# Unusual Name of The Week...or Mom, what were you thinking? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 3, 2007, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-name-of-the-week-or-mom-what-were-you-thinking/410340 "2007-07-03T13:11:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-name-of-the-week-or-mom-what-were-you-thinking/410340/141 "2007-07-10T19:08:52Z")
I don’t think of Esme as all that unusual of a name, just a literary or pop culture referency one. A lot of people are familiar with the J.D. Salinger short story, “For Esmé with Love and Squalor”. ---
**Author:** ![Craneop2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Craneop2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Craneop2)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-name-of-the-week-or-mom-what-were-you-thinking/410340/142 "2007-07-10T20:49:11Z")
A few years back I was in a feed store in a small central texas town. A lady was there with two small boys about a year apart in age. They began running around and in general being little pests. The mother finally had enough and yelled at the top of her lungs HUNTER… FISHER get over here! I reckon we know who named those boys. I don’t think either name is especially odd, just the combination of the two for brothers. Made me hope that they didn’t have a sister named Cooker or Dishwasher. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-name-of-the-week-or-mom-what-were-you-thinking/410340/143 "2007-07-10T21:21:12Z")
[QUOTE=Craneop2] A few years back I was in a feed store in a small central texas town. A lady was there with two small boys about a year apart in age. They began running around and in general being little pests. The mother finally had enough and yelled at the top of her lungs HUNTER… FISHER get over here! I reckon we know who named those boys. I don’t think either name is especially odd, just the combination of the two for brothers. Made me hope that they didn’t have a sister named Cooker or Dishwasher. [/QUOTE] Silly, her name was Barefoot Babymaker. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-name-of-the-week-or-mom-what-were-you-thinking/410340/144 "2007-07-10T21:38:30Z")
The Rohan I encountered was definitely not from India. His middle name was Italian, and his last name was as American as Smith or Jones. Plus he had a slight trace of an accent that I couldn’t place, but it sounded perhaps Caribbean. I googled him, and judging by his appearance, perhaps he is from somewhere in the Caribbean; he fit the look. Anyway, it was a really odd combination of names, but I had never heard Rohan as a first name before so it struck me as rather weird. YMMV, obviously. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-name-of-the-week-or-mom-what-were-you-thinking/410340/145 "2007-07-10T21:44:34Z")
One time I was in the post office and there were these two twin little boys (about 4 or 5) running around, hitting things, just being little assholes. Mom screams, “Cain. CAIN! CAIN!!! Pay attention! CAIN! STOP RUNNING! CAIN!!” No way. There’s just no ever loving way, I thought and then. . . “ABLE! CAIN! ABLE! CAIN AND ABLE! STOP IT RIGHT THIS MINUTE!” ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-name-of-the-week-or-mom-what-were-you-thinking/410340/146 "2007-07-10T22:28:23Z")
> [@](#): > > **Mama Tiger** : The Rohan I encountered was definitely not from India. His middle name was Italian, and his last name was as American as Smith or Jones. Plus he had a slight trace of an accent that I couldn’t place, but it sounded perhaps Caribbean. I googled him, and judging by his appearance, perhaps he is from somewhere in the Caribbean; he fit the look. Anyway, it was a really odd combination of names, but I had never heard Rohan as a first name before so it struck me as rather weird. YMMV, obviously. There are a lot of Indians in the Caribbean, actually. He may have been mixed. Either way, it’s a perfectly legitimate, even boring, Indian name-like Robert. I’ve met white chicks with names like “Shanti” or “Padmananda” or “Lakshmi”-sometimes people just like foreign names (“Chandra” seems big, too). Doesn’t mean the names themselves are loopy. Lakshmi is the equivalent of being named Susan, over here. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-name-of-the-week-or-mom-what-were-you-thinking/410340/147 "2007-07-11T03:32:13Z")
[QUOTE=Nava] Ciara (KeeAHrah) is the Italian, that is, original, for Clare. [/quote] If it were pronounced “Kee-ar-ah” in Italian it would have to be spelled “Chiara.” The “Ci” in Italian is a “Ch” sound, like in “Chuck.” Most Americans (and apparently Spaniards as well) don’t know that pronunciation rule in Italian. Thus, the hazard of picking names you think are exotic because they’re from a foreign language-- they often wind up spelled incorrectly. > [@Mama Tiger](#): > > The Rohan I encountered was definitely not from India. His middle name was Italian, and his last name was as American as Smith or Jones. Plus he had a slight trace of an accent that I couldn’t place. Sindarin, maybe? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-name-of-the-week-or-mom-what-were-you-thinking/410340/148 "2007-07-11T12:45:20Z")
