# Weird, pretentious, or bizarre names... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 26, 2014, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pretentious-or-bizarre-names/696566 "2014-08-26T16:34:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pretentious-or-bizarre-names/696566/221 "2014-09-13T02:32:35Z")
It explains why tattoos with the kids names on them are so popular. Imaging trying to remember them! ‘Now! Kaydin, Schanayaa, Willeaugh, and’ _(checks forearm)_ ‘Mersyna! Come in for dinner!’. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pretentious-or-bizarre-names/696566/222 "2014-09-13T04:41:48Z")
> [@Eliahna](#): > > Found it! > [“A crime against humanity” - Diogenes the Cynic](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=8415267&postcount=12) :eek: My eyes are bleeding. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pretentious-or-bizarre-names/696566/223 "2014-09-13T14:01:51Z")
My sister told me of an unusual baby name she came across: “Addalyn.” My sister and I think it sounds like a new drug - a cross between Adderall and Ritalin. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pretentious-or-bizarre-names/696566/224 "2014-09-13T15:33:47Z")
> [@Eliahna](#): > > Found it! > [“A crime against humanity” - Diogenes the Cynic](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=8415267&postcount=12) I knew exactly who you were talking about! She was even \*proud \*of that name and was upset when people misspell it! (Aedin Caughner Niquolos) ---
**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:** [September 13, 2014, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pretentious-or-bizarre-names/696566/225 "2014-09-13T16:27:50Z")
> [@PeskiPiksi](#): > > Is it too soon for another “You named your kid _what_?” thread? Because I just saw the list of kids in my son’s pre-k class and felt like sharing. 😃 In one class we have: > > Jaxsen > Jaylen > Kai > King > Kinleigh > Maleyah > Ripley > Semi > > Some of these are more out there than others, I admit. I’m dying to meet Ripley (is that a girl?) and find out if she’s named after the character in the Aliens movies. (Kinda cool, actually, IMHO.) That might be a mom I could be friends with, even if I did go with normal, non-trendy, old-fashioned names for my own kids. > > Anybody else have some good names to contribute from the back-to-school lists? He didn’t go to school, but we named one of the kittens in a litter, Ripley–because he had six toes on one front paw and seven on the other. Poor little guy–he died when still a kitten. ☹ Here is a list of almost all of the first names in my Senior Government class, which met for the first time in September 1966: Dave (2); Debbie; Dennis; Don; Doug (2); Elaine; Ellen; Gail; Gordon; Jerry (girl); Jerry (boy); Jo; Kathy (2); Laura; Lee (girls) (2); Marsha; Patrick; Patte/Patti (2); Rod; Scott; Steve; Valerie; Vivian (2); Warren Times have changed, haven’t they? ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pretentious-or-bizarre-names/696566/226 "2014-09-13T17:12:14Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > In a lot of countries, there is a government-issued list of “approved” first names, and every child is required by law to be given a name on the list. Switzerland is one of them, that I know of (unless it was recently changed). I think you’re thinking of Denmark. I don’t believe Switzerland ever had such a law. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pretentious-or-bizarre-names/696566/227 "2014-09-13T17:39:06Z")
In defense of weird names… sort of. I know a guy who is named after his father and grandfather - he’s a “third”, with a normal typical name. But that became a tradition, and so each has a nickname so everyone can tell them apart in conversation. Thus, his is “Trey”, French for three. When he had a son, he wanted to carry on the tradition, and needed a nickname. He came up with “Reyth”. It combines an unusual number 4 (I forget which) with the spelling with the “rey” from his own nickname. I asked him about that, since this kid will be in almost all situations known by that nickname except formal document signatures. His explanation: while it will be a little weird when the kid is young having to explain his name and spelling, when he get’s older, it becomes great ice-breaking conversation starters for picking up ladies. He already has a cool story just by introducing himself. The thing is, though, it’s technically a nickname, but it is what everyone will know him as, so it’s basically like going by your middle name. Teachers will call out “Thomas” and he’ll correct them, blah blah blah. My dad is named Charles, and he doesn’t really like it when people try to give him nickname versions, like Charlie, or worse - Chuck. So when my parents were picking names for us kids, they went for common enough names that they wouldn’t be weird and hard to spell, but unique enough names that don’t have a common short form. No Thomas, Elizabeth, Robert for us. Dad also was technically a “third” - his father was named Charles but went by his middle name (and for a long time I didn’t know that), and his grandfather was named Charlie - not Charles, but Charlie. So my Dad wanted to make sure us kids had our own unique names. So my older brother is not named Charles or Charlie, but does carry the same initials and does share the same unique middle name with my dad. My brother carried that on with his own son. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pretentious-or-bizarre-names/696566/228 "2014-09-13T18:21:35Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > In defense of weird names… sort of. > > I know a guy who is named after his father and grandfather - he’s a “third”, with a normal typical name. But that became a tradition, and so each has a nickname so everyone can tell them apart in conversation. Thus, his is “Trey”, French for three… Sorry to nitpick, but “Trois” is the French word for three. ---
