# Weirdest names you've ever heard **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 19, 2020, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-names-youve-ever-heard/915747 "2020-07-19T12:05:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 20
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-names-youve-ever-heard/915747/382 "2021-09-01T09:10:54Z")
> [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](#): > > Probably a variation on the Dutch name Updegraff. Yes, it is an anglicization of a Dutch name. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2021, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-names-youve-ever-heard/915747/383 "2021-09-04T15:06:41Z")
The book _Take Her Deep_ (not porn, it’s about a submarine operating in the Pacific in WWII) describes the sub having crew members with the last names French and Ffrench. To avoid confusion, the latter crewman was referred to as “Double F”. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2021, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-names-youve-ever-heard/915747/384 "2021-10-08T16:26:22Z")
At my workplace there is someone named Sir Less and another named Sparky Toes (surname spelled different but pronounced “toes”) ---
**Author:** ![Limmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2021, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-names-youve-ever-heard/915747/385 "2021-10-08T16:52:52Z")
There was a noodle shop in the Tacoma area (IIRC) called Pho Queue The joke went over my head, until I learned that Pho is pronounced “Fu…” ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2021, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-names-youve-ever-heard/915747/386 "2021-10-08T19:41:09Z")
I once worked with a British software engineer. He had a young daughter whose name he mentioned a few times in conversation. He pronounced it something like “Zaizee”. I thought it must be a British girl’s name. Several months later I finally saw it in writing. It was “[Xyzzy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xyzzy_(computing))”. I thought, that poor kid. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2021, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-names-youve-ever-heard/915747/387 "2021-10-09T01:48:59Z")
Asian restaurant in La Canada-Flintridge, CA Poo Ping Palace ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2021, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-names-youve-ever-heard/915747/388 "2021-10-09T17:22:11Z")
Was her brother named Plugh? ---
**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:** [October 9, 2021, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-names-youve-ever-heard/915747/389 "2021-10-09T20:22:19Z")
> [@Limmin](#): > > There was a noodle shop in the Tacoma area (IIRC) called > > Pho Queue > > The joke went over my head, until I learned that Pho is pronounced “Fu…” No, it’s a long O, but still close enough. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2021, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-names-youve-ever-heard/915747/390 "2021-10-09T21:04:08Z")
I’m not sure what you mean by that. It’s not the sound that’s usually called “long O” in English (like in “boat”). Wikipedia has this recording of the pronunciation, which to me sounds more like the “fu” in “fuck” than any other English phonemes. [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Phở.oga](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Ph%E1%BB%9F.oga) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2021, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-names-youve-ever-heard/915747/391 "2021-10-10T11:32:27Z")
> [@caligulathegod](#): > > I used to work with a lady named “Shithead”. It’s pronounced _Shi THEED_ . It’s an Indian/Pakistani name. Both these claims require proof. This is a common tall tale. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2021, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-names-youve-ever-heard/915747/392 "2021-10-10T11:48:25Z")
In one of these old “names” threads someone mentioned Muthuswami Dikshitar (the famous composer). However, grepping for strings does not IMO qualify as “weird names”, though apparently it happens often enough that there is even a name for it: [Scunthorpe problem](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scunthorpe_problem) ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2021, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-names-youve-ever-heard/915747/393 "2021-10-10T19:20:52Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > I’m not sure what you mean by that. It’s not the sound that’s usually called “long O” in English (like in “boat”). Wikipedia has this recording of the pronunciation, which to me sounds more like the “fu” in “fuck” than any other English phonemes. You are closer to being correct than Siam Sam. It’s from the French word “feu” as in “pot au feu” (fire pot), hence it is pronounced what I would transcribe for English speakers as “fuh.” (Perhaps the Vietnamese/French sound changed when it was borrowed by Thai, so Siam Sam may be correct for there.) ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2021, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-names-youve-ever-heard/915747/394 "2021-10-10T19:32:00Z")
Yea work with several first and second generation Vietnamese Americans and we have a pho place across the street where we used to eat all the time. I’ve never heard them pronounce it anything other than “fuh” to my ears. My reproduction of Vietnamese phonology has them laughing, but it is definitely not a long o sound. In fact they laugh at anyone that pronounces it “foe” which I assume is the long o sound ---
**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:** [October 10, 2021, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-names-youve-ever-heard/915747/395 "2021-10-10T21:17:52Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > You are closer to being correct than Siam Sam. It’s from the French word “feu” as in “pot au feu” (fire pot), hence it is pronounced what I would transcribe for English speakers as “fuh.” > > (Perhaps the Vietnamese/French sound changed when it was borrowed by Thai, so Siam Sam may be correct for there.) It is quite possible the Thais adopted the long O and that’s what I’ve been hearing. I have spent time in Vietnam but never ate pho there, as I’m lukewarm about it at best. ---
**Author:** ![caligulathegod](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caligulathegod/32/9685_2.png) [@caligulathegod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligulathegod)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2021, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-names-youve-ever-heard/915747/396 "2021-10-14T04:21:12Z")
Sorry, as I said, I do not work there anymore. I am not repeating a story I heard from someone. This person existed in the company directory. I was not a personal friend, but we did have a lot of Indian engineers. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2021, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-names-youve-ever-heard/915747/397 "2021-10-17T23:39:15Z")
Sorry, don’t believe it. It’s too common a tall tale. And “Shithead” pronounced “shi theed” is not a common name in South Asia. ---
**Author:** ![Happytree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happytree/32/3555_2.png) [@Happytree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happytree)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2021, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-names-youve-ever-heard/915747/398 "2021-10-18T12:43:33Z")
Had a buddy named B.J. Not sure what BJ stood for, but saw a piece of his mail addressed to: B.J. Cummings Bwa ha ha Knew a hillbilly named Vaynard. Not sure how he spelled ot. Knew a girl named Avaricious, or at least that was on her school ID. She said it was her real name, but I’m still not sure. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2021, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-names-youve-ever-heard/915747/399 "2021-10-21T23:50:38Z")
Two names from the world of sports making the news today: Orr Limpisvasti (orthopedist advising Baker Mayfield on his shoulder injury) and Haralabos Voulgaris, former Dallas Mavericks executive, revealing discord in the organization. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-names-youve-ever-heard/915747/400 "2021-10-27T15:44:19Z")
[Scott Endicter](https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/careersandeducation/bensalem-candidate-profile-scott-endicter-for-school-director/ar-BB1gzz4Z) is running for school board nearby. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2021, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-names-youve-ever-heard/915747/401 "2021-10-28T01:46:38Z")
Not the weirdest name but still odd: **Wayne Wink** is running for town supervisor of the town of North Hempstead in NY > **[Wayne Wink](https://www.facebook.com/WayneWink2021/)** > > Wayne Wink. 770 likes. Official page of Wayne H. Wink, Jr. - North Hempstead Town Clerk [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-names-youve-ever-heard/915747.md?page=19) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-names-youve-ever-heard/915747.md?page=21)