# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![Tinkertoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f19dbf/32.png) [@Tinkertoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tinkertoy)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/81 "2004-04-04T23:28:38Z")
My Great Grandmother **Ello Florillo Levengood** whom my grandmother insisted I be named after. My father refused to bring my mother and I home if she named me that. Thankfully! ---
**Author:** ![jacksen9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@jacksen9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacksen9)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/82 "2004-04-04T23:47:08Z")
> [@Ashkicker](#): > > When I was in the 5th grade, we were asked to do a family tree. I was born in Illinois, but my father was from the Tennessee. We had several unusual names on the tree to say the least. When I brought the family tree in, my teacher had to comment loudly and give me the oddest look when she came out and said “What kind of name is Pettibone”? This was my grandfathers name on my dads side. As a 5th grade girl, I will never forget how that teacher made me feel. Embarrassed, because I didn’t feel I had a “normal family tree”. I was so ashamed. I get mad to this day when I think about how she made me felt. No kid should ever be made to feel that way in a learning environment. I had a journal question on the board about this subject. I went first though. The kids were laughing either at me or with me when I told them about sooooo many odd names in my family. My dad’s name was Rufus, my mom’s name is Ludie Mae. I have aunts named Murl, Mavis, Wilma, Velma, uncles named HB, yep just the initials HB, Lester, Billy Ray,who was my favorite uncle by the way, Marvin, my granddad’s name was Kigh (unsure of spelling) but it sounds like the first part of kite, and grandmother Nobie, oh and Uncle Ohnie which sounds like Johnny without the J. I almost forgot, I have an aunt named Willie Frank. She is a woman and has been a women her entire life, far as I know. 🙂 Gotta have a sense of humor. I am sorry the teacher made you feel embarrassed. Too bad I wasn’t there to deflect some of that on-the-spot feeling. Pettibone wouldn’t raise an eyebrow in my family. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lady\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f1d935/32.png) [@Lady\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lady_Ice)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/83 "2004-04-04T23:54:11Z")
My Great-grandmother was Beulah Wilemina. Her daugher (my grandmother) is Alice Matilda. She also had another daughter named LeWanna. Don’t know the middle name. They also had a sister with a normal name, Elizabeth, but she went by Berky. That’s on my mom’s side of the family. My dad has a set of twin brothers. Gilbert A. and Gordon B. The initials don’t stand for anything. My grandmother had so many kids by then she couldn’t come up with any middle names for them. Lucky for my dad he got a common name and a middle name when he was born two years later. ---
**Author:** ![JackaRoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@JackaRoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackaRoe)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/84 "2004-04-05T00:42:06Z")
My dad’s name is **Hero Joesph lastname Jr.** and my brother and I both feel lucky that he decided to end the tradition. Thr upside is it is a name no one forgets. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/85 "2004-04-05T02:51:47Z")
My mom’s first and middle names were Pamela Nellie. 🙂 My father had an Auntie Nan, but I don’t remember what that was short for. There was also an Ethel. And, I just came home from my Aunt Eldine’s place. ---
**Author:** ![ForumBot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ee59a6/32.png) [@ForumBot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ForumBot)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/86 "2004-04-05T02:57:31Z")
Boodgie Possum Not tribal. Redneck. ---
**Author:** ![libwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/76d3ee/32.png) [@libwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/libwen)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/87 "2004-04-05T03:13:26Z")
**Archibald** is a long-standing family name on my father’s side (over 300 years of continuous use). It makes me glad I’m female. ---
**Author:** ![Ashes\_Ashes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/db5fbb/32.png) [@Ashes\_Ashes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashes_Ashes)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/88 "2004-04-05T05:05:26Z")
My aunt is named Thedadel, we blame southerness on my gram’s part. I had a great-uncle Alva who went by Mac, short for MacMillan, his last name. Then there’s my cousin Japheth who actually likes his name but goes by JC or Jace because it’s just easier. I notice a couple of other people with family members named Goldie, as was my great-aunt. I wonder if this was a popular name after the turn of the century. The two worst names I’ve ever known personally were Precious and Beautiful. Not so bad until you realize their parents named their two _sons_, Precious and Beautiful. A co-worker of mine has a grandson named Cage. His last name? Canaris ---
