# Where did these names come from? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 30, 1999, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-these-names-come-from/11277 "1999-10-30T22:05:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![NanoByte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecc23a/32.png) [@NanoByte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NanoByte)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 1999, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-these-names-come-from/11277/41 "1999-11-01T06:03:00Z")
And I guess there really is some logic to gays always relating to classical things (here, names). Ray ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 1999, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-these-names-come-from/11277/42 "1999-11-01T12:54:00Z")
I named my second daughter Alexandra in part because it is such a versatile name. Now we call her Lex or Lexie. When she gets older she can stick with that or switch to Alex or even Sandy. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 1999, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-these-names-come-from/11277/43 "1999-11-01T15:11:00Z")
Flora McFlimsey dubbed my kids (girl and boy) Pianola and Banjo. I like this so much I’m thinking of changing them. I notice that “Rose” is becoming popular…as a MIDDLE name. My daughter has been lucky enough not to run into any other Roses among her friends, although there are a helluva lot of Lilies. Someone on the SDMB, I forget the boardname, is a Rose…she complained about having an “old lady’s name.” Nahhhh…Rose works at every stage of life, as far as I’m concerned. Wouldn’t YOU want to meet an 18-year-old Rose, in full bloom? Besides, it works for both Irish and Jewish roots. My son is Quinn. Call me a Celtic opportunist if you must. But I haven’t met any other Quinns in nearly four years. And we get to sing Bob Dylan’s “Quinn the Eskimo” a lot, which is always fun. * * * Uke ---
**Author:** ![Chef\_Troy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Chef\_Troy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chef_Troy)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 1999, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-these-names-come-from/11277/44 "1999-11-01T15:33:00Z")
I remember some (black) comedian doing a bit about african-americans’ names that made me laugh like crazy while surreptitiously looking around for people who might take offense. It went something like, "what the hell is up with the freaky names the sisters are giving their kids? they all sound like they were named in a drug store. ‘this is my daughter, Binaca.’ " When my wife and I had our son, we ignored naming trends and followed some simple rules instead. 1. Our last name is short and starts with an “S”, so the first name should be two or more syllables and should not end in an “s” sound. 2. Test any potential names for insulting and/or snicker-inducing nicknames. We settled on “Cameron” (narrowly beating out “Alexander”) and found out only later that it’s Gaelic for “bent nose.” Could be worse, I suppose: The same baby name book says that “Troy” means “from the place of the curly-haired people.” ---
**Author:** ![amberly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@amberly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amberly)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 1999, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-these-names-come-from/11277/45 "1999-11-01T15:59:00Z")
One important reason boy’s names are less trendy than girl’s is what I call the “Boy named Sue” factor - boys with strange names tend to get teased and, possilbly, beat up more. This isn’t as big a problem with girl’s names. I named my son after his father, and grandfather(John), after watching my brother suffer growing up with the name Eman (as in the first two sylables of M & M’s). ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 1999, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-these-names-come-from/11277/46 "1999-11-01T16:13:00Z")
There is no [kaitlin.com](http://kaitlin.com) ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 1999, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-these-names-come-from/11277/47 "1999-11-01T16:37:00Z")
I like the idea of naming kids after people. I wanted to name my son Sawyer (after Tom Sawyer) or Henry (after Henry Huggins) – great literary boys. My husband balked, though. We ended up naming him Nicholas. Neither of us knew anyone named Nichloas, but it was almost literally the only boys name we could agree on. Compromise is part of marriage. Middle name John, because it is my husband’s middle name also. Nick is now 13 and has run into a few fellow Nicholas’ in his travels, but fewer than I feared. Our daughter was easier. My mom AND mom-in-law both have the middle name Dorothy. So, Something Dorothy was an obvious choice. However, she was born 3 months early – before we had finished arguing about what the Something should be (Leah Dorothy? Karen Dorothy?). We went with Dorothy as her first name and pulled her middle name out of thin air because it sounded well with Dorothy – Dorothy Rose. We call her Dori, but she (at age 12) recently claimed the adolescent girl privilege and started calling herself “Doe.” We’ll see how long that lasts! * * * ``` Jess ``` Full of 'satiable curtiosity ---
