# 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:** 19\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![abbeytxs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@abbeytxs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abbeytxs)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/101 "2004-04-05T15:56:39Z")
Years ago I dated a man whose parents were named Merle Eugene and Pearl Pauline. They were incredibly nice people, but the rhyming names were just too much. ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/102 "2004-04-05T16:30:07Z")
My great-grandmother was Ragna. (Her sisters’ names are Genevieve, Gertrude (Gertie), and Agnes. Genevieve is a pretty cool name, I think.) My great-grandpa was Olaf. My grandparents: Alma Gladys and Valentine Harold (I really don’t mind Alma, actually). My other grandpa’s name was Gail (sigh. poor man.), and my other grandma is Helen (which is a perfectly good name). I really like some of the names in my family, particularly Mathilda (my great-grandma), Lillian, and Eleanor (my great-aunts). ---
**Author:** ![Sassafras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@Sassafras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sassafras)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/103 "2004-04-05T16:36:51Z")
my granpa’s name is Cecil 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jeevwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jeevwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeevwoman)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/104 "2004-04-05T16:38:24Z")
We don’t have any truly awful names, but nearly everyone in the family (except my brother, bless my parents) is named Jr. So we have Jimmy, Jimmy Jr. etc. That is to say–it’s not even that one is called Jimmy and the other James. Nope. They will be forever Jimmy and Little Jimmy. Yes, even when Little Jimmy is 80. (I have a cousin Little Billy who is 25 years old and about 6’5". We have Charlie Boy, Billy Boy, etc. They are all in the 50s and 60s.) Personally, I think it takes a real lack of imagination to a. name your kid after yourself and b. not even give different nicknames, and instead just tack “Little” or “Boy” on the end. Sheesh! ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/105 "2004-04-05T16:49:41Z")
> [@epepke](#): > > My paternal grandfather had a first name of Adolph and a middle name of Oswald. No wonder people called him “Pep.” My ex-stepgrandfather is a Jew of German origin named Adolph. Needless to say, he uses a nickname. But why does his nickname have to be Bunny? ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/106 "2004-04-05T17:26:00Z")
While many of the names mentioned so far in this thread are noteworthy, none are quite so, uh, _unusual_ as the one I found when researching a friend’s genealogy. There is a **Penissa** dangling from one of the branches of his family tree. And yes, it’s a _girl’s name._ :eek: ---
**Author:** ![SeGate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac8455/32.png) [@SeGate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeGate)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/107 "2004-04-05T21:10:26Z")
Unusual names are somewhat plentiful in my family (from West Virginia): great-grandpa: **Kenna Beniah** great-uncle: **Burns Edward** great-aunt: **Jacqueline Betty** (not bad names, but an awkward combo) brother: **Roderick Kenna** Other family names: Alma, Delphi (pronounced “DELL-fee”), Dot, Velma, Orva (she’s called Orvie), Obediah (went by Obie), Homer (d’oh), Minnie Lee, and Charla. However, I think the most hideous names is one of the most recently bestowed (and solely based on its spelling) : \*\* Jazzmyn **. And as far as repetitive names go, a friend of mine is named \*\* Thomas Thomas Thomas II**. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/108 "2004-04-05T21:19:30Z")
My great-grandmother’s name was Berl. She sounded like a wonderful lady, but I’m not sure what my great-great-grandparents were thinking. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Babbington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mr.Babbington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Babbington)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/109 "2004-04-06T06:48:36Z")
My Grandmother’s name was Bendine. Everyone called her “Betty.” There was a great, great uncle named Granville, as well. Oh yeah. Linius. Not Linus, but Linius. ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_Heart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Angel\_Heart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_Heart)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/110 "2004-04-07T00:41:49Z")
