# Sure, name your kid G'uennnhwuyFurr, but expect people to point and laugh **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 3, 2003, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-name-your-kid-guennnhwuyfurr-but-expect-people-to-point-and-laugh/205233 "2003-10-03T00:28:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-name-your-kid-guennnhwuyfurr-but-expect-people-to-point-and-laugh/205233/81 "2003-10-03T17:39:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Green Bean \* > \*\* > **Racinchikki** : > Operation CARPETBAGGER: Night Flights Over Occupied Europe > In 1943, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) - the forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency - called upon the U.S. Army Air Forces (AAF) to conduct special operations from the United Kingdom. Aircrews started flying leaflet-dropping mission in October 1943, but plans called from them to fly dangerous, clandestine missions deep into the heart of occupied Europe. The majority of these missions secretly airdropped supplies by night to partisan fighters, under the codename Operation CARPETBAGGER. > Leaflets encouraging German troops to surrender were dropped by the Carpetbaggers in hopes of disguising the real purpose of their mission. \*\* To continue this hijack, there’s also information on the Carpetbaggers [here](http://www.carpetbaggerops.org/NewMenu.html), along with photos. My father’s uncle was a carpetbagger - I found this out when I went through one of my brief genealogy stages. He’s on [this page](http://www.carpetbaggerops.org/850thBS/850th-CarscaddonCrew.html). ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-name-your-kid-guennnhwuyfurr-but-expect-people-to-point-and-laugh/205233/82 "2003-10-03T17:44:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gobear \* > \*\*Not a fan of the Orlando Magic, are we? \*\* Good point. :o ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-name-your-kid-guennnhwuyfurr-but-expect-people-to-point-and-laugh/205233/83 "2003-10-03T17:49:15Z")
Oh , I don’t know - if this “Patrick” bloke would be kind enough to get rid of snakes…green with purple spots would be fine. 🙂 (I admit to being a bit confused at meeting a French “Patrick” once, though I am not sure why.) ---
**Author:** ![Necros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/necros/32/11086_2.png) [@Necros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necros)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-name-your-kid-guennnhwuyfurr-but-expect-people-to-point-and-laugh/205233/84 "2003-10-03T17:54:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Celyn \* > \*\*Oh cowardly **Necros**! Realy - I bet you _can_ manage Llangollen. Well, if you cannot at first try, well why else was beer invented? Even if you _might_ be scared to call it “cwrw”.🙂 \*\* Yeah, I can manage; it just sounds as if I have something pointy stuck in my throat. I doubt my pronounciation would get better with beer, but it would certainly make me care less. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-name-your-kid-guennnhwuyfurr-but-expect-people-to-point-and-laugh/205233/85 "2003-10-03T18:31:51Z")
Gee, am I weird for spelling my first name R-I-K? When I first started boing by Rick instead of Richard, I soon noticed that there were an awful lot of Ricks about. Somewhere or other I saw the name of the guitarist in the Canadian rock band, Triumph: Rik Emmett. I thought that looked pretty cool, so I changed my spelling. And in the 20 years since I made the change, I’ve still only seen it spelled that way by five other people (none of whom I’ve actually met - I saw their names in print here and there). I thought that “Ric” just looked unfinished. I have two nieces, the oldest of which is named Caitlin. She’s named after my sister’s and my aunt, Catherine. Naturally, it was the second niece who was born with red hair like Aunt Cathy’s… ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-name-your-kid-guennnhwuyfurr-but-expect-people-to-point-and-laugh/205233/86 "2003-10-03T18:55:17Z")
Re. **Rik** - well I don’t know if this Britcom\* reference travels to Washington (you name thief, you! I reckon Washington is in Geordieland and yours is but a pale imitation 🙂 ) but if you ever saw a television series called “The Young Ones”, well one of the guys in that was \*\*Rik \*\* Mayall. So that is one more for your colleciton of Riks. Um, I am nervous to ask, lest I should gnash my teeth at the answer, but … might I enquire how niece Caitlin’s name is pronounced? I ask because I recall a telly series about a family of politicians of some kind, which included a lady named “Caitlin” but pronounced “Kate-lin”. - (at the first bad typing attempt, that appeared as “Brit om”, which sort of amused me, but then I am easily amused.) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-name-your-kid-guennnhwuyfurr-but-expect-people-to-point-and-laugh/205233/87 "2003-10-03T19:35:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by yBeayf \* > \*\*Gwenhwyfar _is_ the original spelling. It’s “Guinevere” that’s wacked-out and weird. \*\* Not if you speak English it’s not. Anyone who doesn’t speak Welsh or isn’t a huge fan of Arthurian legend - which constitutes 99.99% of everyone in the English-speaking world - will pronounce “Gwenhwyfar” like they’re struggling with an asthma attack. It’s a great way to spell it if you actually live in a Welsh-speaking community. Otherwise, why in the name of Christ would you use such a spelling? Go for the simplest commonly acceptable spelling of the name you want. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-name-your-kid-guennnhwuyfurr-but-expect-people-to-point-and-laugh/205233/88 "2003-10-03T20:23:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by manwithaplan \* > **The original Irish version would be Medb (with a dot over the b for the real purists)** Nah, the _real_ purists would even dispense with the dot. According to them, you’re just supposed to _know_ when to aspirate the consonants. ---
