# Poor little me: My parents gave me a stupid name
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-little-me-my-parents-gave-me-a-stupid-name/359023
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [June 1, 2006, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-little-me-my-parents-gave-me-a-stupid-name/359023 "2006-06-01T15:43:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 7
### Author:  [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2006, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-little-me-my-parents-gave-me-a-stupid-name/359023/121 "2006-06-04T16:02:05Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#):
>
> Heck, even now, with a 4-letter last name, people have to verify: “Like the direction?”
Ha. I spend a lot of time at work booking appointments, and have to take people’s names. I’ve experienced the following sort of transaction often enough that I now confirm just about _everything_:
Me: Your last name, please?
Patient: “West”
Me: Like the direction?
Patient: No, it’s T.H.R.O.A.T.W.A.R.B.L.E.R.M.A.N.G.R.O.V.E.
You’d imagine that if you had a problem name that is pronounced exactly like an extremely common four or five letter word, you’d automatically spell it rather than assuming people are going to hear the six extraneous vowels and double consonants.
So now I do this:
Me: Can I get your last name, please?
Patient: Brown.
Me: Spelled the obvious way?
Patient: Heh. Yes.
---
### Author:  [@Flipstrip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flipstrip)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2006, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-little-me-my-parents-gave-me-a-stupid-name/359023/122 "2006-06-04T18:46:52Z")
I used to have a friend who gave her son her maiden name as a first name. Except her maiden name wasn’t something that sounded like it could be either a first or last name, it was _really_ obvious that it was a last name. Her husband insisted that the son have the middle name of Alexander, which she considered the worst name ever. When she was raving to me about the terrible middle name her husband was saddling the child with, she asked me if I didn’t agree.
“Well, no, because I’ve always liked the name Alexander. And it’s a good thing to give kids an option of a middle name that’s a little more common, just in case. He might really love his first name, but there’s always that chance he won’t…” I answered.
“WHAT!!! How could he NOT love his first name?” she interrupted.
“Well, you didn’t like yours. Didn’t you change it because you didn’t like how common it was?” I replied.
That’s when she hung up on me.
If everyone gets that “Oh dear God, that poor child,” look on their face when you tell them what you’re going to name your baby, maybe you should reconsider.
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### Author:  [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2006, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-little-me-my-parents-gave-me-a-stupid-name/359023/123 "2006-06-04T22:40:32Z")
> [@Miss Purl McKnittington](#):
>
> I don’t think anything really triggers most name fads. People just decide it’s a nice name and they all decide it at the same time. Frex, my parents named me Sarah Elizabeth. I was born in 1984 and (at the time) they didn’t know of a single other baby named Sarah.
My daughter (born 1988) is Sarah Elizabeth, too, and she just graduated from high school today.
I need to go find the program and list all the strange names.
I do remember there was a girl named L’Oreal (like the make-up) and other girls named after cars: Cressida, Chevelle, Korvette, Lexus (two of them) and Porsche.
There were some other odd ones, but I’d have to list them from the program. Maybe tomorrow.
---
### Author:  [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2006, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-little-me-my-parents-gave-me-a-stupid-name/359023/124 "2006-06-05T00:27:01Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#):
>
> I do remember there was a girl named L’Oreal (like the make-up) and other girls named after cars: Cressida, Chevelle, Korvette, Lexus (two of them) and Porsche.
Are you sure little Cressida was named after the car, and not [the Chaucerian and Shakespearian character](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troilus_and_Cressida)?
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### Author:  [@blinkingblinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinkingblinking)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2006, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-little-me-my-parents-gave-me-a-stupid-name/359023/125 "2006-06-05T00:43:34Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#):
>
> Are you sure little Cressida was named after the car, and not [the Chaucerian and Shakespearian character](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troilus_and_Cressida)?
Porsche and Mercedes are cars named after girls. Not vice versa. I knew a girl named Mercedes who was often asked why she was named after a car.
Also I knew a guy who called his daughter ‘Freedom’. People asked him why he named his daughter after a Furniture shop. Freedom being a furniture shop in Australia.
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### Author:  [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2006, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-little-me-my-parents-gave-me-a-stupid-name/359023/126 "2006-06-05T01:35:39Z")
> [@blinkingblinking](#):
>
> Porsche and Mercedes are cars named after girls. Not vice versa. I knew a girl named Mercedes who was often asked why she was named after a car.
