I said, ‘Hitler’ is his given name, his first name, the name his parents chose. No prizes for guessing why they chose it. If it were a surname, it wouldn’t be such a big deal, although I’m certain that most people with that particular one changed it long ago. As for other surnames shared with infamous historical figures, unless \*\*silenus \*\*was whooshing me, they are not nearly so distinctive as ‘Hitler’ to provoke the same reaction. That also applies to your hypothetical “John Smith”, **Yeticus**. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleased-to-meet-you-my-names-hitler/335782/6 "2005-12-15T20:07:30Z")
I’d have more of a double-take reaction than revulsion because someone had the first name of “Hitler”. These days, folks might even change their name _to_ that, just to get the negative reaction. Doesn’t diminish how I feel about the stuff Adolf Hitler did – I’m just not that fussed about names. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleased-to-meet-you-my-names-hitler/335782/7 "2005-12-15T20:09:38Z")
Well, our listed Hitler graduated from Law School in 1966. That means he was born in 1942 or before. If his parents were right-wingers, in Laten America, then it is very likely that they named their son before his namesakes genocidal policies became widely known. As for changing it…maybe not. Why would/should I change my name because of something somebody else did? Any problems would be with the narrow minds of others, not the way I live my life. If they can’t seperate a name from an action, then piss on them. And no, it’s no whoosh. That’s my last name. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Weird\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@The\_Weird\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Weird_One)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleased-to-meet-you-my-names-hitler/335782/8 "2005-12-15T20:13:23Z")
**Martha** , I see what you mean. It seems a safe guess that the Dr. Hitler Fatule-Chain of the Dominican Republic is not of German descent. If it were my name, I would certainly change it. Are people in the DR not as aware of the Holocaust as we are, do they just not care, or are they actively anti-semitic? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleased-to-meet-you-my-names-hitler/335782/9 "2005-12-15T20:24:23Z")
> [@Martha](#): > > I started typing my reply, but then realised I didn’t have anything to add to the OT because several posters had already made my points for me. I also got a little more het up than GD permits, so here’s a pitting instead. > > Where I live, a couple of people on the fringes of public life have ‘Hitler’ as their _given_ name. It fills me with revulsion, but no one else I know bats an eyelid. It amazes me that they feel OK about going around with a name like that, and that they don’t get spat upon by everyone they come into contact with. Are there any Trujillo families in your neighborhood? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleased-to-meet-you-my-names-hitler/335782/10 "2005-12-15T20:27:01Z")
I kinda wish my parents had named me Hitler, just so I could legally change it to Hilter and become a living, breathing Monty Python reference. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleased-to-meet-you-my-names-hitler/335782/11 "2005-12-15T20:27:36Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Are there any Trujillo families in your neighborhood? Well, again, what she’s pitting isn’t “Hitler” families, but people with the first name “Hitler”. So the analogy wouldn’t be a “Trujillo” family, but someone with the first name Trujillo ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleased-to-meet-you-my-names-hitler/335782/12 "2005-12-15T20:37:09Z")
Hitler! Attilla! Pol! Time for dinner!! ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleased-to-meet-you-my-names-hitler/335782/13 "2005-12-15T20:42:22Z")
> [@Martha](#): > > …the US Embassy here even has one of them on their [list of local recommended lawyers](http://santodomingo.usembassy.gov/Consular/ACS/attorney.htm), it makes me wonder what the fuck they were thinking of. Scroll down and see for yourself. They were probably thinking, “Hey, maybe we shouldn’t decide who we list based on whether we like his fucking name or not.” ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleased-to-meet-you-my-names-hitler/335782/14 "2005-12-15T20:47:13Z")
On the other hand, do you think it is easier to be elected mayor if [your name is Superman](http://peninsulaclarion.com/stories/093005/elections_0930ele002.shtml)? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleased-to-meet-you-my-names-hitler/335782/15 "2005-12-15T21:00:33Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > On the other hand, do you think it is easier to be elected mayor if [your name is Superman](http://peninsulaclarion.com/stories/093005/elections_0930ele002.shtml)? I know a dog named Hercules Rockefeller Superman IV, Esq. He’s a poodle. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleased-to-meet-you-my-names-hitler/335782/16 "2005-12-15T21:35:40Z")
I know a guy from Iceland name Itler. You have to introduce him twice. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleased-to-meet-you-my-names-hitler/335782/17 "2005-12-15T22:14:45Z")
I can’t find a cite for it, but recall reading that in the 1930’s and 40’s, the people of Easter Island, quite isolated except for radio contact, and even then not understanding most foreign languages, made a habit of naming their boys “Hitler”. Apparently, they heard near-constant references to a certain Herr Hitler on the radio and figured he must be some big shot. :eek: One reporter told a tale of being in a restaurant when a fellow walked in and was greeted by a loud, uninhibited, “Hola, Hitler!” Seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleased-to-meet-you-my-names-hitler/335782/18 "2005-12-15T23:23:56Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > I know a dog named Hercules Rockefeller Superman IV, Esq. > > He’s a poodle. It actually used to be “fashionable” for dimwits to name their dogs things like Hitler (“Heel, Hitler!”) and Mussolini. I have not heard of people naming their mutts Osama\*, but it would not surprise me. \*or Nancy Grace, for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleased-to-meet-you-my-names-hitler/335782/19 "2005-12-15T23:34:05Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > It actually used to be “fashionable” for dimwits to name their dogs things like Hitler (“Heel, Hitler!”) and Mussolini. > > I have not heard of people naming their mutts Osama\*, but it would not surprise me. > \*or Nancy Grace, for that matter. Didn’t Mark Twain name his dog after his editor, so he could be the one giving him orders for a change? ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleased-to-meet-you-my-names-hitler/335782/20 "2005-12-15T23:46:20Z")
> [@NurseCarmen](#): > > Hitler! Attilla! Pol! > > Time for dinner!! Pol’s on the Pot, mom! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleased-to-meet-you-my-names-hitler/335782.md?page=2)