On my mother’s side: My poor mother got saddled with my great-grandma’s first name, \*\* Edna \*\* (If that’s not bad enough, Mom’s middle name is Dolores). Fortunately, Mom didn’t continue the tradition and name me after Grandma (whose name is nice, but is _quite_ old fashioned and reminds everyone of nuns.) Other females: **Omega** (great aunt) [this one must be for biblical reasons **Alice Countess** (great-great aunt) **Lutitia Frances** (cousin) **Lorene Florence** (cousin) Males: **Neberchanezer** (great-great-great uncle) **Lazarus Cyprus Demos Pilgrim Program** :eek: (cousin–and Lutitia and Lorene’s father) [interestingly enough, after his wife died and he remarried, the other kids had more “common” names] Just a nickname, but my Great-Great Uncle James (who was named after his dad) was nicknamed “Jim Booty”. 🙂 My father’s family: Despite having a similar rural Southern background, my father’s family hasn’t quite managed to traumatize as many children, but… Females: **Missouri Elizabeth** (my great-grandmother) [no wonder everyone called her Patsy instead.] Males: **Rodney Andrew** (my 19-year old cousin) [Needless to say, he goes by Andrew.] **Charles Booker Taliaferro** (great-uncle) [Yes, it was the 1910s, and Booker T. Washington was a hero among the small black middle class…but still.] ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/111 "2004-04-07T03:50:39Z")
I have a great aunt Flossie. It’s not short for anything. Just Flossie. Odd. My grandpa’s name was Romeo. Yes, he had a sister named Juliette. He was from a family of 12 kids, and they started running out of imagination by the end! My aunt is Ghislaine. We call her Gigi, which isn’t too bad. I’m going to go digging for more. There have to be worse ones out there! ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/112 "2004-04-07T14:03:15Z")
My dad had some double cousins (his mother’s brother, Herman, married his father’s sister, Lucy) with terrible names. The oldest boy was named Luan (I’m not sure of this spelling, but it was pronouced ‘Loo-un’ – for _Lu[/]cy and Herm_an\*. One of his sisters was Hermalu. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/113 "2004-04-07T15:07:41Z")
Maynard and Muzette stand out in our family. And my mom’s aunts and uncles (there were 11 of them) were all Elmer, Minnie, Herman, and I can’t remember the rest. They used to crack us up when we were kids. ---
**Author:** ![jellytoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb9ed0/32.png) [@jellytoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jellytoes)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/114 "2004-04-07T16:33:00Z")
> [@MissGypsy](#): > > 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. i have a great-aunt flossie too. also a great aunt twila, an aunt deltha, cousin rada, grandpa arlin (nice name but not heard very often) grandmother dortea and my mother gwynnaedd. yes, we’re welsh. sorry bout no caps, arm in sling. ☹☹ ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/115 "2004-04-07T16:52:58Z")
Wow, I can’t top a single one of those. 🙂 My parents (named Michael and Michele, by the way, how corny is that?) chose the single most popular girls’ name of 1975 for me, which I’m actually kind of grateful for, given that our last name is so … amusing … that just about any first name is overshadowed. One of my grandmothers is named Anne Smith, the most nondescript name _ever_. My other grandmother is actually named Polly Anna. ---
**Author:** ![Elysian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c77e96/32.png) [@Elysian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elysian)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/116 "2004-04-07T18:03:23Z")
I can top a couple of these 🙂 Darlynn Zelma Donnetta and Bonnetta (twins) All sisters. Darlynn is my mother-in-law. It feels really woogie to call her by her first name, especially since that’s about that last thing I want to call her. There are a couple of other sisters that have rather, er, unique names also, but darned if I can’t remember. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/117 "2004-04-07T18:45:42Z")
Fairly tame compared to most of these others. My parents picked normal yet uncommon names for each of their children. But they did come within a hairsbreath of naming me Harvey Rosemond LastName, after two of my great-grandfathers. I’m very grateful to them – had they not changed their minds at the last minute, I’d probably be in prison right now for parricide. I did have an ancestor who was a very independent woman and refused to take her husband’s surname when they married. Even passed on her maiden name to their children. Probably a good thing in the long run, as her husband’s name was Hess. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/118 "2004-04-07T19:37:12Z")
Hm, let’s see. Maternal grandparents - Gertrude Lillian K(maidenname) and Melvin Teodor R. Have a great-granddad named Hartley who married Nellie, and a great-grandmother named Hilma. Melvin’s parents were Clas and Wendela, but they came over from Sweden so it’s not that strange. Further back, though, we get some strange ones. There’s a Submit (last name Abbe[y]), a Hezekiah, pretty sure there’s a Patience too. Oh yes, a Desiree. All from the 18th century. One branch of the family had an Asher R. with a brother William Henry Harrison R. (spent time in Andersonville but didn’t die there), and an uncle President Merritt R. That one always threw me. Wishful thinking during a presidential campaign? ---
**Author:** ![phall0106](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phall0106/32/5934_2.png) [@phall0106](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phall0106)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973/119 "2004-04-07T19:53:35Z")
My grandfather’s name is Elue–which although is a weird name (I have no clue where it came from), he has a brother, Don and two sisters, Sue and Mary Anne. WTF? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-hideous-given-name-in-your-family/237973.md?page=5)