# What were you almost named? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 3, 2002, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-almost-named/122142 "2002-08-03T06:33:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Winnowill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4491bb/32.png) [@Winnowill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnowill)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2002, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-almost-named/122142/82 "2002-08-06T21:16:46Z")
I was almost Amanda. Which would have been fine up until Mr Winnie turned up. He has a daughter named Amanda who…well - she’s not my favorite person on the planet. ---
**Author:** ![SisterCoyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@SisterCoyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SisterCoyote)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2002, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-almost-named/122142/83 "2002-08-06T21:53:07Z")
Well. My parents were avid Oakland A’s fans. The doctor’s original due date for me was some time in May (way early, as it turned out). During the World Series, as it happened. So, even though she was eight months pregnant at the time Mom continued to attend ballgames. My grandmother was convinced I was going to be born either at the Colluseum or Candlestick park. Mom told her that, if that happened, they’d name me “Reggie.” Regina if a girl, Reginald if a boy. Otherwise, they’d selected James somethingorother if I’d been a boy. ---
**Author:** ![Winnowill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4491bb/32.png) [@Winnowill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnowill)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2002, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-almost-named/122142/84 "2002-08-06T22:25:12Z")
You were due in May, and didn’t actually appear until the World Series in October?! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![SisterCoyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@SisterCoyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SisterCoyote)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2002, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-almost-named/122142/85 "2002-08-06T22:41:14Z")
Oops. Got my dates all mixed up - Erk. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![SisterCoyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@SisterCoyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SisterCoyote)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2002, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-almost-named/122142/86 "2002-08-06T22:43:01Z")
Meaning: “Due” in May, born in June, brain damage about baseball. Don’t mind me. ---
**Author:** ![Osbie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cdc98d/32.png) [@Osbie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osbie)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-almost-named/122142/87 "2002-08-07T00:09:25Z")
My parents were torn between Prunella and Hortensia, but decided to go with Octavia. In reality, the other two names nominated with my real name were “Grace” (after one of my paternal great-grandmothers) and “Larissa” after, yes, the character from **Dr. Zhivago**. I’m not sure why they didn’t pick Grace. They decided against “Larissa” or “Lara” for short, because they figured everyone would mispronounce it as “Laura” and not “Laaaaar-ruh.” So they gave me a rather confusing Scandinavian name that everyone mispronounces when they read it (not that I blame them), as well as after I’ve introduced myself (there’s really no excuse for that). Otherwise, people call me by other names that are very similiar to my name, but aren’t the same name. When keying in data from a form I’ve filled out, businesses assume I don’t know what my own name is and correct it for me. But I’m not bitter. No sir, not I. ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-almost-named/122142/88 "2002-08-07T00:14:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Octavia Smythe-Bunion I. Esq. \* > \*\*[snip] > So they gave me a rather confusing Scandinavian name that everyone mispronounces when they read it (not that I blame them), as well as after I’ve introduced myself (there’s really no excuse for that). Otherwise, people call me by other names that are very similiar to my name, but aren’t the same name. When keying in data from a form I’ve filled out, businesses assume I don’t know what my own name is and correct it for me. But I’m not bitter. No sir, not I. \*\* You do realise that you have to tell us what that name is now, don’t you? You’d think that Alec would be an easy name to pronounce, wouldn’t you? Howcome almost everyone calls me Alex until I correct them 19 or 20 times? ---
**Author:** ![Osbie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cdc98d/32.png) [@Osbie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osbie)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-almost-named/122142/89 "2002-08-07T01:06:20Z")
What, and spoil the persona that is Octavia Smythe-Bunion I. Esq? Never! If I revealed my real name it would be like that Twilight Zone episode where people kept whispering the meaning of life in other people’s ears - making them go instantly insane. Sorry Alex. ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-almost-named/122142/90 "2002-08-07T02:59:25Z")
