# Swear words used as names **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 6, 2001, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swear-words-used-as-names/75171 "2001-08-06T20:19:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Keko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a8b319/32.png) [@Keko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keko)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2001, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swear-words-used-as-names/75171/21 "2001-08-07T07:07:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Muffin \* > \*\*I have a young female cousin nick-named “Cunny” by her religious parents who have no clue as to what it means to most people. The rest of us are too embarassed to tell them. \*\* This actually reminded me of my hubby’s grandma. Older people usually don’t know that certain words mean something different in ‘slang’. The first time I went with my hubby to visit his grandma, I was talking with her in her kitchen when she opened the back door to call her cat and yelled, “HERE PUSSY PUSSY!” I had to run out of the room because I was trying SO HARD not to laff. P.S. kwc27, You must be thinking of “The Jerk” starring Steve Martin, in which he mistaking thought a dog’s name was “Sh\*thead” ---
**Author:** ![jackas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@jackas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackas)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2001, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swear-words-used-as-names/75171/22 "2001-08-07T08:21:58Z")
This is not particularly to do with the OP but I read an article once about a guy who could not afford personalised license plates ($500 or so) so changed his name legally to something like FXT-512 for a mere $90. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2001, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swear-words-used-as-names/75171/23 "2001-08-07T09:47:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Conti \* > \*\*I’m not sure I get it green eyed stranger. Whats wrong with John Thomas? \*\* In British English it’s a nickname for … you know … ehr … the naughty bits of the male anatomy (which inspired the great singer/songwriter [Ivor Biggun](http://freespace.virgin.net/stephen.theobald/biggun.htm) aka Doc Cox to write a song called John Thomas Alcock). ---
**Author:** ![Bob\_Scene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Bob\_Scene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_Scene)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2001, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swear-words-used-as-names/75171/24 "2001-08-07T09:55:41Z")
Plenty of Americans have amused the English by calling their kids “Fanny,” which doesn’t mean _quite_ the same thing to them as it does to us. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2001, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swear-words-used-as-names/75171/25 "2001-08-07T10:00:11Z")
I used to work in a University Registrar’s office. One fine spring day I handed an ID card to one Dikshit Patel. I consider it a point of personal pride that I waited until 2 minutes until after he left the room before collapsing in laughter. I’ve always figured that British colonists in India played some really bad practical jokes on the locals regarding suitable English names. ---
**Author:** ![Karellen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/779978/32.png) [@Karellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karellen)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2001, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swear-words-used-as-names/75171/26 "2001-08-07T10:33:33Z")
Here in Thailand all kids get two names–one “official” one and one short nickname, by which they will be called by most folks forever. Lost of nicknames are common plays on Thai words, like An, Nok or Noi, but lately they’ve taken to adopting Western words like Bird, Apple, Mink, Gift, or Ten. The Thais seem to find it cute. My favorite Thai name, though, is still Porn, which I have been told translates as “a beautiful gift from God.” No argument from me… ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2001, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swear-words-used-as-names/75171/27 "2001-08-07T11:11:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by therealblaze \* > \*\*This story is from R.L. Trask: Language The Basics(p. 103-104). > “But my favourite example is a story told by the American linguist Charles Hockett, who reports that at least one Filipino father, during the American occupation of the Philippines, named his son Ababis - after the patron saint of the United States. But no such saint exists. So what happened? > Well, before the Americans arrived, the Philippines were a Spanish colony, and Spanish was (and is) widely spoken. In Spanish, the word ‘saint’, when it occurs in a male saint’s name is San - hence all those California place names like San Francisco, San Jose and San Diego. The Filipino father had noticed that American soldiers, in moments of stress, tended to call upon their saint by exclaiming San Ababis! - or something like that.” \*\* I’m afraid I don’t get this at all… ---
**Author:** ![Arken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Arken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arken)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2001, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swear-words-used-as-names/75171/28 "2001-08-07T12:37:30Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m afraid I don’t get this at all… Then I guess you’re one sorry San Ababis aren’t you? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2001, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swear-words-used-as-names/75171/29 "2001-08-07T12:44:30Z")
A former co-worker was once helping a young person fill out a form that required her name. Asking the child her name, she heard the child to say something that sounded like “Tonya” with a “sh” sound in front of it. Turns out this child’s parents had saddled her with the name “ShiTonya.” Saints (Ababis and others) preserve us. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2001, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swear-words-used-as-names/75171/30 "2001-08-07T12:56:56Z")