**Author:** ![epepke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9de0a6/32.png) [@epepke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epepke)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/89 "2004-04-05T05:25:38Z")
My paternal grandfather had a first name of Adolph and a middle name of Oswald. No wonder people called him “Pep.” ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/90 "2004-04-05T05:37:28Z")
> [@TOTBP](#): > > IMy cousin had a friend name with the Hebrew name of Hyman. I’m sure more than a few jokes were cracked at his expense in junior high. Isn’t that Krusty the Clown’s first name? Nope, the beloved Springfield entertainer is [Herschel Krustofski](http://www.homerdrive.com/profiles/krusty/). [Here](http://www.behindthename.com/) is one site devoted to “the etymology and history of first names”. ---
**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:** [April 5, 2004, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/91 "2004-04-05T05:56:34Z")
::::note to self:::: Never move south and breed with a redneck. When my grandmother was born (1890) She was named Florence Therese. When she was older, the name Therese was considered old fashioned and uncool. She preferred Gertrude. I always thought that was funny. Her husband, my grandfather, his name was Joseph Florenz Lastname. The most unusual family name is: \*\*Hilarian \*\* an Irish girls name. My 13 year old cousin is named after her 84 year old aunt of the same name. I am possibly the only one in the family that liked it when we were told what the baby was named. ---
**Author:** ![Marsie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Marsie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marsie)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/92 "2004-04-05T06:58:38Z")
Vicie Jane and Lustella Pearl. Lovely people but the names! ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/93 "2004-04-05T12:21:36Z")
My great aunt’s son (second cousin?) is named **Rupert Snead Monroe**. Not suprisingly, he goes by “Billy.” ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/94 "2004-04-05T13:24:23Z")
Mom had a couple of great-aunts who took “quaint” names to the grave with them: Arvita and Euphemia. Also an Aunt LaRue. Since Dad’s ide of the family was Catholic and observed the practice of using only the names of saints, nobody got saddled with anything too outrageous (yes, I know there are lots of obscure saints with bizarre names). ---
**Author:** ![booklover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@booklover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/booklover)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/95 "2004-04-05T14:09:46Z")
This thread makes me feel lucky by comparison. I think the worst name in my family probably belongs to my great-aunt, who was Trula Swinehart before she got married to my great-uncle and ditched the last name. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/96 "2004-04-05T14:11:14Z")
One of my great (or possibly great-great…I’m awful at figuring out relationships) was Maude Van Antwerp. Evidently quite the children’s literature scholar. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/97 "2004-04-05T14:23:47Z")
Vallie (female) Geechee (male) Winifred Leonora (female) We also had a Rufus. Probably there are other weird names in the family which just don’t spring to mind right now because I’ve gotten used to them. What the hell were our greatgrandparents thinking? ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/98 "2004-04-05T14:58:27Z")
My maternal grandparents were Chester and Hazel, which is bad enough, but their last name was _Munch_ ! My very hateful paternal great-grandmother used to refer to them as Hazelnut and Chestnut. There is an ancestor named Ulysses Simpson Grant Croft. ---
**Author:** ![malkabat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@malkabat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkabat)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/99 "2004-04-05T15:24:25Z")
> [@Krisfer the Cat](#): > > I like Eugenia… beats the fuck out of being a great grandmother and named Tiffany! I’m with you Kris. I just can’t reconcile hearing today’s kids being called “Grandma Tiffany…Amber…Britney” in 50 years. We had two Gussies in my family, one of whom renamed herself “Goldie” in the nursing home. A great aunt Mae who went by Minnie. My MIL is a Minnie as well, born Domenica. But my maternal grandmother? **Yetta**. She went by Vivian, which was either her real or assumed middle name. And on her Sweet 16 invitation, she called herself “Violet.” My daffy flapper grandmother. ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/100 "2004-04-05T15:26:57Z")
My Dad is a Rodney. Back in the family tree we have a Serrrilde and an Obediah. Also a Hume, which I kind of like. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973.md?page=6)