# Repeating names - why? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 5, 2016, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeating-names-why/753972 "2016-05-05T08:25:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2016, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeating-names-why/753972/21 "2016-05-05T22:17:33Z")
In Japanese, it typically indicates onomatopoeia, not that it applies in the above. Sometimes one have is changed slightly for pronunciation reasons e.g. tokidoki, but it’s basically the same character when written out. Boutros is Arabic for Peter. What’s the song and artist for that “she dances on the sand” song? I don’t believe it has ever been discussed here. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2016, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeating-names-why/753972/22 "2016-05-05T23:43:24Z")
> [@X.L.Lent](#): > > The other day I was visiting my friend Mr. Bebee who was recovering from a case > of beriberi he contracted while fishing for mahi mahi in Bora Bora. > During my visit I started to wonder what is the reason for these repeating > names? Bebee suggested that I look into it and so the next day I > began my investigation. > > I started by calling up Yo Yo Ma but found he was not at home. It turned out > that Yo Yo was meeting Ling Ling in Baden Baden to give a concert in > honor of the late Boutros Boutros Galli. Taking a break from my efforts, > I went down to the Cafe 80’s for a drink. There, while listening to the tunes > of Duran Duran, Mr. Mister and Talk Talk it occurred that the folks at the > Straight Dope would have the information I was seeking. > > Can you answer my question chop chop? I’m taking a choo choo > to Walla Walla soon and need the answer before I say bye bye > to Bebee. How about New York, New York, the city so nice they named it twice? Stopped in a restaurant in Tennessee once. I wanna say it was Chattanooga. They offered a relish called the Choo Choo Chow Chow. ---
**Author:** ![X.L.Lent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/a5b964/32.png) [@X.L.Lent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X.L.Lent)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeating-names-why/753972/23 "2016-05-06T04:58:40Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > [Reduplication](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reduplication#Function_and_meaning) is sometimes used to mean plural or intensification especially in Polynesian languages. Very interesting,\*\* Ludovic\*\*. Thank you for your answer and link. ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeating-names-why/753972/24 "2016-05-06T05:25:19Z")
In the novel \*\*The Beria Papers \*\*they mention a man named Laszlo Laszlo, who was born in Baden Baden in 1919. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeating-names-why/753972/25 "2016-05-06T06:13:19Z")
> [@movingfinger](#): > > In the novel \*\*The Beria Papers \*\*they mention a man named Laszlo Laszlo, who was born in Baden Baden in 1919. It’s been rumored that P.D.Q. Bach died in [Baden-Baden-Baden.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk%3AP._D._Q._Bach) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeating-names-why/753972/26 "2016-05-06T09:49:46Z")
**4. Boutros, Boutros, Boutros, Boutros, Boutros, Boutros, Ghali!** – From “Top Ten Things that Sound Better When Sung by a Barbershop Quartet,” David Letterman, February 17, 1995 ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeating-names-why/753972/27 "2016-05-06T10:14:26Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > How about New York, New York, the city so nice they named it twice? Post #18. How about Barney and Betty’s little boy, Bamm-Bamm? ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeating-names-why/753972/28 "2016-05-06T23:20:38Z")
Baden Baden is just like NY, NY. It is the city of Baden in the Land (that is state) of Baden. There is another Baden in the Swiss Canton of Argau. I was taught this (pardon if my German is wrong, this is a distant memory): Als die Herren in Baden Baden baden, denn baden die Frauen in Baden Baden mit. ---
**Author:** ![shantih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@shantih](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shantih)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeating-names-why/753972/29 "2016-05-08T10:41:15Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > In Japanese, it typically indicates onomatopoeia, not that it applies in the above. Sometimes one have is changed slightly for pronunciation reasons e.g. tokidoki, but it’s basically the same character when written out. > > **Boutros is Arabic for Peter.** > > What’s the song and artist for that “she dances on the sand” song? I don’t believe it has ever been discussed here. (bolding mine) As I understand it, Boutros Boutros-Ghali means Peter, the son of Peter. The duplication came from two difference Peters being referenced. (The other Peter was in fact his grandfather.) ---
**Author:** ![Obeseus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbce88/32.png) [@Obeseus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obeseus)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeating-names-why/753972/30 "2016-05-08T13:42:01Z")
I always thought that Sirhan Sirhan should have been sent to Sing Sing. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeating-names-why/753972/31 "2016-05-08T18:16:29Z")
> [@X.L.Lent](#): > > … > > Can you answer my question chop chop? I’m taking a choo choo > to Walla Walla soon and need the answer before I say bye bye > to Bebee. Can you do the Can Can with Zsa Zsa Gabor and Snoop Doggy Dogg? There’s a Jar Jar Binks costume in the closet you can use. ---
**Author:** ![Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90ced4/32.png) [@Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waltzes_with_Cacti)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeating-names-why/753972/32 "2016-05-08T19:38:18Z")
I’ll answer you as soon as I have a moment free from reading the stories of Ford Madox Ford and Jerome K. Jerome. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeating-names-why/753972/33 "2016-05-08T23:47:30Z")
Hi, I’m Darryl. This is my brother Darryl and my other brother, Darryl. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeating-names-why/753972/34 "2016-05-09T06:21:21Z")
There’s some real HOT SHOTS posting in this thread… BTW, Walla Walla means “many waters”, so the reduplication there is probably a plural indicator, too. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeating-names-why/753972/35 "2016-05-09T06:35:17Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Neat, I learned a new word. Spanish uses it to indicate “the genuine product”. _Café café_ would be coffee that’s undoubtedly, surely, 100% genuinely coffeeish. It also exists in some colloquial English dialects - here’s a comedy piece discussing it: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/0jP_brwVyvc/hqdefault.jpg "Micky Flanagan Out Out") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jP_brwVyvc) ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeating-names-why/753972/36 "2016-05-09T07:08:08Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Hi, I’m Darryl. This is my brother Darryl and my other brother, Darryl. I know a guy whose name is Andrew. His dad is also an Andrew. One day, Andrew Sr went for tobacco and didn’t come back; eventually, Andrew Jr met his half-brother, also called Andrew. Andrew Jr.'s eldest boy and daughter are Andy and Andrea. His wife put her foot down for the youngest boy so he got to have a completely different name (Andrew Jr wanted to call him John Andrew). I think the epitome is still [George Foreman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Foreman#Family_and_private_life), though. ---
**Author:** ![Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90ced4/32.png) [@Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waltzes_with_Cacti)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeating-names-why/753972/37 "2016-05-09T14:09:04Z")
Let’s not forget Lauren Bush Lauren. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Mama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5ac83/32.png) [@Atomic\_Mama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Mama)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeating-names-why/753972/38 "2016-05-09T16:20:39Z")
I have a friend called Morgan Morgan. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeating-names-why/753972/39 "2016-05-11T01:07:23Z")
Let’s all spare a thought for Major Major Major Major in _Catch-22_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeating-names-why/753972.md?page=1)