1. I went to high school with a kid named Fok-Yan Leung. Yes, it was pronounced “Fuck.” 2. I went to elementary school with a kid named Evan. That’s not a bad name, until you realize than his last name was Evans. 3. I don’t have much of a problem with Quebec’s baby name police when you consider that dozens of Quebecois, every year, try to name their daughters “Cigarette.” ---
**Author:** ![Hokienautic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@Hokienautic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hokienautic)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2001, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swear-words-used-as-names/75171/31 "2001-08-07T13:28:35Z")
There’s actually a player on the Virginia Tech football team named Richard Johnson. Yes, he goes by Richard. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2001, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swear-words-used-as-names/75171/32 "2001-08-07T14:55:10Z")
Ummm… all of the people wondering about Saint Ababis… try thinking of this more along the lines of Son Af-a-bis… Remember, you don’t speak English, and you hear someone calling out this to his patron saint whenever he’s stressed… Once again, I wish to submit my ancestor, whose name at birth was Fanny Leak. I don’t know of any Australian laws preventing parents choosing odd names, but I’m pretty sure that you have to give a good reason to have your name changed, and a lot of silly or obscene names are refused by that department. ---
**Author:** ![pezwookiee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@pezwookiee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pezwookiee)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2001, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swear-words-used-as-names/75171/33 "2001-08-07T15:24:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hokienautic \* > \*\*There’s actually a player on the Virginia Tech football team named Richard Johnson. > > Yes, he goes by Richard. \*\* Don’t forget about Major League Baseball pitcher Randy Johnson. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2001, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swear-words-used-as-names/75171/34 "2001-08-07T15:35:34Z")
> [@](#): > > This is not particularly to do with the OP but I read an article once about a guy who could not afford personalised license plates ($500 or so) so changed his name legally to something like FXT-512 for a mere $90. _ba-da-BING!_ (Been watching _Fargo_, eh? 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![City\_Gent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a87d85/32.png) [@City\_Gent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/City_Gent)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2001, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swear-words-used-as-names/75171/35 "2001-08-07T20:06:17Z")
Mrs. CG, normally sober to the point of stuffiness, showed me a listing in the telephone book for a guy with the first name **Dikshit**. I’m guessing he’s Pakistani or something, but if he stays in this country long I bet he’s going to start asking people to call him Dave. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2001, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swear-words-used-as-names/75171/36 "2001-08-07T20:30:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pezwookiee \* > Don’t forget about Major League Baseball pitcher Randy Johnson. A.K.A. “The Big Unit” ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2001, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swear-words-used-as-names/75171/37 "2001-08-07T20:37:11Z")
**Gent** , did you know the phone company will list just about any name? Some people will just make up a name in order to avoid paying for an unlisted number. There’s a “Bingbang, TTWW” listed in the Denver white pages. On a related note, there’s supposedly a couple solilciting bids on eBay and Yahoo! Auctions for the naming rights to their newborn. See [Just Plain Harris](http://www.harrisonline.com/plain/jph0726.htm) for joke names and a link to the USA Today story. ---
**Author:** ![sjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@sjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sjc)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2001, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swear-words-used-as-names/75171/38 "2001-08-07T22:40:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TruthFinder \* > \*\* > I am new to Hk and I’ve yet to come to terms with the names here. > > The other day I called up our software vendor’s customer service hotline and the guy introduces himself as ‘Shat’. > I hung up … Coz I was laughing so hard. > > I still haven’t made that call. \*\* Are you sure this person wasn’t named Shad? It is a wierd name. (I think salmon sperm is called shad. Or is it the eggs?) The reason I ask is that it seems like a simple case of mishearing the name. ‘D’ and ‘T’ are essentially the same sound except for the voicing. If he was speaking fast or sloppily he might not have given it a voicing. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2001, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swear-words-used-as-names/75171/39 "2001-08-07T22:53:05Z")
I cannot believe I forgot this, but as God is my witness in Heaven above, there is actually an entry in the Kingston, Ontario phone book for JABLOWMEE, Heywood Really. A well-conceived prank. Damned if I know how they pulled it off. ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2001, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swear-words-used-as-names/75171/40 "2001-08-07T22:59:26Z")
You aren’t going to believe this, but here goes anyway. My father is the Director of Transportation for the city school system in our county. (There are two school systems, one for the city, one for the county. The city school system is small because the “city” only has a population of about 10,000. My senior class is bigger than their high school.) Anyway, he was at registration for Head Start, when a parent filled out a bus registration form for a child named, you guessed it, “Sh\*thead.” Pronounced “shh-thead.” The mother said that the girl was named for her father. -Brianjedi [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swear-words-used-as-names/75171.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swear-words-used-as-names/75171.md?page=3)