**Author:** ![Flypsyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@Flypsyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flypsyde)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 1999, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-these-names-come-from/11277/48 "1999-11-01T17:47:00Z")
Okay, embarassing personal story forthcoming… My parents changed the spelling of my name from Zachariah to Zackariah-because they were afraid I wouldn’t be able to spell it. I guess they didn’t put much stock in their ability to produce offspring that could comprehend ch sounding like k. And to underscore the characterization of these two people, I narrowly missed having Ichabod, Ira, and Allen as middle names. My last initial is P, and, well folks, I’d like you to meet my father the comedian. And this is my mother, who spared me the ridicule of said father’s comedy… And apologies if I’ve hijacked this thread. * * * And the problem with small furry animals in corners is that, just occasionally, one of them’s a mongoose. Terry Pratchett, _Witches Abroad_ ---
**Author:** ![ChrisCTP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@ChrisCTP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisCTP)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 1999, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-these-names-come-from/11277/49 "1999-11-01T17:51:00Z")
My major rule for baby naming is not to duplicate sounds in the first and last name. (f’rinstance: Sam Sanders and Alexander Sanders were quickly ruled out.) Secondly, if I’ve heard of more than five kids with a certain name, or I’m hearing it a lot on TV, it gets disqualified. I don’t want my kids to go through life as “Jake/Jennifer S.” * * * “ChrisCTP-…the sweetheart of the SDMB…” --Diane Chris’ Homepage: [Domestic Bliss](http://www2.crosswinds.net/~domesticbliss/) ---
**Author:** ![SoxFan59](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@SoxFan59](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoxFan59)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 1999, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-these-names-come-from/11277/50 "1999-11-01T20:21:00Z")
Drain Bead: Audrey is my dear sainted mother’s name, so in or out of fashion, i will always have a soft spot in my heart for a girl named Audrey. And what about choosing names for what they mean, without regards to trends? I chose each of my kids names on multiple levels, to honor friends and relatives, neat sounding names, but primarily for what the name meant. My first daughter is named Simi (a feminine derivative of “Simon”), and is named for my wife’s best friend in college. It means “One who hears” or “Listening heart.” My second daughter is named Tara. I suppose that IS trendy in that Kaitlyn/Gaellic sort of way, but I was drawn to the name because of what it means; literally “Rocky pinnacle,” as it was the fortress castle of the old kings of Ireland. It has also been interpreted as “guarded by God.” I really liked that. My third daughter is named Cassandra, which besides sounding cool to me, means “Servant of Men.” My youngest child and my only son is named Frank, after my wife’s father. But it also can mean “Free man,” my most ardent hope and prayer for the spiritual upbringing of my son. * * * SoxFan59 “Its fiction, but all the facts are true!” ---
**Author:** ![SoxFan59](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@SoxFan59](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoxFan59)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 1999, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-these-names-come-from/11277/51 "1999-11-01T20:28:00Z")
Another thought about the “Chief Justice” rule, then naming a boy “Learned” “Potter” “Harry” “Oliver” “Wendell” or “Francis” will always be acceptable. * * * SoxFan59 “Its fiction, but all the facts are true!” ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 1999, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-these-names-come-from/11277/52 "1999-11-01T20:39:00Z")
In my father’s family of 11, the oldest born in 1909, and the youngest in 1928, these were the names (in order of birth): William Mary Callie Hester Nettie Lucy Minnie Barksdale Elsie Benjamin Robert Some of those names are not very common. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 1999, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-these-names-come-from/11277/53 "1999-11-01T20:49:00Z")
Oh, I don’t know. We had four Barksdales in our kindergarten class. ---
**Author:** ![Neil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/839c29/32.png) [@Neil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neil)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 1999, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-these-names-come-from/11277/54 "1999-11-01T21:05:00Z")
I know a guy named Simeon. Not pronounced Simon; it’s pronounced like “simian.” Sort of unusual, I guess. Neil ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 1999, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-these-names-come-from/11277/55 "1999-11-01T21:30:00Z")
