# White People's Funny Names for Children **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 30, 2018, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-peoples-funny-names-for-children/825308 "2018-11-30T02:29:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-peoples-funny-names-for-children/825308/161 "2018-12-01T18:36:59Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > Back in the 1970s, the problem wasn’t [kids with unique names.](https://vampyrefangs.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/jack-ziegler-peter-rabbit-nursery-school-1980-new-yorker-cartoon.jpg) In the mid 1980s, my parents knew someone who had a son, and my dad replied, “What did they name him - Justin, Ryan, or Kyle?” ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-peoples-funny-names-for-children/825308/162 "2018-12-01T18:38:45Z")
> [@AnalogSignal](#): > > I guess the general consensus on Penn Jillette’s daughter’s name, Moxie CrimeFighter Jillette, will be a thumbs down. It’s also possible that her name is actually something perfectly ordinary, and “Moxie Crimefighter” is an alias he uses publicly. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-peoples-funny-names-for-children/825308/163 "2018-12-01T19:06:21Z")
> [@Razncain](#): > > Abcde is pronounced, “AB-si-dee”, sounds better than if spelled out letter by letter. Didn’t realize hundreds have already named their kids that. Thought it was a one time thing. > > I’ve heard of more than one family that was tired of hearing Christian names, such as Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Noah, Moses, David, etc, or even having boys named Christian, and girls Christine, so named their kids, Atheist Evolution. Here is a family naming their daughter that: [Where did the baby name Learta come from in 1950? – Nancy's Baby Names](http://www.nancy.cc/2012/03/29/baby-named-atheist-evolution/) > > Just imagine the emotions that got stirred up and the torment they must have suffered growing up. And if they survived into adulthood, I bet it still continued on, and every single time their name was asked for or called out, they would have had some explaining to do. Argentinian comic strip Mafalda (which any of you who can read Spanish should go buy out right now, you can get the full compilation of the 10 years or any of the selections) includes a character called Libertad: “Liberty” or “Freedom”. This page[has the strips in a random order. The one where Mafalda and Libertad](http://toda-mafalda.blogspot.com/2010/11/tiras-de-libertad.html)meet is the fifth, for some reason. “Hello! Wow, you’re so tiny! What’s your name?” “Libertad” Stunned silence. “Did you think something stupid? Everybody has to come up with some stupid notion when they meet me!” ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-peoples-funny-names-for-children/825308/164 "2018-12-01T19:14:39Z")
Speaking from both my and my wife’s personal experience, nothing makes you want to give your kids a “normal” name faster than having an unusual or oddly spelled name yourself. I am yet to meet the kid that _wants_ a unique or difficult to spell name, and the lifetime of reflexive spelling out of your name that ensues for the rest of your life. I have literally watched people mistype my name as I’m spelling it out to them. All you’re doing by torturing phonetics is to make your kids sigh inwardly every time they have to give their name to someone. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-peoples-funny-names-for-children/825308/165 "2018-12-01T19:17:04Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > “Did you think something stupid? Everybody has to come up with some stupid notion when they meet me!” My first name is very similar to a very famous person’s last name, which is itself fairly uncommon. I’ve heard 'em all, and I’m well over it. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-peoples-funny-names-for-children/825308/166 "2018-12-01T19:57:17Z")
What do you all think of Madison as a girl’s name? How about Leslie as a girl’s name? Both fairly ridiculous, neh? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-peoples-funny-names-for-children/825308/167 "2018-12-01T20:04:19Z")
> [@AnalogSignal](#): > > I guess the general consensus on Penn Jillette’s daughter’s name, Moxie CrimeFighter Jillette, will be a thumbs down. Which reminds me: Kevin Smith named his daughter Harley Quinn, after the Joker’s girlfriend. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-peoples-funny-names-for-children/825308/168 "2018-12-01T20:13:22Z")
> [@AnalogSignal](#): > > I guess the general consensus on Penn Jillette’s daughter’s name, Moxie CrimeFighter Jillette, will be a thumbs down. At least it’s not hard to pronounce. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-peoples-funny-names-for-children/825308/169 "2018-12-01T20:20:39Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > What do you all think of Madison as a girl’s name?? Watching Splash is fairly amusing these days for that joke. It does, however, have the benefit of being a regular spelling of something that is already a name. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-peoples-funny-names-for-children/825308/170 "2018-12-01T21:22:13Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > I did too, if you’ll count cassette in the mid 80s. They never played the episodes the various songs were from, so I don’t think I’d ever seen the video until someone embedded it from YouTube earlier today. > > And also obligatory: [Most Popular U.S. Baby Names](https://www.theonion.com/most-popular-u-s-baby-names-1819586596) While I realize the Onion page is a joke, it’s mainly just East Asians who give their kids standard English names. Indian parents tend to give their kids ethnic Indian names, in my experience. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-peoples-funny-names-for-children/825308/171 "2018-12-01T23:35:54Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > What do you all think of Madison as a girl’s name? > > How about Leslie as a girl’s name? > > Both fairly ridiculous, neh? I had a college roommate (male) whose given name was Kimbrough Leslie. He went by Kim. Until he started getting mail addressed to Miss Kim Leslie. At which point he listed all of his correspondence as Kimbrough At which point he started getting mail addressed to Miss Leslie Kimbrough. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-peoples-funny-names-for-children/825308/172 "2018-12-02T00:17:35Z")