**Author:** ![therealyankey27](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/41988e/32.png) [@therealyankey27](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/therealyankey27)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pretentious-or-bizarre-names/696566/229 "2014-09-13T18:43:59Z")
Did someone mention DaBrickashaw Fergeson yet? ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pretentious-or-bizarre-names/696566/230 "2014-09-14T04:19:30Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > My sister told me of an unusual baby name she came across: “Addalyn.” My sister and I think it sounds like a new drug - a cross between Adderall and Ritalin. I like the name Allegra for a girl – at least I did till the medicine came out. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pretentious-or-bizarre-names/696566/231 "2014-09-14T05:16:50Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > Sorry to nitpick, but “Trois” is the French word for three. It doesn’t, but I have heard so many times that “Trey” comes from the French word for three, it must be a corruption of it. I wonder if it’s Cajun, or some dialectical French from one of the colonies? It’s actually pretty close to “tres,” the Spanish word for three. It’s also very close to how someone who is a native French speaker who doesn’t really know English might pronounce “three,” so maybe it was actually a French nickname based on the English word, that then got carried back to English in its corrupt form. That’s happened often enough there’s actually a twerm for it, which, if it weren’t 1:10am, I’d call my mother and ask her what it is. > [@Eliahna](#): > > I recall we had one Doper whose kid had an ordinary name with a messed up spelling because (iirc) her husband had chosen the name and she wanted to get her say in too, or something like that. I don’t think she got a lot of positive feedback from us. > > > [@gigi](#): > > > > :eek: My eyes are bleeding. Yeah. Wow. Caughner. That’s up there with Qristofer. Some guy named Kristopher wanted to name his son after himself only make it “even more unique.” (Yes, I know. That’s a quote.) So he called the kid Qristofer. You just know the other kids on the playground will call him “Kwistofer.” ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pretentious-or-bizarre-names/696566/232 "2014-09-14T18:04:11Z")
It took me a second to figure out how to pronounce “Caughner.” I want to pronounce it Cough-ner. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pretentious-or-bizarre-names/696566/233 "2014-09-14T18:09:02Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > It took me a second to figure out how to pronounce “Caughner.” I want to pronounce it Cough-ner. As in Kevin **Coff** ner? ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pretentious-or-bizarre-names/696566/234 "2014-09-14T18:33:28Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > As in Kevin **Coff** ner? Yes, like that. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pretentious-or-bizarre-names/696566/235 "2014-09-14T22:39:04Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > Sorry to nitpick, but “Trois” is the French word for three. Check [wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trey). It says > [@](#): > > Trey is a three in playing cards, dice, or dominoes, similar to the more familiar ace for one and deuce for two. It comes from Old French treis, meaning three. It is also a common nickname for those who are the third of their name. For example, it is William Henry (“Bill”) Gates III’s family nickname. So it is French, old form and slightly corrupted as drawn into English, probably around 1066. > [@EmilyG](#): > > It took me a second to figure out how to pronounce “Caughner.” I want to pronounce it Cough-ner. I figured it out immediately, but I was expecting a commonish name just spelled horrendously. Plus, “augh” wouldn’t be “off” to me, think aught or caught or haughty or daughter. It’s not exactly Connor, it’s a little more breathy, “Cohnor”. Breath the h, like the difference between “wear” and “where”. > [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Yeah. Wow. Caughner. That’s up there with Qristofer. Some guy named Kristopher wanted to name his son after himself only make it “even more unique.” (Yes, I know. That’s a quote.) I think what these people mean is “I wanted a special name to show how special my child is and how specially fucked up he’s going to be when I’m done with him.” YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pretentious-or-bizarre-names/696566/236 "2014-09-15T17:06:26Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > I figured it out immediately, but I was expecting a commonish name just spelled horrendously. Plus, “augh” wouldn’t be “off” to me, think aught or caught or haughty or daughter. It’s not exactly Connor, it’s a little more breathy, “Cohnor”. Breath the h, like the difference between “wear” and “where”. augh would be aw/aught for me too, but C **o** nnor would be ah – very different from aw. ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pretentious-or-bizarre-names/696566/237 "2014-09-17T16:37:41Z")
My sons’ school has a bulletin board in the front lobby where they proudly display the photos of children who have exemplified their “super powers” that week. I saw Jzontelle and Ayonica yesterday morning, and I’m going to check it again are parent-teacher conferences tonight. There’s a little boy in the Daycare we used to use whose name is Jrue. You know … like Drew. ---
**Author:** ![Norse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Norse)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pretentious-or-bizarre-names/696566/238 "2014-09-17T19:17:47Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > One of my dad’s colleagues had sons named Thor, Sigurd & Tyr. Their sister Erin felt wildly cheated. He wouldn’t happen to be of Scandinavian ancestry? Around here, neither “Sigurd” nor “Thor” (nor the more common spelling, “Tor”) would as much a raise an eyebrow. This part of the world, those are fairly common and normal names. “Sigurd” was really popular around 1900, with about 2% of the male population answering to that name. Nowadays, a little more than 0.5% of the male population are named “Sigurd” “Thor” was most popular around 1940, around 0.7%. These days, it’s around 0.1%. “Tor” peaked around 1950 with almost 1.5% of the population. Today, the popularity is down to some 0.2%. ---
**Author:** ![Norse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Norse)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pretentious-or-bizarre-names/696566/239 "2014-09-17T19:53:13Z")
\ > [@naita](#): > > I’m gonna name my first son Odd Even Å, dæven! \ ---
**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:** [September 17, 2014, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pretentious-or-bizarre-names/696566/240 "2014-09-17T22:23:43Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > augh would be aw/aught for me too, but C **o** nnor would be ah – very different from aw. We under-pronounce the letter “R”, so “Connah” and “Connor” would be pronounced the same way here (hence the rise of Tayla and Taylah as alternative spellings of Taylor here). Caw-ner would be identical in pronunciation to “corner”. That’s going to be some extra fun for him should he ever visit Australia. “What’s your name?” “Caughner” “Corner?” “Caughner” “Corner? Your name’s Corner?” “Caug… Tell you what, just call me Niq”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pretentious-or-bizarre-names/696566.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-pretentious-or-bizarre-names/696566.md?page=13)