Right, **Octavia** , I have blackmail power! I know your real name! What’ll you give me to keep quiet? (evil laughter) ---
**Author:** ![Osbie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cdc98d/32.png) [@Osbie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osbie)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-almost-named/122142/91 "2002-08-07T03:30:37Z")
But my dear **Lissar** , were you to make the unfortunate decision to reveal my true identity, I would have no choice but to put you down as a lifetime subscriber to the “Octavia’s Childhood Poetry Appreciation E-mail List.” _Dogs bark and they hark, cats purr and rabbits murmur…_ (_Very_ evil laughter) ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-almost-named/122142/92 "2002-08-07T03:49:09Z")
Hmm. A google search on Smythe-Bunion didn’t turn up anything. I guess I give up. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-almost-named/122142/93 "2002-08-07T07:44:38Z")
A German Shepherd saved me from being named Shana Louise. Pretty much as soon as they got married, my mom decided that if they ever had a little girl, that’s what they’d name her (Shana is a character in some trashy romance novel, and my dad’s name is Louis). It was bad enough that one of Dad’s cousins named their daughter Shannon Lynn, but then while Mom was pregnant with me, another cousin got a dog named Shanie Lou. Of course Mom wasn’t about to give me a name so close to the dog’s, so they named me after one of her favorite students instead. I’ll be grateful to that dog till the end of time. Of course, it could have been worse. Right up until she went into labor, Dr. J’s mom was dead set on naming him Camille. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-almost-named/122142/94 "2002-08-07T14:33:30Z")
Oh no you don’t, **Octavia**! If you do, I’ll tell Lydia from LAF that you want personal counselling in how to be an antifeminist! And that you’ve dated instead of courting! _Bwahahahahahahaha!_ Oh, yeah. My parents were going to name me “Jordan” if I’d been a boy. I’ve already stated my real name in lots of threads, so I won’t bother. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-almost-named/122142/95 "2002-08-07T14:52:45Z")
There was never any doubt that I was going to be a male, even though I don’t believe Drs. made a routine of figuing out the sex of the child during the era I was born. It is just that I have three older brothers and my mother instinctivley knew another boy was in the oven. “Lee” was going to be a part of my name in any event - it was my grandfather’s name. My other name was up for discussion - either Oliver (after my uncle) or Nathan (after a favorite cousin of my mother was was killed in an automobile accident). ---
**Author:** ![irkenDoom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c2a13f/32.png) [@irkenDoom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irkenDoom)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-almost-named/122142/96 "2002-08-07T15:25:15Z")
I could have been Victor, after my dad. Dodged the bullet there, that’s just one of those names that I’d hate as a child, and still wouldn’t care to have as an adult. But instead, I was named after my grandfather, who didn’t seem very skilled at naming children himself. His wanted to name my dad **William Bill.** Bill Bill? Billy Bill? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-almost-named/122142/97 "2002-08-07T15:36:26Z")
If I was four hours older I would be called Patrick. My birthday falls on 16th March, St. Patricks Day on the 17th. But I was, instead, named after Elvis, so that was a bonus. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Second\_Guest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@Second\_Guest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Second_Guest)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-almost-named/122142/98 "2002-08-07T16:19:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SisterCoyote \* > \*\*Meaning: “Due” in May, born in June, brain damage about baseball. > > Don’t mind me. \*\* Thanks for explaining that! Aside from the May/October conundrum, since the World Series in question would have been Giants vs. A’s, I was marveling at how articulate you are for a 12- (almost 13-) year-old! So you’re saying you’re not _really_ a big baseball fan, huh? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-almost-named/122142/99 "2002-08-07T16:58:38Z")
I’m my parents’ 5th child, and 4th girl. I was almost named “Lark” after a character in a movie, but instead I was named after one of my mother’s students, Chris. In fact, at least 3 kids were named after this child, who was apparently pretty and sweet. StG ---
**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-almost-named/122142/100 "2002-08-07T17:04:08Z")
My grandfather is a former Marine. The Marine Corps birthday is November 10th, so my grandfather told my mother that she must name me **Marina Cora** if I was born on that date. I was born on November 9th. :::whew:: ---
**Author:** ![Winnowill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4491bb/32.png) [@Winnowill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnowill)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-almost-named/122142/101 "2002-08-07T18:44:44Z")
Huh. My brother was born on November 10th. Good thing my dad wasn’t a Marine… 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-almost-named/122142.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-almost-named/122142.md?page=6)