# Why would you name your child this??? I don't get it... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 17, 2002, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-you-name-your-child-this-i-dont-get-it/104070 "2002-04-17T03:16:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-you-name-your-child-this-i-dont-get-it/104070/181 "2002-04-23T16:30:13Z")
Naming a child a neutral, bland name in order to avoid teasing is really dumb. Kids with neutral, bland names get teased too. Don’t get me wrong. I advocate the policy of being smart when choosing a child’s name; but if you’re in love with a name, go for it! Your friend, Vanilla Wayfer-Johnson ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-you-name-your-child-this-i-dont-get-it/104070/182 "2002-04-23T20:08:30Z")
Mary Celeste is pretty, but Marie Celeste is also the name of that ship where everyone _mysteriously disappeared_. It’s quite famous, or maybe you know about it and I’m not telling you anything new… ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-you-name-your-child-this-i-dont-get-it/104070/183 "2002-04-23T21:16:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bwk \* > **I have a friend named Cinnamon, and I think it’s quite pretty. My name, Bethany, was often messed up. I got stephanie, biffy, brittany, tiffany… No one had that name when I was growing up, but I hear it more frequently now.** There was a girl by that name in my 8th grade English class, she insisted everyone call her “Buffy”. This was in the early '80s, at least fifteen years before the world was introduced to a certain vampire slayer. ---
**Author:** ![Flamsterette\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/41988e/32.png) [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-you-name-your-child-this-i-dont-get-it/104070/184 "2002-04-24T03:42:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by genie \* > \*\*Mary Celeste is pretty, but Marie Celeste is also the name of that ship where everyone _mysteriously disappeared_. It’s quite famous, or maybe you know about it and I’m not telling you anything new… \*\* I always thought the name of that ship was the _Mary Celeste_. [http://www.google.ca/search?q=Mary+Celeste&hl=en&meta=](http://www.google.ca/search?q=Mary+Celeste&hl=en&meta=) And as for weird/unusual names, I know a family friend who’s a botanist: he named his three children Mimosa, Tilia, and Ficus. ---
**Author:** ![Mistteak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bcef8e/32.png) [@Mistteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mistteak)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-you-name-your-child-this-i-dont-get-it/104070/185 "2002-04-24T04:02:20Z")
Alexis is a girls name mainly in QLD Australia. I have a name that if you can find reference for it would be greatly appreciated Tamerea (Tam-er-ray) not Tamara. I may just be a bad researcher, but beats the hell out of me where it came from. Have to Neices, Tiana and Keira. Went to school with a Kyra and a Bree. I know Summers, Winters, Autums and Sydneys. When I have children I think i will stick with easy to spell and pronounce names. I hate it when they mispronounce my full name. (but i blame my mother, she spelt it that way) ---
**Author:** ![robinc308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@robinc308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robinc308)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-you-name-your-child-this-i-dont-get-it/104070/186 "2002-04-24T04:24:26Z")
I just remembered there’s a girl I know called Marie Antoinette (or however you spell it). Don’t know if it’s her real name or if she changed it though, I think there’s a few sheep loose in her top paddock so maybe she chose it herself. ---
**Author:** ![bwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@bwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bwk)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-you-name-your-child-this-i-dont-get-it/104070/187 "2002-04-24T04:29:22Z")
Hmm… mysterious ship… maybe Merry is the way to go. If I had a child, it would probably believe its first name was Dammit, anyway. Just like that Bill Cosby joke. “Dammit, will you stop crying?!?!” “Get in here right now, Dammit!” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Flamsterette\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/41988e/32.png) [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-you-name-your-child-this-i-dont-get-it/104070/188 "2002-04-24T05:08:46Z")
I remember knowing at least two people named Spring, and heard of a local girl whose name was Season. There was a girl named March who went to my high school years before I did; same with a girl whose name was Autumn Wood(s). In addition, I used to know a girl named Praise. ---
**Author:** ![fizzestothetop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e79b87/32.png) [@fizzestothetop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fizzestothetop)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-you-name-your-child-this-i-dont-get-it/104070/189 "2002-04-24T13:17:51Z")
I’m a girl and my parents named me Bailie. My mother’s maiden name was Bailey, so not only did I get a last name for my first name, but it’s also more commently a boy name. I get lots of mail addressed to a Mr. Bailie, not to mention I have to spell it out to EVERYONE (including my own family members most of the time). But as the years gone by, I’ve grown to like it, and most other people compliment me on it. I’ve been the only Bailie I’ve known for most of my life but now there are a few baby girls popping up with the name Bailey. At least they’ve not taken my spelling yet, so I’m still special. (all apologies if this comes up a double post) ---
