# What's the most hideous given name in your family? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 2, 2004, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973 "2004-04-02T22:53:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/21 "2004-04-03T02:20:59Z")
Well, I don’t know about hideous, but unusual, sure… Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Lewis Alerter Leonidas Orlando Haskell Opie (really) Doine Hezekiah Ertie Vaneda All I can remember right now. These were all rural Ky folk, farmers for the most part. At least it appears somebody in the family read a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/22 "2004-04-03T02:38:43Z")
For the most part, my family has all normal names: John, Jeff, Ann, Carol, Manuel, and so forth. Somehow, I still came within an ace of being named Struan, though. Luckily, my parents went with Mackenzie, instead. Which was great until it became a popular girls name, but that’s hardly my parent’s fault. And for all those out there who are responsible for the Leslie-ization of my name, I take some glee in pointing out that the prefix “Mac” means “Son of.” You idiots. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/23 "2004-04-03T02:41:37Z")
My great-great-grandmother was named Pessie. I’ll have to ask around to see if we’ve got anything scarier than that. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/24 "2004-04-03T02:46:19Z")
My mother the Yankee has the unfortunate name of Geraldine Antionette (Maidenname Lastname). She goes by Gerry, which is constantly misspelled and makes some people think I’m the product of a happy gay marriage. My aunts from the Deep South have more problems, though - there’s an Aunt Ritha and an Aunt LaVerne. The boys usually seem to escape that sort of thing, however (although my dad’s name is Roy, which is something of a rarity, especially it seems among white men). I, of course, had the number one most popular name the year I was born. Any kids of mine are getting names from the 10-25 part of the list - I want them to be the only one in their class, but who the hell names a kid Geraldine? Have you ever seen anybody and thought, “Gee, she looks like a Geraldine.” How could you call a baby that? I think it’s revenge - my grandmother’s name is Eugenia. Misery loves company and all that. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/25 "2004-04-03T02:50:05Z")
Oh, almost forgot. I had an ancestor who fought in the Civil War named Tarwater. To date, it has yet to be revived in my family, excepting my great-aunt’s miserable little mixed-breed terrier. ---
**Author:** ![IrreverentTone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@IrreverentTone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IrreverentTone)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/26 "2004-04-03T02:57:33Z")
Historically, I have Eleazar, Eliphalet, Asemath, and Silence. The recent ones are basically normal. ---
**Author:** ![Kakofonous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e9a140/32.png) [@Kakofonous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kakofonous)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/27 "2004-04-03T03:14:16Z")
My grandparents are Vernon and Fairy. ---
**Author:** ![rolandgunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cdc98d/32.png) [@rolandgunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rolandgunslinger)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/28 "2004-04-03T03:14:26Z")
My grandmother and her sisters were named: Geneva Lillie And Totsie. My Father and Grandmother decided that I should be named Augustus Leon. Thankfully my Mother nipped that in the bud and named me David. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MissGypsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@MissGypsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissGypsy)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/29 "2004-04-03T03:31:21Z")
My maternal grandparents were Lafayette and Velma. My paternal grandparents were Oren and Bertha. It’s safe to say, I won’t be naming any of my offspring after any of them. I also had great-aunts named Flossie and Dolly. Better yet, Great-Aunt Dolly married a man named Tommy when they were 93 and 95, respectively. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/30 "2004-04-03T03:35:19Z")
I had a grandmother named Bertha, although I don’t think the name is hideous, just old-fashioned. She had a sister named Frieda. I had a great great (great? I lose count) aunt around the turn of the century named Donaldina Cameron, who is actually a semi-historical figure in San Francisco. ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/31 "2004-04-03T03:43:23Z")
Hmm… only one I can think of off hand is Hilda… Doreen isn’t that bad though, and question: would anyone nowadays name their son Walter? > [@Miller](#): > > And for all those out there who are responsible for the Leslie-ization of my name, I take some glee in pointing out that the prefix “Mac” means “Son of.” I have a girl cousin named Kenzie. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/32 "2004-04-03T03:57:35Z")
