# Why do Americans have aristocratic names? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 11, 2007, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-have-aristocratic-names/403651 "2007-05-11T04:37:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-have-aristocratic-names/403651/1 "2007-05-11T04:37:42Z")
Some are nicknames and some are real, but it seems to me that of English speaking nations only Americans use English noblity as first names. Off hand I can think of Americans called, or who call themselves, duke, earl, baron, count, king, queen, and prince; the only American who works in my office has a real first name of Baron. I can’t come up with any rationale for this observation, so rampant speculation is invited! ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-have-aristocratic-names/403651/2 "2007-05-11T04:43:42Z")
Are you talking about people like; Count Basie Duke Ellington Queen Latifa and many many more? ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-have-aristocratic-names/403651/3 "2007-05-11T04:50:28Z")
I’m only familiar with the ones **Zebra** mentioned, with the obvious addition of Prince. The only common thread seems to be that they are all black musicians/entertainers. I don’t recall ever meeting anyone personally with any of those names except possibly “Earl,” which was a fairly common man’s first name at one time, but much less so now. Have you really met a lot of people with these names? ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-have-aristocratic-names/403651/4 "2007-05-11T05:12:47Z")
On a related note, isn’t it illegal to have a peerage title as your first name? ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-have-aristocratic-names/403651/5 "2007-05-11T05:36:39Z")
Not that I know of in the U.S. but I remember hearing of an Irish or Scottish couple who went to court several years ago in order to retain the name of Princess for their little daughter. Apparently, laws against such names are (or were, until then) quite strict for the Queen’s subjects. I don’t know if they were allowed to keep the name or had to change it and I am too addled tonight to think of the best way to Google for the story. ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-have-aristocratic-names/403651/6 "2007-05-11T05:46:11Z")
It’s too late to edit my reply but I now realize that **alphaboi867** was probably asking about folks of the United Kingdom anyway and not American folks or those in any other country. ---
**Author:** ![Cyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@Cyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyn)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-have-aristocratic-names/403651/7 "2007-05-11T05:54:08Z")
In America, you can name a baby just about anything you want, first or last name. A lot of the postpartum mothers are alone when birth certificate workers come callling around 8 in the morning, and, with no one to stop her, I have met a lot of newborn babies with unusual names. My theory is the mother is trying to be unique without doing a lot of research. I have said good morning to Princess, Prince, Precious, Tinkerbell and Air Force. (I threw in Air Force because he was my favorite.) ---
**Author:** ![T\_SQUARE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de053/32.png) [@T\_SQUARE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T_SQUARE)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-have-aristocratic-names/403651/8 "2007-05-11T06:14:48Z")
Earl is the only one I’ve heard of. He’s ususally 80 years old, has a buzz cut, and hangs out at the grain elevator. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-have-aristocratic-names/403651/9 "2007-05-11T06:23:03Z")
[QUOTE=Vinyl Turnip] I’m only familiar with the ones **Zebra** mentioned, with the obvious addition of Prince. The only common thread seems to be that they are all black musicians/entertainers. [/QUOTE] Earl as in “My Name Is …”. John Wayne=The Duke. The guy at my office is Baron and white as they come, which is what got me thinking about this. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-have-aristocratic-names/403651/10 "2007-05-11T06:34:47Z")
If my friends call me ace it doesn’t mean I’ve shot down five enemy planes. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-have-aristocratic-names/403651/11 "2007-05-11T06:39:51Z")
[QUOTE=Zebra] Are you talking about people like; Count Basie Duke Ellington Queen Latifa and many many more? [/QUOTE] Well, Prince’s first name is really [Prince](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_%28musician%29). The others are all nicknames or pseudonyms. There are, certainly among others, [Prince Fielder](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Fielder) and [Baron Davis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baron_Davis). I personally knew a person named Prince Edward Owens. Yes, he was black. Still is, I assume :dubious: Joe ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-have-aristocratic-names/403651/12 "2007-05-11T12:58:05Z")
There’s been a historically sluggish market for names like **Peon Serf Menial Villein** for some reason, so they’ve been using names from the upper register, for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-have-aristocratic-names/403651/13 "2007-05-11T13:13:32Z")
Gonna hate to break that news to my best friend, **Peon von MenialSerf**. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-have-aristocratic-names/403651/14 "2007-05-11T13:41:25Z")
> [@](#): > > Gonna hate to break that news to my best friend, Peon von MenialSerf. Why? Isn’t it good news to tel him that she’s got a rare name? (I like the “von”. If you’re not familiar with its implications, google it.) ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-have-aristocratic-names/403651/15 "2007-05-11T13:51:00Z")
I liked the inclusion of the noble “von” as well ---
**Author:** ![Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alive_At_Both_Ends)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-have-aristocratic-names/403651/16 "2007-05-11T14:58:05Z")
[QUOTE=alphaboi867] On a related note, isn’t it illegal to have a peerage title as your first name? [/QUOTE] Absolutely not, at least not in the UK. The only restrictions on names here are that they not be obscene or blasphemous. Earl was a common name in my (100% English) family at one time. I know at least eight of my relatives in the last two centuries were called Earl. ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-have-aristocratic-names/403651/17 "2007-05-11T15:04:16Z")
[QUOTE=August West] I liked the inclusion of the noble “von” as well [/QUOTE] Noble? Doesn’t it just mean “of”? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-have-aristocratic-names/403651/18 "2007-05-11T15:21:15Z")
> [@](#): > > Noble? Doesn’t it just mean “of”? Literally, yes, but not everyone got to use it. It implies nobility, and if you used it without the right to, you’d get ostracized (and, for all I know, prosecuted. They used to throw the book at you for wearing clothes above your station, at one point.) ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-have-aristocratic-names/403651/19 "2007-05-11T15:34:35Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] There’s been a historically sluggish market for names like **Peon Serf Menial Villein** for some reason, so they’ve been using names from the upper register, for some reason. [/QUOTE] Can’t say I’ve met many “Baldricks” either, now that I think about it. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-have-aristocratic-names/403651/20 "2007-05-11T15:42:08Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] There’s been a historically sluggish market for names like **Peon Serf Menial Villein** [/QUOTE] Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Mister Cottar?!? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-have-aristocratic-names/403651.md?page=2)