**Author:** ![c\_carol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@c\_carol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/c_carol)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-you-name-your-child-this-i-dont-get-it/104070/190 "2002-04-24T14:29:17Z")
I have a cousin named September, and I used to know a girl named Wendy Day. ---
**Author:** ![Terrorcotta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dbc845/32.png) [@Terrorcotta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrorcotta)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-you-name-your-child-this-i-dont-get-it/104070/191 "2002-04-24T18:36:08Z")
When we were thinking of names for the offpsring, I remembered the first list of ‘jokes’ composed by a computer. So I suggested ‘Insect Brittle’ since it had historical and humourous implications. (Well, it DID!) we had a lot of fun with the idea. Then we told the mother-in-law and she slammed down the phone and wouldn’t talk to us for 2 week. (Not that that was a bad thing…) ---
**Author:** ![Tiburon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e36b37/32.png) [@Tiburon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tiburon)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-you-name-your-child-this-i-dont-get-it/104070/192 "2002-04-24T19:30:44Z")
Some weird names I’ve encountered: I went to college with a girl from Arkansas whose name was Dejka. I swear, we all thought she Russian. Then she explained to me that it was created like this: **D** aughter of **E** dward **J** ames and **KA** thleen Okay, so much for the Russian theory. There was also a Kieu (pronounced Q), Limby, and Mercy in our class. (I went to Notre Dame - plenty of Colleens and Michaels so you remember the different names easily!) We have a woman who works down the hall whose name is “Merry Carol” - not MARY. The kicker, however, is that there are two boys who went to high school here whose names were pronounced: Or-ANJ-uh-lo and Lem-ON-juh-lo. Yes, that’s right - Orange Jello and Lemon Jello. My cousin’s name is Jinah…pronounced Gina. Not sure why they did that but I think it’s a Korean spelling of some sort. Oh yeah - and on the OTHER side of the family…my uncle John married a woman named SUE…and they had two boys - Robbie and Nick. And then a girl. Who they named BONNIE SUE. She’s only about 6 or so. That’ll be interesting when she gets older. Tibs. ---
**Author:** ![Tiburon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e36b37/32.png) [@Tiburon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tiburon)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-you-name-your-child-this-i-dont-get-it/104070/193 "2002-04-24T19:37:02Z")
Some weird names I’ve encountered: I went to college with a girl from Arkansas whose name was Dejka. I swear, we all thought she Russian. Then she explained to me that it was created like this: **D** aughter of **E** dward **J** ames and **KA** thleen Okay, so much for the Russian theory. There was also a Kieu (pronounced Q), Limby, and Mercy in our class. (I went to Notre Dame - plenty of Colleens and Michaels so you remember the different names easily!) We have a woman who works down the hall whose name is “Merry Carol” - not MARY. The kicker, however, is that there are two boys who went to high school here whose names were pronounced: Or-ANJ-uh-lo and Lem-ON-juh-lo. Yes, that’s right - Orange Jello and Lemon Jello. My cousin’s name is Jinah…pronounced Gina. Not sure why they did that but I think it’s a Korean spelling of some sort. Oh yeah - and on the OTHER side of the family…my uncle John married a woman named SUE…and they had two boys - Robbie and Nick. And then a girl. Who they named BONNIE SUE. She’s only about 6 or so. That’ll be interesting when she gets older. Tibs. ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2002, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-you-name-your-child-this-i-dont-get-it/104070/194 "2002-05-18T05:56:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Charmian \* > \*\* > My name is Charmian, not Charmain. I’ll chalk it up to a typo. > > This is the only thing that drove me crazy as a kid (the “don’t squeeze the Charmin” jokes meant nuthin’). {…} \*\* I once had a teacher named Charmian Hoare (no kidding). I also currently know a Phaedra. Cool name. ---
**Author:** ![Flamsterette\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/41988e/32.png) [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2002, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-you-name-your-child-this-i-dont-get-it/104070/195 "2002-05-18T06:23:43Z")
Actually, I remember reading a James Dean biography once,. It mentioned that one of his schoolteachers was named **India Nose**. ---
**Author:** ![Squish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Squish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squish)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2002, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-you-name-your-child-this-i-dont-get-it/104070/196 "2002-05-18T08:17:20Z")
My uncle had _two_ daughters named Patricia (by his first wife and his second wife)–weird. My sister’s given name is Mitzi, which was sufficiently unusual in the 70s and 80s that people often called her ‘Misty’ by mistake, and she’s often gotten mail addressed to Mr. Mitzi \_\_\_\_\_\_ . My own humble opinion is that if you want to give your an unusual name, you pick a name that was once fairly common but has fallen out of use. ---