quote: My third daughter is named Cassandra, which besides sounding cool to me, means “Servant of Men.” My youngest child and my only son is named Frank, after my wife’s father. But it also can mean “Free man,” my most ardent hope and prayer for the spiritual upbringing of my son." SoxFan, I couldn’t help but find this rather disturbing. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 1999, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-these-names-come-from/11277/56 "1999-11-02T03:16:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Which reminded me… what happens to people named Todd after high school ? (I know, I know, besides Todd Rundgren) Well, my cousin Todd went into carpentry. * * * Your Official Cat Goddess since 10/20/99. ---
**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:** [November 2, 1999, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-these-names-come-from/11277/57 "1999-11-02T05:23:00Z")
Whenever I hear the popular names like Tyler, Dakota (oh PUHLEEZE) Ashley, Brianna (choke me) and the ilk, all I can think of is :their parents are lemmings. I like Sarah, Emily and the other recycled 100 year old names. If someone has a difficult last name, these names are a perfect compliment to Wojochiewsky. (Pronounced Luxury-Yacht) I personally find that any girl named Tiffany (teenager age or older) is not to be trusted. I’m not talking about evil intention stuff, but if a Tiffany ( Brittany, Heather or the other 1980’s fessima names) is working behind a counter or waiting a table, they generally don’t know dick about their job. Now, this could be the usual teenage " I don’t give a shit about my job because I’m gonna run Hewlett-Packard by the time I’m 21 attitude" but I’ve never received bad service from the girls with the less pretty names. FTR, girls named Joan have exceptionally high standards and work ethics :)(For those just joining the SDMB, my alter ego in real life is :Joan) We have not reached a critical phase yet in picking out a name for Baby X or as I call her, The Baby To Be Named Later ( we traded a first round draft pick to get her 🙂 ) On our England trip we shall comb through phone books, cemetaries and listen for anything that comes up different from the Melrose Place meets Gone With The Wind straight from the Trailer Park mentality for baby naming on this side of the pond. Worse comes to worse, in honor of strengthening racial relations in our country, I was thinking of naming her La Qwerty. (Considering how much I’m on the computer, it would be appropriate.) I always love Names threads. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 1999, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-these-names-come-from/11277/58 "1999-11-02T12:44:00Z")
I’ve heard that Todd went to prom with Lisa, but she got mad when he kept giving her noogies. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SoxFan59](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@SoxFan59](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoxFan59)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 1999, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-these-names-come-from/11277/59 "1999-11-02T15:22:00Z")
quote: My third daughter is named Cassandra, which besides sounding cool to me, means “Servant of Men.” My youngest child and my only son is named Frank, after my wife’s father. But it also can mean “Free man,” my most ardent hope and prayer for the spiritual upbringing of my son." SoxFan, I couldn’t help but find this rather disturbing.\>\>\>Cher My stars and hoptoads, I am so sorry for offending anybody’s PC sensibilities! My daughter Cassandra’s name literaly means “Servant of Men.” I have always viewed that in the sense “Man” equalling “Humanity.” And why would it be disturbing to wish my son could grow up to be a “free man,” when most of the men I know (including myself) are anything but free, bound up in their inability to express emotion and convey their feelings to others. Sheesh! Where’s Polycarp when you need him. Talk about Ass-uming. * * * SoxFan59 “Its fiction, but all the facts are true!” ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 1999, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-these-names-come-from/11277/60 "1999-11-02T17:06:00Z")
> [@](#): > > And I guess there really is some logic to gays always relating to classical things (here, names). Now _there’s_ a stereotype I hadn’t heard. Anyway, the problem with classical names is that so many nice ones have such dreadful associations. I’d have no qualms about naming a girl Cassandra except that she was a Trojan soothsayer who was cursed never to be believed, and was finally murdered. Let me tell you, as an activist I feel like a Cassandra a lot of the time… A guy I knew in grade school was named Orestes Tsoukas. I had to wonder, what were they thinking? Orestes was an ancient Greek tragic figure who _killed his mother_. It’s not like people name their kids Oedipus… Speaking of which, I’ve seen the name Jocasta at least once, which again would be wonderful except for the allusion. In Greek families, do these classical names come with a classical allusion? Or are they just ordinary names with no more classical allusion than the name Jack has to “Jack and the Beanstalk”? I still like Cynthia, though. Or maybe a nice literary figure… just based on my recent political-philosophy reading habits, I’d have to say that Linda and John Ralston would be pretty high on my list of names. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-these-names-come-from/11277.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-these-names-come-from/11277.md?page=4)