# Who of us were named after someone famous? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 14, 2006, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728 "2006-08-14T21:43:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![mlerose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@mlerose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlerose)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/41 "2006-08-15T22:09:47Z")
A Leon Russel song (“Sweet Emily”). My sister was named after my mom’s favorite cat, so I guess I got off a little easier. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/42 "2006-08-15T22:37:02Z")
I’m named after my grandmother, but my husband is the fourth in his line with the same first name. The original was named after a famous (Northern) Civil War guy (he commanded Zouaves, no less). My husband goes by his middle name and swears that this is the end of the line. ---
**Author:** ![percypercy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@percypercy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percypercy)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/43 "2006-08-16T00:58:42Z")
Depending on who you ask and when you ask them, I was either named after Lilly Langtry or my mother’s secretary. The latter story is not nearly as exciting even though she was a lovely woman. -Lil ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/44 "2006-08-16T02:02:40Z")
I’m named after Lindsay Wagner since my dad had a huuuuuuuuge crush on the Bionic Woman. At least mom put her foot down at “Farrah”. That wouldn’t’ve dated me at all. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/45 "2006-08-16T02:40:22Z")
My great-grandfather was named Walter Scott after the author of _Ivanhoe_. Whether or not he had any Scottish blood I’ve not yet ascertained. ---
**Author:** ![Farmwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8dc957/32.png) [@Farmwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmwoman)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/46 "2006-08-16T03:32:54Z")
sigh My name is a roadmap of 60’s popculture. Evidently my mother was a fan of [these](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tammy_(Movies)) movies and Petticoat Junction. That’s right. Tammie Jo. ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/47 "2006-08-16T05:04:19Z")
I was named more because of Joan Leslie than after her. I don’t suppose anyone but me and **Eve** even know who she was - a Forties actress with a nice little career. Anyway, Mom always thought Leslie would make a nice girl’s name. It is too, but unfortunately it’s also a man’s name. Matter of fact, it was the name of my future father, so I got it spelled “Lesley” and everyone has always called me by my middle name, Ann. ---
**Author:** ![Kitchen\_Wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f08c70/32.png) [@Kitchen\_Wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kitchen_Wench)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/48 "2006-08-16T15:24:19Z")
Not me, but a few I know of: **Ian** , named after the singer of Jethro Tull **Uriah** , after Uriah Heep (which IIRC took their name from a Dickens novel) **Beth** , after that gawd-awful Kiss song **Audra** , after a character in a TV western being watched by the laboring mother **Trinity** , as in the chick in the Matrix ::rolleyes:: **Killian** , named after Killian’s Red, a _beer_ **Dwight David (last name)**, after Eisenhower, of course. Apparently, the parents readlly _did_ like Ike. However, it is rather unfortunate that Dwight’s first name rhymes with his surname. :smack: And the best one of all ::drumroll:: Two siblings named **Bonnie** and **Clyde**. Both _boys_. And they were born during or shortly after the infamous lovers went on their killing spree. I heard the name “Jack” gained popularity again after the movie Titanic. Which sucks because now I have to think of another name if I have a son. And Jack would have worked so well with my last name. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/49 "2006-08-16T15:39:53Z")
[QUOTE=Kitchen Wench] **Ian** , named after the singer of Jethro Tull [/QUOTE] Ah yeah…reminds me that I know a kid who was named after \*\*Jon Anderson \*\* of Yes which is pretty much meaningless to the kid because he was born in 1993 or something and I can guarantee you has no interest in Yes. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/50 "2006-08-16T16:03:01Z")
[QUOTE=Kitchen Wench] **Trinity** , as in the chick in the Matrix ::rolleyes:: [/QUOTE] :smack: THAT’s where that’s from?!? I had heard of a number of little girls named Trinity and couldn’t imagine why. Even if you’re religious, naming a kid after the Trinity seemed odd. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/51 "2006-08-16T16:04:03Z")
[QUOTE=Ceejaytee] My younger son is named after Benjamin Franklin. We did not name the older one after Aaron Burr, but sometimes we pretend we did, just to get the Revolutionary War package. [/QUOTE] I’m not named after anyone famous, but I believe I’m named after a character in a romance novel. My first little Cube is about a month from being born, and we’re pretty sure we’re naming him Maxwell, after James Clerk. Oh, and the reason I quoted you was because, while we don’t have a middle name yet, I’m pulling for Franklin, or maybe even Benjamin Franklin. You know, so we have the whole “giants of electricity” package. Please tell me this isn’t too nerdy? ---
**Author:** ![Flea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d78d45/32.png) [@Flea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flea)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/52 "2006-08-16T17:43:01Z")
I was named after one of Frank Sinatra’s girlfriends. My father loved Sinatra, and it happened that it was also the anglicized diminutive of my maternal grandmother’s name. ---
**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:** [August 17, 2006, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/53 "2006-08-17T01:56:39Z")
[QUOTE=Rhiannon8404] I was named for my aunt, the author Elizabeth Ogilvie. [/QUOTE] Did they use the first name, or last? ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2006, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/54 "2006-08-17T11:16:30Z")
[QUOTE=Carlyjay] My guess is “Roxanne”. [/QUOTE] My guess is “Minnie”. I was named after Bach, the composer. ---
**Author:** ![ddgryphon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2006, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/55 "2006-08-17T17:38:00Z")
[QUOTE=cactus waltz] My guess is “Minnie”. I was named after Bach, the composer. [/QUOTE] Johann Sebastian Carl Phillip Emmanuel Or one of the lesser Bachs? ---
**Author:** ![Ceejaytee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ceejaytee/32/2956_2.png) [@Ceejaytee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ceejaytee)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2006, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/56 "2006-08-17T18:06:00Z")
[QUOTE=DrCube] Oh, and the reason I quoted you was because, while we don’t have a middle name yet, I’m pulling for Franklin, or maybe even Benjamin Franklin. You know, so we have the whole “giants of electricity” package. Please tell me this isn’t too nerdy? [/QUOTE] One can never by too nerdy. I like it. ---
**Author:** ![Ceejaytee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ceejaytee/32/2956_2.png) [@Ceejaytee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ceejaytee)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2006, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728/57 "2006-08-17T18:07:10Z")
[QUOTE=Ceejaytee] One can never by too nerdy. I like it. [/QUOTE] Or even “be too nerdy.” Sigh. The one time I don’t preview. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-of-us-were-named-after-someone-famous/368728.md?page=2)