**Author:** ![Corrvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bbce88/32.png) [@Corrvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corrvin)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2002, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-you-name-your-child-this-i-dont-get-it/104070/197 "2002-05-18T16:37:32Z")
> [@](#): > > There was also a Kieu (pronounced Q), Limby, and Mercy in our class. I know a Q also-- she uses the single letter as her nickname, but her full first name is Diemkieu. From the impression I caught, it wasn’t that uncommon of a name for her ethnicity (I’m wanting to say Korean, but I’m probably wrong there). In the last two weeks, the oddest names I’ve seen for children are: (first/middle) Jackson Franklin…what, did you check your wallet before naming him? and…darn it, I don’t want to give her first and middle names, because she’s probably the only one in the city. The child’s name was Precious (Gemstone name). My first thought was “How adorable! You gave her a stage name!” Corr ---
**Author:** ![The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Asbestos_Mango)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2002, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-you-name-your-child-this-i-dont-get-it/104070/198 "2002-05-18T18:27:13Z")
My name is Loretto. Not Lorett-a, Lorett-o. Named for my paternal grandmother. The name is derived from the Italian town of Loreto, wherein is the Shrine of Our Lady of Loretto. I’m not too surprised when I tell someone my name and they respond with “Loretta”. I simply correct them three or four times, then give up. I am surprised when someone looks at my name in writing, and calls me Loretta, even though I should be used to it by now. People used to look at my name tag at work and call me Loretta. Or ask (or inform me that) if my name is spelled wrong. No. If it was spelled wrong, I wouldn’t wear it, Iwould go to H.R. and have them make me a new one. I finally gave up, and at my last couple of jobs, I’ve been having my last name put on my name tag (it’s one of those English last names that has become a trendy girl’s first name). One time, I snapped at a cow orker who called me Loretta one too many times. He started calling me Hortense after that (he generically calls any man Ignatz and any woman Hortense if he doesn’t know their name.) So, I went to H.R. and got a new name tag made… Yep, I actually go by Hortense at work now. On my shift, half the dice dealers have name tags with names other than their own on them. One guy has three or four name tags that he uses on various days, sometimes swapping them with other dealers. The boss lets us get away with it, but he drew the line when one dealer had a tag made up that said “Da’ Kid”. He said it was OK to have a different name on your name tag, but it had to be an actual _name_. I made a contribution to the Diabetes association, and have since been getting letters from them addressed to someone named Loretta. I throw them away. I gave them two hundred dollars, they can spell my name right. When I was taking job training classes back in Indiana, a professional secretary typed up my resume, spelling my name Loretta. Wouldn’t have minded so much, except she was Mexican, and Loretto is not an uncommon girl’s name among Hispanics. My job counselor, also Mexican, told me that he knew a lot of Lorettos, but I was the first non-Hispanic woman he had met with that name. When I first wandered into my Italo-Greek Byzantine Catholic church, I met a lady named Grace. When I introduced myself, she said, “Oh, Our Lady of Loretto”, and has been calling me Laredo ever since. I’ve given up correcting her. Since I moved to Vegas, I get called Laredo a lot. Please, how can you look at an L-O-R-E-T-T-O and come up with Laredo? A couple of times, after changing jobs, or working an extra shift with a new supervisor, a floorman will ask if he can call me Amaretto. I say, “Yes, but you have to pour me a glass at the end of the shift.” My step-cousin named her firstborn daughter Taylor. The kid’s last name is Williams. Oy, vey. ---
**Author:** ![Flamsterette\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/41988e/32.png) [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2002, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-you-name-your-child-this-i-dont-get-it/104070/199 "2002-05-18T19:41:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Squish \* > **My uncle had _two_ daughters named Patricia (by his first wife and his second wife)–weird.** That reminds me of what Brian Jones (of the Rolling Stones) did with his first two sons (by two different women). He named them both Julian, since he admired the singer Julian Adderley so much. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2002, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-you-name-your-child-this-i-dont-get-it/104070/200 "2002-05-18T23:14:44Z")
I have a high-school friend whose name’s Aixa. Her sister has the same name. I don’t remember if there was any difference in the second name. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-you-name-your-child-this-i-dont-get-it/104070.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-you-name-your-child-this-i-dont-get-it/104070.md?page=11)