Anybody ever hear of Frank Zappa’s daughter? ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-peoples-funny-names-for-children/825308/173 "2018-12-02T01:23:05Z")
Let us not ignore Jason Lee and Beth Riesgraf’s son **Pilot Inspektor**. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-peoples-funny-names-for-children/825308/174 "2018-12-02T01:48:00Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Anybody ever hear of Frank Zappa’s daughter? Which one, Moon Unit or Diva Muffin? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-peoples-funny-names-for-children/825308/175 "2018-12-02T02:27:26Z")
Wasn’t she in Duran Duran? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-peoples-funny-names-for-children/825308/176 "2018-12-02T02:47:52Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > I had a college roommate (male) whose given name was Kimbrough Leslie. He went by Kim. Until he started getting mail addressed to Miss Kim Leslie. At which point he listed all of his correspondence as Kimbrough At which point he started getting mail addressed to Miss Leslie Kimbrough. I know that one. My first name is more common as a last name. And my last name is a common female first name. So I’ve definitely gotten addressed incorrectly occasionally. The most embarrassing situation was when they actually got it right, and there was a girl with my name reversed, and I just assumed they got mixed up. So I thought I had made the tryouts for a chamber choir, when I hadn’t. The funniest is when I applied for college and got their scholarship, and wound up being put into a giri’s dorm. Still to this day I wish I would not have said anything and just showed up, just to have the experience. Instead, I told them, but, by the time that happened, all the other dorms were filled and I had to get put up at a hotel. I didn’t have a car, so I had to ride a school van back and forth. It made it hard to schedule things, and I wound up losing some belongings that the hotel staff stole. Still, none of this to me is such a big deal that I dislike my name. I love my name. And I would give my kids a unique name, too. I would, however, make sure it’s one that can be pronounced easily, and would not pick one that sounds “silly.” I would also let my kid change their name if it ever became an actual problem. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-peoples-funny-names-for-children/825308/177 "2018-12-02T03:46:20Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > I read somewhere that the old rocker, Frank Zappa, named his daughter “Moon Unit”. Sounds like that may be just an urban legend, though. Having read all 175 replies to the OP I must say I’m amazed no one has pointed out that this is most definitely NOT an urban legend. **Jasmine** , not only did Frank Zappa name his oldest daughter Moon Unit, he is survived by three other children named Dweezil, Diva and Ahmet. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-peoples-funny-names-for-children/825308/178 "2018-12-02T03:48:44Z")
> [@Raygun99](#): > > …the lifetime of reflexive spelling out of your name that ensues for the rest of your life. I have literally watched people mistype my name as I’m spelling it out to them. All you’re doing by torturing phonetics is to make your kids sigh inwardly every time they have to give their name to someone. This. My first name is not unusual in any sense, but it’s certainly not common, either. And there are 3 accepted spellings; each form seems to be as popular as the other two. I can’t tell you how many times, when asked for my name, either in person or over the phone, I’ve said “My first name is FIRSTNAME, F-I-R-S-T-N-A-M-E”. And then invariably I’m asked to spell it again. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-peoples-funny-names-for-children/825308/179 "2018-12-02T04:06:35Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > Having read all 175 replies to the OP I must say I’m amazed no one has pointed out that this is most definitely NOT an urban legend. > > **Jasmine** , not only did Frank Zappa name his oldest daughter Moon Unit, he is survived by three other children named Dweezil, Diva and Ahmet. At least three of us have pointed out that this is not an urban legend. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-peoples-funny-names-for-children/825308/180 "2018-12-02T04:42:02Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > But it’s made Packers games much more fun. “Rodgers throws and it’s picked off!” “You done messed up, A-A-Ron!” Well, since he has the lowest interception % of any QB in NFL history, it doesn’t make it THAT fun. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-peoples-funny-names-for-children/825308.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-peoples-funny-names-for-children/825308.md?page=10)