# That is one shitty name! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 19, 2014, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-is-one-shitty-name/691175 "2014-06-19T21:40:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![F.Pu-du-he-pa-as](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c89c15/32.png) [@F.Pu-du-he-pa-as](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.Pu-du-he-pa-as)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2014, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-is-one-shitty-name/691175/1 "2014-06-19T21:40:19Z")
I was reading about Ancient Greek naming practices today, and came across a word that I’d never seen before: copronym, literally ‘poop name.’ Yes, it seems that some people gave their children names derived from Gk. κόπρος ‘dung.’ There’s a Kopreus and a Kopris and a Kopron. My source very dryly notes that “recent work on copronyms points to the conclusion that they were given by parents (especially, perhaps, those who had already lost children) to avert the ‘evil eye’.” But seriously! What kind of world are you living in if you really feel your best shot for giving your child a good life is to name them Poopy or Poopert or Poopilla…or…or…? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2014, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-is-one-shitty-name/691175/2 "2014-06-19T21:44:55Z")
Probably a lot like naming it Shithead but pronouncing it “Shuh-theed.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2014, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-is-one-shitty-name/691175/3 "2014-06-19T22:29:05Z")
I did not know that. I did know about the Byzantine emperor [Constantine V](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_V), known as Copronymus (shit-named). It that case, however, it was apparently a nickname given to him by people who didn’t like him very much, and not the kind of thing you would call him to his face. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2014, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-is-one-shitty-name/691175/4 "2014-06-20T01:54:41Z")
Seeing the OP’s name, I would say he has no room to talk. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2014, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-is-one-shitty-name/691175/5 "2014-06-20T03:00:30Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Probably a lot like naming it Shithead but pronouncing it “Shuh-theed.” 😃 Or Turd Ferguson. It’s a funny name. ---
**Author:** ![F.Pu-du-he-pa-as](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c89c15/32.png) [@F.Pu-du-he-pa-as](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.Pu-du-he-pa-as)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2014, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-is-one-shitty-name/691175/6 "2014-06-20T03:40:56Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > Seeing the OP’s name, I would say he has no room to talk. 😃 Hahahahaha, well done, sir! ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2014, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-is-one-shitty-name/691175/7 "2014-06-20T12:25:47Z")
Poor kids, that’s awful! Who would do such a thing? ---
**Author:** ![here\_and\_there](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f07891/32.png) [@here\_and\_there](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/here_and_there)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2014, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-is-one-shitty-name/691175/8 "2014-06-20T13:02:35Z")
> [@](#): > > Book of Saints > September 24 > > KOPROS (Manure, Kopris, manure Kopris) > > The OSIOS Koprisia > > Was called so because the mother in time of persecution and invasion of barbarians, while it was running and go, caught the pains of childbirth on the way and gave birth to the Blessed on dung! the Blessed Kopris was a contemporary of St. Theodosius Koinoviarchou on King Leo the Great. Distinguished for his piety, chastity and prudence of. > > Also guy was great willingness and humility, and he felt great pleasure when he offered his services to children and adults. And when one told him that humble, he replied:‘’ Indeed, how could we not humble? the place where I was born (ie manure) shows my value’'. > > Thus lived and died, always faithful, humble servant of others. So God lifted. For his loyalty, his ministry, his humility, fair or 'ranking in the Church of the Saints of dance. > end quote > **[ΚΟΠΡΙΣ (Κόπρις, Κόπρος) | Εορτολόγιο 2025](https://www.eortologio.gr/data/bios.php/?id=1847)** > > ΚΟΠΡΙΣ (Κόπρις, Κόπρος) | Εορτολόγιο 2025 ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2014, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-is-one-shitty-name/691175/9 "2014-06-20T13:09:26Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Poor kids, that’s awful! Who would do such a thing? 20 points and a guffaw to you! ---
**Author:** ![here\_and\_there](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f07891/32.png) [@here\_and\_there](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/here_and_there)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-is-one-shitty-name/691175/10 "2015-09-25T19:37:36Z")
Recently, I asked my father why people gave birth on manure? Was it healthy or something? “It was hot” he replied. I think that covers it. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-is-one-shitty-name/691175/11 "2015-09-25T20:32:11Z")
I believe a number of cultures have the practice of giving children the name of a malady or risk in the hopes it will avert the disease or maloccurrence. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-is-one-shitty-name/691175/12 "2015-09-25T20:39:23Z")
Det. Samuel ‘George’ Francisco: It is like your name… Sykes. I’m sure it doesn’t bother you at all that it sounds like “ss’ai k’ss,” two words in my language which mean “excrement” and “cranium.” ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-is-one-shitty-name/691175/13 "2015-09-25T21:35:41Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > I believe a number of cultures have the practice of giving children the name of a malady or risk in the hopes it will avert the disease or maloccurrence. Apotropaic names. They’ve taken different forms in various cultures. The Old Kingdom Egyptian custom was for simple positive descriptive names–“the Beautiful One”, “the Healthy One”, etc. New Kingdom Egyptians were partial to theophoric names, which incorporated the name of a god in hopes of invoking protection and patronage. (Plenty of modern names are of theophoric origin as well–“Theodore” is an obvious one.) Other cultures, including the ancient Greeks, sometimes gave “bad” names to children either in the direct aversion sense you describe (similar to wishing performers to “break a leg”), or to make them sound worthless to demons or other evil spirits. This may also be associated with customs around the changing of names–for example, in ancient Greece, fathers could change their children’s names, and it was not uncommon for given names to be supplanted by nicknames or acquired names. A child might be given an unpleasant name for protection to start with, only to have it changed to something else later. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-is-one-shitty-name/691175/14 "2015-09-25T22:20:44Z")
Then there’s the whole “[boy named Sue](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOHPuY88Ry4)” school of thought. ---
**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:** [September 26, 2015, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-is-one-shitty-name/691175/15 "2015-09-26T00:23:10Z")
A common Thai man’s name is Therdsak. Yes, it is pronounced very similar to “turd sack.” I would definitely change it to Thomas or Theodore if I went to school in the West. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2015, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-is-one-shitty-name/691175/16 "2015-09-26T00:24:47Z")
It’s not uncommon in Cameroon for people to give babies unpleasant names to discourage malevolent forces from taking an interest in the child. This is often just one of many names, however, and it’d rarely be used after infancy. The child would also pick up a village name, a religious name, a birth order name, a marriage name, a parental name, etc., as well as a nickname that would probably be what most people call them. A name wasn’t necessarily something you’d expect to use your whole life. There was a special name for kids born after a loss-- Nawissa, where I lived. I was told it means “Is this one for me?”, and it shares a root with the word for “hurt”. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2015, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-is-one-shitty-name/691175/17 "2015-09-26T01:05:08Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > There was a special name for kids born after a loss-- Nawissa, where I lived. I was told it means “Is this one for me?”, and it shares a root with the word for “hurt”. That’s ever so slightly heartbreaking.