We’ve had lots of threads on unusual names, so why not another? This week’s entry…a young lady 20-something- named Tomaine. I can only hope her mom already had a Jermaine and a Charmaine at home and just wanted to continue a theme…but did no one once say, “uh, maybe it sounds too much like (exactly like) ptomaine poisoning?” No one?
So who has run across any new unusual names this week?
Hombre as firstname. It means Man in Spanish - the lastname is Anglo and we work for a Swiss firm, so Og knows where (s?)he’s from and it might even mean something else in whatever-native-language-where-his-family’s-from but dang, that one left me with crossed eyes for a while.
There was a kid in my high school whose given name was Boeing. Like the aircraft company. And pronounced like the onomatopoeia. He was a very unfortunate child.
My DD went to school with a pretty little girl named “Melena”…the black, tarry stool passed when there is gastrointestinal bleeding. I know her parents did not know this. Yikes.
At least poor little Romaine has someone to look down on now.
I thought for a moment you were talking about a person whose name was Hombre Anglo - that would be even funnier.
Oh, you are shittin’ me!
Melena means “mane” in Spanish. You know, as in “lots of hair”.
I was working in a call center several years ago and got a call from a young lady named D’Marquene (deh-MARK-wuh-NAY) which isn’t all that remarkable, except that, when I asked her to spell it, she did so and then snapped at me, “Just like it sounds, fool!”
Hi Everyone!
Unusual names??
I remember in my 10th Grade typing class when I just closed my eyes, and pressed every key randomly (as fast as I could), and then I’d try to pronounce the words (or names) that came out.
Adding some vowels here and there (for the sake of pronunciation), and combining it with an actual name (in at least one case) these are some of the names I ended up with:
(1) Izentefsi Yazithixen
[that’s izzen-tef-see yah-zi-thix-en]
(2) Theobold Cowntoldtowntheo
[that’s cown-told-town-theo]
(3) Yehtgeisht Ontobshadigs
[that’s yet-guy-sht on-tob-sha-digs]
(4) Boewobtawnt Ethebadigbagah
[that’s bo-wob-tahnt etha-ba-dig-bah-gah]
(5) scranarexin
[that’s scrana reck-sin]
(6) risplimpt
[that’s rih-s-plimpt]
They’d make for some interesting name changes!
kitemaker-chuck
(Chuck Anderson)
Do not be risplimpt!!!
Well, that’s not really much different from someone with the name of Guy, is it?
Which, of course, brings us 'round to the person with the Second-Best Name Ever In The History Of Rock 'N Roll.
Last week, I encountered a Jennifer… except that it was spelled “Jeaniffer”. 
A friend of my brother’s was named Barren Earth. He ended up being raised by his grandparents, which was probably for the best.
I always wondered what Lionel Tiger’s parents were thinking, although it’s actually kind of a cool name.
My real name is Maverick and both I and other people generally love it. However, the Top Gun jokes are just settling down after 20 years (although not completely; I predate the file).
All time winner for me is still Dang Dung.
Except that Guy was a name long before “guy” was a generic name for people. In between, the guy was something you collected pennies for then burned on the 5th of November – and that guy was named after Guy Fawkes, who tried to blow up Parliament (and who may have been one of my ancestors, according to family tradition).
Oh dear. My inner 13 year old boy just piped up: “Jean Sniffer?! Heh heh heh…”
Maybe it’s short for Le Petomaine… 
My weird one happened a long time ago, when I was a wee lad in Arkansas. My mom and my brother and I were shopping at Dillard’s in Little Rock (well, mom was shopping, my bro and I were making trouble, as usual) and the counterperson’s nametag said “Iwilla”. My mom was curious and said “Oh, that’s an unique name…where did it come from?” The lady told her her full name was I Will Arise And Meet My Father…Jones or Bradley or something; Iwilla for short.
Here’s a website subtitled “A Primer on Parent Cruelty:”
A sample:
"Lucida Grande Zenobia for a girl (plus you can use Zoe, Bea or Zen as nn) & Japheth for a boy (jay fit). "
“The Mocha Lucida Grande Zenobia - now available at Starbucks.” (Author’s reply)
Another partial quote:
"Q: What should I name my kids?
A: I can’t give you the perfect name. I’m much better at cursing the darkness, anyway. But here are a few tips I’ve gleaned from digging around bulletin boards, books, and the tons of e-mails I get from readers:
Generally avoid nouns. You’re asking for trouble.
Do a Google search for your name ideas. If all you get are porn sites, white supremicist groups and pictures of My Little Ponies - it’s a bad name.
Look at lists of the most popular baby names for the last three years. Steer clear of the top 10, and definitely steer clear of any names that suddenly jump from #150 to #25.
No celebrity names. Your kids will immediately hate this celebrity, and be horribly embarassed forever.
If you like a common name, but don’t like how it’s spelled, tough. Either use the usual spelling, or find a new name. Andrywe is NOT a name.
Most Americans are assimilated cultural mutts, without much connection to their ancestry. If you want to reconnect with your heritage, go to the library. Do not name your kid Bronwyn and think you are now in touch with your 1/16 Welsh side."
This is a fun site and is well maintained - new names arrive daily.
Yes, this is just an unfortunate coincidence. I think Melena is a fairly common name in Spansh-speaking countries, but round here it makes me wince. My sister also had a girl in her Grad school classes with that name.
For me, the top name will always be Maroun Dick. ‘It’s pronounced deek,’ he always insisted, like that mattered. He was a dick too.
-Lil