[QUOTE=lisacurl] I don’t think of Esme as all that unusual of a name, just a literary or pop culture referency one. A lot of people are familiar with the J.D. Salinger short story, “For Esmé with Love and Squalor”. [/QUOTE] Or, in turn for the primary school set, the Lemony Snicket character Esmé Squalor. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-name-of-the-week-or-mom-what-were-you-thinking/410340/149 "2007-07-11T13:00:35Z")
[QUOTE=Craneop2] A few years back I was in a feed store in a small central texas town. A lady was there with two small boys about a year apart in age. They began running around and in general being little pests. The mother finally had enough and yelled at the top of her lungs HUNTER… FISHER get over here! I reckon we know who named those boys. [/QUOTE] They should have named the second boy Gatherer. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-name-of-the-week-or-mom-what-were-you-thinking/410340/150 "2007-07-11T13:06:32Z")
There is a woman in the metro Detroit area who has been writing bad checks. Her DL is posted on the wall at work with the warning of do not accept checks from: **Carmelisha** (Lastname) It is so awesome and makes me smile every time I see it. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-name-of-the-week-or-mom-what-were-you-thinking/410340/151 "2007-07-11T13:11:50Z")
[QUOTE=Rubystreak] If it were pronounced “Kee-ar-ah” in Italian it would have to be spelled “Chiara.” The “Ci” in Italian is a “Ch” sound, like in “Chuck.” Most Americans (and apparently Spaniards as well) don’t know that pronunciation rule in Italian. Thus, the hazard of picking names you think are exotic because they’re from a foreign language-- they often wind up spelled incorrectly. [/QUOTE] May be the general rule but I had Italian coworkers named Ciara and they didn’t pronounce it Chiara… I would’a noticed, specially given the names the CH in my lastname was having at the time with Philly coworkers who insist in pronouncing it K. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-name-of-the-week-or-mom-what-were-you-thinking/410340/152 "2007-07-11T13:22:35Z")
[Bored, I googled: Pink Dandelion](http://www.theology.bham.ac.uk/postgrad/quaker/staff.htm) ---
**Author:** ![scareyfaerie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scareyfaerie/32/3135_2.png) [@scareyfaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scareyfaerie)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-name-of-the-week-or-mom-what-were-you-thinking/410340/153 "2007-07-11T13:26:11Z")
**Shirley** , you must have been _very_ bored! He calls himself “Ben” but he’s listed in our directories as Pink Dandelion. ---
**Author:** ![scareyfaerie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scareyfaerie/32/3135_2.png) [@scareyfaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scareyfaerie)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-name-of-the-week-or-mom-what-were-you-thinking/410340/154 "2007-07-11T13:34:31Z")
Bah! Missed my edit window again. We recently lost the other one I mentioned, [Prof Perri 6](http://www.ntu.ac.uk/research/school_research/social/staff/16641.html) to a rival institution. I bet they’re delighted to have him. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-name-of-the-week-or-mom-what-were-you-thinking/410340/155 "2007-07-11T13:52:14Z")
I went to school with a mentally handicapped girl named Crystal Logic. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-name-of-the-week-or-mom-what-were-you-thinking/410340/156 "2007-07-11T14:25:07Z")
Velvet Bush Ghengis Kahn, Jr. Sue Hiscock ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-name-of-the-week-or-mom-what-were-you-thinking/410340/157 "2007-07-11T18:09:13Z")
I keep lists of the weird names I notice for the people who come into my courtroom. Some of my favorites, all USDA-guaranteed 100% real: Imhotep Box Travers A. Warry Daphne Threat Medley (band name!) Froma Harrop Upendo Sisson Prina Glassman Gaynell Avery Paul Snowball (an albino man, I kid you not) Evangelist Torres Wykeily D. Phillpots ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-name-of-the-week-or-mom-what-were-you-thinking/410340/158 "2007-07-11T18:41:43Z")
Chiara de Assisi is usually spelled with the h - guess my coworker wanted to be exotic. ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-name-of-the-week-or-mom-what-were-you-thinking/410340/159 "2007-07-11T18:56:44Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] Imhotep Box [/QUOTE] Love it! ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-name-of-the-week-or-mom-what-were-you-thinking/410340/160 "2007-07-11T23:24:24Z")
A woman in my town is named “Marple Kluskey.” I’m a native Utahn and have an aunt named “LaVisa” and an uncle named “LaVon.” They are 66 and 76 respectively and both white. As previous poster wrote, Mormons have a peculiar fondness for “La” names and combo-names. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-name-of-the-week-or-mom-what-were-you-thinking/410340.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-name-of-the-week-or-mom-what-were-you-thinking/410340.md?page=9)