Porsche is named after the son of the man who started the company, Ferdinand Porsche. Mercedes is indeed a Spanish female name and an early engine design by DMG was named after Mercedes Jellinek but these days the name just sounds stupidly trendy. But with Porsche not only have you given your child a last name as a first name but one that will make people think “luxury car.”
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### Author:  [@blinkingblinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinkingblinking)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2006, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-little-me-my-parents-gave-me-a-stupid-name/359023/127 "2006-06-05T05:58:03Z")
> [@asterion](#):
>
> Porsche is named after the son of the man who started the company, Ferdinand Porsche. Mercedes is indeed a Spanish female name and an early engine design by DMG was named after Mercedes Jellinek but these days the name just sounds stupidly trendy. But with Porsche not only have you given your child a last name as a first name but one that will make people think “luxury car.”
You are right that I made a mistake on Porsche. But Portia has been a girls name for thousands of years. Maybe they are just introducing a different spelling.
---
### Author:  [@tashabot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tashabot)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2006, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-little-me-my-parents-gave-me-a-stupid-name/359023/128 "2006-06-05T06:02:01Z")
One of my friends is named Mangas (pronounced Man-gus) Coloradus Fouse. It sounds good and respectable now, but he developed a great sense of humor from growing up with that name.
~Tasha
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### Author:  [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2006, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-little-me-my-parents-gave-me-a-stupid-name/359023/129 "2006-06-05T09:59:07Z")
> [@hawksgirl](#):
>
> My cousin had her baby last year. She named her Michael (not sure how she spelled it). That’s right, her daughter is named Michael. I can’t recall the middle name right now, but it was definitely a boy’s name as well. Now that kid will have to spend most of her life hearing, “So your parents wanted a boy huh?” and having substitute teachers not believe that its her name. Way to go.
I was going to mention [Michaëlle Jean](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micha%C3%ABlle_Jean), Governor-General of Canada, but then I realised that her name ended with two L’s and an E. And has a dieresis.
---
### Author:  [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2006, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-little-me-my-parents-gave-me-a-stupid-name/359023/130 "2006-06-05T11:59:05Z")
> [@blinkingblinking](#):
>
> You are right that I made a mistake on Porsche. But Portia has been a girls name for thousands of years. Maybe they are just introducing a different spelling.
If it had been spelled “Portia” I wouldn’t give it a second thought; the fact that it’s spelled like the car made me think she was named for the car.
Okay, here are some of the stranger names.
Diva
Quarry
Bronte (I actually kind of like this one)
L’Oreal
Da’Von’Ette
Sachet
Artyz
Moanee’
Hyacinth
Passionelle
In the “I can’t spell” category:
Abbygyl (Abigail?)
Mellyssa
Rabecka
Jaqui (Jackie)
In the “I’m having twins and have no imagination” category:
Alexander & Alexandra
Sierra & Tierra
Danielle & Daniette
Taylor & Kaylor
(Yes, I asked. These kids are all twins and not just kids with the same last names)
In other news, I had no idea how many celebrities graduated with my daughter. She had Dennis Miller, Brian Wilson, Michael Moore, Courtney Cox, James Brown and Dylan Thomas all in her class. 😃
---
### Author:  [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2006, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-little-me-my-parents-gave-me-a-stupid-name/359023/131 "2006-06-05T12:58:46Z")
> [@tashabot](#):
>
> One of my friends is named Mangas (pronounced Man-gus) Coloradus Fouse.
A good test for baby naming is to prefix the name with “Supreme Court Justice” and see how it sounds. **Supreme Court Justice Mangas Coloradus Fouse** is destined for greatness. Supreme Court Justice Wenderella Bibby, not so much.
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### Author:  [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2006, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-little-me-my-parents-gave-me-a-stupid-name/359023/132 "2006-06-05T13:22:04Z")
> [@Dervorin](#):
>
> If she makes a simple dessert, would that be Michael Anne Jello? 😃
>
> I couldn’t resist! Don’t hurt me!
HAR!