My grandfather was Hubert Homer. I have a cousin Glennella whose father is Glenn and her mother is Wahella. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Magnolia\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Magnolia\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magnolia_B)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/33 "2004-04-03T04:02:56Z")
I’ve just got a couple…Elsie Mae, Goldie, Corintha, Lemuel, and Maiden (not sure of the spelling on that one, he’s a great uncle) are the only ones I can think of offhand. All of the women on my mother’s side have the middle name Wayne. I’m pretty glad that they didn’t pass it along to me, because that’s also my father’s name. ---
**Author:** ![ataraxy22](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ataraxy22/32/307_2.png) [@ataraxy22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ataraxy22)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/34 "2004-04-03T04:42:33Z")
I’m a 6-great-grandson of a Nehemiah. I also have a distant (and lvery long dead) cousin named Hackaliah. ---
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/35 "2004-04-03T04:45:25Z")
My grandmother’s name was Eura Inez (no, her last name wasn’t Hogg). Her twin sister was Eunice Irene. Eura’s youngest daughter was named in honor of her aunt, the twin, but with a twist: Renita (faux Spanish for “little Irene”). Oh, and Eura and Eunice had a younger sister named Berchie. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/36 "2004-04-03T04:58:10Z")
> [@elfbabe](#): > > I have the feeling she’d disembowl anyone who tried to use it, so I haven’t been exposed to it much. There, there, hon. Your Nana hasn’t tried to disembowel family members in quite a long time. Your Nana Nana on the other hand… And you forgot to reveal your Nana Nana Nana’s first name: Beulah. 'Tis a name I always associated with mules for some reason. Tho that association pre-dated my meeting her and I never found her particularly mule-like. ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/37 "2004-04-03T05:17:06Z")
My great-aunt Arsenal [lastname] married Brown [lastname]. Their kids had normal names, believe it or not. One of my best friends in named Pettronella, and goes by Petty. She married a Tom. (Tom & Petty??? Yeah, she gets teased a lot about that.) ---
**Author:** ![Sassy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@Sassy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sassy)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/38 "2004-04-03T05:55:02Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I had a great great (great? I lose count) aunt around the turn of the century named Donaldina Cameron, who is actually a semi-historical figure in San Francisco. She’s got a house down the hill from me - Sacramento Street, I think 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Beauty\_Personified](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Beauty\_Personified](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beauty_Personified)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/39 "2004-04-03T05:56:57Z")
I can’t really think of any really unusual names in my family. My grandmother was Lillian, which is a beautiful name, IMO. It’s at the top of my list should I ever have a daughter. However, when she signed up for service during WWII, she didn’t want to be unfairly judged because she was a woman, so she left the gender box blank, and put her name down as Mickey. And that’s what everyone commonly called her for the rest of her life. My parents almost named my sister Crystal Gail, until someone told them about the singer Crystal Gayle. So they named her Cindy Gail, and then became fans of Crystal. I tend to like the unusual, but I do like my first name - Christopher. My middle name, however, is just too boring - Jason. It’s interesting to note that, at any given time, the more traditional boys names tend to remain popular - Christopher, James, Michael - whereas the girls names tend to fluctuate a lot - Britney, Kayla, Madison. My father’s name is Carl, while his twin sister is Carol. More interestingly, a lot of my teachers in school used to call me Carl, but usually not because they knew my father, but because of my last name. Just like the names of long ago, my full name identifies me as Carl’s son. No, my father doesn’t live in Springfield. And, no, I’m not worried about giving out so much information. And another name I like for a girl - Ookla! Anyhoo… ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/40 "2004-04-03T06:03:45Z")
> [@KRM](#): > > My grandfather was Hubert Homer. I have a cousin Glennella whose father is Glenn and her mother is Wahella. :eek: You stole mine. My grandfather was Hubert Eugene. (Went by Gene) My wife’s brother’s stepson is named Chandler. I hate it both aestetically and because he’s actually named after the Friends character. His twin brother is Chase. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973.md?page=3)