# Why are meaningful names so rare in modern English? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 12, 2011, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-meaningful-names-so-rare-in-modern-english/578159 "2011-04-12T23:10:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-meaningful-names-so-rare-in-modern-english/578159/41 "2011-04-13T22:09:41Z")
Charlie Sheen is Jewish? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-meaningful-names-so-rare-in-modern-english/578159/42 "2011-04-14T15:54:44Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Agreed that there are \*some \*names that are English words. But most of them are not very common. I’ve never actually met anyone named Ruby, Pearl, Summer or Autumn. My question states that they are rare, compared to some other cultures, including historical England, not that they don’t exist. Well, I’ve known a Ruby, a Pearl, a couple of Summers, and a couple of Autumns. But as a percentage of the people I know, those are still fairly rare names. > [@BigT](#): > > I, on the other hand, am named after my dad and a name he heard that he thought sounded cool. Your dad is named “Big”? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-meaningful-names-so-rare-in-modern-english/578159/43 "2011-04-14T18:24:20Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > Well, I’ve known a Ruby, a Pearl, a couple of Summers, and a couple of Autumns. But as a percentage of the people I know, those are still fairly rare names. True. Interestingly enough, [Ruby](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_popular_given_names) has become quite popular in certain parts of the English-speaking world. (Top 5 in a lot of Australia) and even “Sienna,” “Grace,” “Lily,” and “Summer” makes a Top 10 appearance in the Gold Coast region of that country. (“Lily” and “Ruby” being number 1 & 2 female names for all of Australia in 2010.) ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-meaningful-names-so-rare-in-modern-english/578159/44 "2011-04-14T19:21:42Z")
Knew a couple of guys in middle school who were twin brothers. One was named Hunter, the other was Tanner. I thought it was pretty neat. They didn’t realize there was any relation between their names :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-meaningful-names-so-rare-in-modern-english/578159/45 "2011-04-14T20:12:42Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Actually, that was a bit of a cheat - “goddess” in Hebrew is “Ella”, so the name can either be a Hebrewization of the English-language name, or it can be derived from the nickname for “Daniela” or “Michaela” or some such (because one generation’s nickname is the next generation’s proper name). > > Still, the fact that it \*has \*a meaning is important, even if was arrived at in a backward fashion. Israelis don’t like to give their kids meaningless names. Besides, “goddess” can be meant figuratively - after all, “Steadfast”, “Valor” and “Lightning” are popular Hebrew male names, so why can’t you say a girl is goddess-like? Now that I think of it, Ella is also a name of a tree - specifically, the [pistacia palaestina](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pistacia_palaestina). It’s very common in Israel, most famously in the Valley of Elah, where David fought Goliath. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-meaningful-names-so-rare-in-modern-english/578159.md?page=2)