**Author:** ![badbabynames](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/46a35a/32.png) [@badbabynames](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbabynames)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-name-your-kid-guennnhwuyfurr-but-expect-people-to-point-and-laugh/205233/89 "2003-10-03T20:30:30Z")
\*What the correctly spelled name says to me about the parents is one or two of the following: a) i’m a fervent Welsh nationalist, curse the English! b) i’m a romantic with an Arthurian obsession c) I’m an ultra-soppy romantic and have read the Mists of Avalon way too many times. The kre’Atyvvely spelled one gets one of : d) I’m 10th generation American and have not only no Welsh blood in my body but also in fact could not find Wales on a map. But I saw this movie with Sean Connery in it, and heard the name there. I never read any books, I’m illiterate. I wouldn’t know how to look up the spelling even if I cared. e) I’m 15, and like, I looooove celtic mythology. Celtic is like, sooo coool. Like they were all in touch with the earth and, like, crystals and mandalas and stuff, and it’s the most romatic name ever, and if I spell it different then it’s even more special. \* Sock it to them, cajela! You have learned well. -Diana, author of Baby’s Named a Bad, Bad Thing. ---
**Author:** ![Protesilaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Protesilaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Protesilaus)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-name-your-kid-guennnhwuyfurr-but-expect-people-to-point-and-laugh/205233/90 "2003-10-03T20:44:32Z")
I’d just like to take a moment to apologize to the possible future little girl named Dionysus. ---
**Author:** ![Necros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/necros/32/11086_2.png) [@Necros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necros)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-name-your-kid-guennnhwuyfurr-but-expect-people-to-point-and-laugh/205233/91 "2003-10-03T20:59:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Celyn \* > \*\*Um, I am nervous to ask, lest I should gnash my teeth at the answer, but … might I enquire how niece Caitlin’s name is pronounced? I ask because I recall a telly series about a family of politicians of some kind, which included a lady named “Caitlin” but pronounced “Kate-lin”. \*\* AFAIK, “Kate-lin” is the common pronounciation over here. How do you say it over there? ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-name-your-kid-guennnhwuyfurr-but-expect-people-to-point-and-laugh/205233/92 "2003-10-03T21:28:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cher3 \* > \*\*Heh. There was a boy in my daugher’s kindergarten class named “Rowan.” Or so I thought. Unusual, but not unheard of, right? > But it turned out to be “Rohan.” \*\* There was an international cricketer by that name: Rohan Kanhai, West Indies, circa 1960s/early 1970s. I’m guessing his name wasn’t Tolkien-inspired as he must’ve been born before LotR was published. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Necros_ > **AFAIK, “Kate-lin” is the common pronounciation over here. How do you say it over there?** “Kathleen”, ain’t it?? ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-name-your-kid-guennnhwuyfurr-but-expect-people-to-point-and-laugh/205233/93 "2003-10-03T21:29:57Z")
you could pronounce it like Kite-leen, except Caw-ite, and the syllibles run together. The “í” is and extended sound, like a double ee, Caitlín is like Kathleen, meaning (roughly “little Kate”) ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-name-your-kid-guennnhwuyfurr-but-expect-people-to-point-and-laugh/205233/94 "2003-10-03T21:35:48Z")
If you wanted to be really pedantic about it, you would also palatalize the t, l, and n. ---
**Author:** ![ResIpsaLoquitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b3f665/32.png) [@ResIpsaLoquitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ResIpsaLoquitor)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-name-your-kid-guennnhwuyfurr-but-expect-people-to-point-and-laugh/205233/95 "2003-10-03T21:37:41Z")
I just remembered: I know of someone who apparently had their name legally changed to include a number, just to screw up his own SAT grading. Side question: Hey **Malacandra** , are you a Martian Manhunter fan? ---