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### Author:  [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2006, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-little-me-my-parents-gave-me-a-stupid-name/359023/133 "2006-06-05T15:41:29Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#):
>
> If it had been spelled “Portia” I wouldn’t give it a second thought; the fact that it’s spelled like the car made me think she was named for the car.
Whereas I wouldn’t have made the connection at all- I’ve always pronounced _Porsche_ as “Porsh”.
---
### Author:  [@tashabot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tashabot)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2006, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-little-me-my-parents-gave-me-a-stupid-name/359023/134 "2006-06-05T18:04:21Z")
> [@](#):
>
> A good test for baby naming is to prefix the name with “Supreme Court Justice” and see how it sounds. Supreme Court Justice Mangas Coloradus Fouse is destined for greatness. Supreme Court Justice Wenderella Bibby, not so much.
Yeah, but see, if he’s gonna be a comedian (which he should be), I don’t think anyone will take him seriously (well, as seriously as you might take a comedian).
Although, Wenderella Bibby would be a good name for a comedian.
~Tasha
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### Author:  [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2006, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-little-me-my-parents-gave-me-a-stupid-name/359023/135 "2006-06-05T18:25:53Z")
When I first started at this job, my boss was named Micheal. Not Michael, Micheal. Little odd, but the best part was that his job was QA director, and he had this sign on his office door:
Micheal Smith
Quality Assurance Director
Somehow, less than inspiring.
---
### Author:  [@Barrels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barrels)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2006, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-little-me-my-parents-gave-me-a-stupid-name/359023/136 "2006-06-05T18:52:25Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#):
>
> Then there is the Carrie/Karrie/Carey conundrum.
My IRL name is Carrie Lynn.
Up until this weekend I was engaged to a guy named Andrew. (But that’s a whole diffrent thread) His brother is Adam. Adam is marrying Karrie Lynn in October.
I guess that was just one more reason not to get married. There shouldn’t be 2 C/Karrie Lynn LastNames in the same area, let alone the same family.
Barrels
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### Author:  [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2006, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-little-me-my-parents-gave-me-a-stupid-name/359023/137 "2006-06-05T19:01:29Z")
> [@Miller](#):
>
> When I first started at this job, my boss was named Micheal. Not Michael, Micheal.
I just noticed that one of the books on my bookshelf bears the name of the author spelled “Jeffery.” Not “Jeffrey,” but “Jeffery.”
---
### Author:  [@blinkingblinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinkingblinking)
#### Post date: [June 6, 2006, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-little-me-my-parents-gave-me-a-stupid-name/359023/138 "2006-06-06T07:59:48Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#):
>
> A good test for baby naming is to prefix the name with “Supreme Court Justice” and see how it sounds. **Supreme Court Justice Mangas Coloradus Fouse** is destined for greatness. Supreme Court Justice Wenderella Bibby, not so much.
Fashion Designers often have some strange names when you think about it. Sure there is Paul Smith and Tom Ford , but most of them have unusual names. It helps to make them sound exotic.
---
### Author:  [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2006, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-little-me-my-parents-gave-me-a-stupid-name/359023/139 "2006-06-12T21:55:42Z")
> [@MamaHen](#):
>
> My sister is really named Rebel. We think Mom just went nuts. Not even a cool middle name to fall back on, it’s Lee. My Uncle begged her to name me Yankee but she didn’t thank goodness.
She doesn’t live in New England, does she?
> [@MixieArmadillo](#):
>
> You’d imagine that if you had a problem name that is pronounced exactly like an extremely common four or five letter word, you’d automatically spell it rather than assuming people are going to hear the six extraneous vowels and double consonants.
I have a similar problem…I almost always spell my first name because it is a less common version (Gwendolen) and still invariably get back Gwendolyn as people must go on automatic; hello, I wouldn’t be spelling it if I thought you were going to get it right!!
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### Author:  [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2006, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-little-me-my-parents-gave-me-a-stupid-name/359023/140 "2006-06-12T22:11:59Z")
Wow, **BiblioCat** , really someone named Hyacinth? Because that was one of the joke names I used to shut people up when they’d ask me what I was going to be naming my son. “Hyacinth if it’s a girl, Poindexter if it’s a boy.” Worked like a charm. Then. These days, they’d probably believe me. :eek:
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