**Author:** ![tsarina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@tsarina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tsarina)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-name-your-kid-guennnhwuyfurr-but-expect-people-to-point-and-laugh/205233/96 "2003-10-03T22:28:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Malacandra \* > \*\*There was an international cricketer by that name: Rohan Kanhai, West Indies, circa 1960s/early 1970s. I’m guessing his name wasn’t Tolkien-inspired as he must’ve been born before LotR was published. \*\* “Rohan” is an occasionally-encountered (and, thankfully, easy to pronounce) Indian boy’s name, FYI. (Says the girl with a boyfriend named Saurabh, which is pronounced incorrectly by every non-Indian we know.) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![auliya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/90db22/32.png) [@auliya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auliya)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-name-your-kid-guennnhwuyfurr-but-expect-people-to-point-and-laugh/205233/97 "2003-10-03T22:50:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by manwithaplan \* > \*\*I didn’t mean to cause any offence - I suppose the comedy derives from the 90210-type coolness abroad of names that we more readily associate with Irish country places. Fiach is a lovely name and I have been known to give the occasional drunken rendition of ‘Follow me up to Carlow’. Interestingly, the version ‘Fiachra’ is much more common here but I think I prefer the shorter version. > > Again, apologies if I touched a nerve. \*\* Nah, \*\*manwithaplan \*\* that’s okay I didn’t mean to give the impression I was offended, rather that Irish place names are pretty enough to transpose to people names 🙂 I understand the annoyance with the 90210 -type thing though. Another son who was named for Dylan Thomas 23 years ago has had to live with the burgeoning Dylan-ness of the early nineties - the youngest boy had **5** Dylans in his class last year. **TwistofFate** , everywhere I have looked in the past 11years (since childs conception) has said Fiach means Raven, or rarely, Eagle. Is there somewhere on the net that has a different meaning? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-name-your-kid-guennnhwuyfurr-but-expect-people-to-point-and-laugh/205233/98 "2003-10-03T23:00:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by badbabynames \* > \*\*\*What the correctly spelled name says to me about the parents is one or two of the following: > a) i’m a fervent Welsh nationalist, curse the English! > b) i’m a romantic with an Arthurian obsession > c) I’m an ultra-soppy romantic and have read the Mists of Avalon way too many times. > > The kre’Atyvvely spelled one gets one of : > d) I’m 10th generation American and have not only no Welsh blood in my body but also in fact could not find Wales on a map. But I saw this movie with Sean Connery in it, and heard the name there. I never read any books, I’m illiterate. I wouldn’t know how to look up the spelling even if I cared. > e) I’m 15, and like, I looooove celtic mythology. Celtic is like, sooo coool. Like they were all in touch with the earth and, like, crystals and mandalas and stuff, and it’s the most romatic name ever, and if I spell it different then it’s even more special. \* > > Sock it to them, cajela! You have learned well. > > -Diana, author of Baby’s Named a Bad, Bad Thing. \*\* Hey! Welcome to the SDMB!!! Judging from your website comments, you’ll fit in here just fine! - **Guin** , who is a Kathleen (aka Kathi, or Kat) ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-name-your-kid-guennnhwuyfurr-but-expect-people-to-point-and-laugh/205233/99 "2003-10-03T23:49:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by auliya \* > \*\ ***TwistofFate** , everywhere I have looked in the past 11years (since childs conception) has said Fiach means Raven, or rarely, Eagle. Is there somewhere on the net that has a different meaning? \*\* “Fiach” means “raven”. I’m not saying it never means “eagle”, but the usual word for eagle is “iolar” (pronounced roughly “ullur”) “Fiach” also means “hunt”, and also “debts”. The Lord’s Prayer has “maith dúinn ár bhfiacha” meaning “forgive us our trespasses”. By the way, **London\_Calling** , Farquhar is not Norman but Scottish. It corresponds to the Irish name Fearrchair which is anglicised as Farraher. The “quh” is an attempt to render the Scottish “ch”. ---
**Author:** ![mrsface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a9adbd/32.png) [@mrsface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrsface)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-name-your-kid-guennnhwuyfurr-but-expect-people-to-point-and-laugh/205233/100 "2003-10-04T00:26:49Z")
QUOTE]\*Originally posted by cher3 \* \*\*Heh. There was a boy in my daugher’s kindergarten class named “Rowan.” Or so I thought. Unusual, but not unheard of, right? But it turned out to be “Rohan.” \*\* [/QUOTE] “Rowan” is quite common in Scotland, though I tend to think of it as a girl’s name (though I’ve just remembered Rowan Atkinson). I always understood it referred to rowan trees - v. common in Scotland. On another note - one thing I’m noticing here in the UK is the baffling popularity of “leigh” in girls’ names - eg: Ashleigh, Kayleigh, Amberleigh, and the latest - Kimberleigh. Why “leigh”? Where does this come from? To me it looks like a misspelling of “ly” or “lee”, but maybe I’m just a name snob. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-name-your-kid-guennnhwuyfurr-but-expect-people-to-point-and-laugh/205233.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-name-your-kid-guennnhwuyfurr-but-expect-people-to-point-and-laugh/205233.md?page=6)