# Woman makes stupid choice, gets mad at results **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 10, 2018, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-makes-stupid-choice-gets-mad-at-results/825917 "2018-12-10T22:12:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-makes-stupid-choice-gets-mad-at-results/825917/21 "2018-12-11T01:31:56Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > The name was “Abcde”, not “Abcd” - evidently ANY name can be misspelled! Abcd is the diminutive form of Abcde. Didn’t you get the memo? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-makes-stupid-choice-gets-mad-at-results/825917/22 "2018-12-11T02:09:18Z")
The absolute strangest ( or maybe not) name I heard was a kid called ‘Boy’, yes he was a boy. I thought, “really? You are so anti-something you couldn’t give your kid a real name?” Turns out it was a nick-name for ‘Boyette’, apparently a family name. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-makes-stupid-choice-gets-mad-at-results/825917/23 "2018-12-11T04:00:23Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I grew up with a very unusual surname. Married to a simple last name, that also is the name of an object. I’ll take the unusual one. My married name is often made fun of, and mis-spelled into a dirty word. Becky Bickhead from Biggers Arkansas … is that you?!? ---
**Author:** ![pabstist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e99b99/32.png) [@pabstist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pabstist)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-makes-stupid-choice-gets-mad-at-results/825917/24 "2018-12-11T05:20:10Z")
My wife had a student named Lord William Butters Singleton III. He is now a police officer here, and I wonder what he is called, Officer Butters? Lord Officer the Third? Now mind you, he is neither a Lord nor the Third. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-makes-stupid-choice-gets-mad-at-results/825917/25 "2018-12-11T09:42:23Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > The absolute strangest ( or maybe not) name I heard was a kid called ‘Boy’, yes he was a boy. I thought, “really? You are so anti-something you couldn’t give your kid a real name?” Turns out it was a nick-name for ‘Boyette’, apparently a family name. Not this Boy, then? > **[Boy van Poppel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boy_van_Poppel)** > > Boy van Poppel (born 18 January 1988) is a Dutch professional road racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Intermarché–Wanty. He is the son of former cyclists Jean-Paul van Poppel and Leontine van der Lienden. > On 12 September 2008, Utrecht-born van Poppel made a name for himself at the Tour of Missouri, winning the fifth stage. With that victory, he handed Mark Cavendish his first 'defeat' in a bunch sprint since the Giro d'Italia held in May. In the 2012 Tour of Britain, van Poppe... j ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-makes-stupid-choice-gets-mad-at-results/825917/26 "2018-12-11T09:48:24Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I’ve always said that if you want to give your kid a crazy, creative name, that’s what the middle name is for, and pair it with something conventional for the first name. That way, they can decide for themselves whether to embrace or ignore it. Doesn’t always turn out the way you think. I’ll change the names for obvious reasons, but we chose a trad, family one (let’s say Mary) and an unusual one (let’s say Siobhan - it was unusual enough that it drew responses like _Really?? Oh, ah…_). By the time school rolls around, Mary sounds like a name from the last century but one; and there are 3 other Siobhans in the same class. It’s a funny thing, the zeitgeist. j ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-makes-stupid-choice-gets-mad-at-results/825917/27 "2018-12-11T10:02:24Z")
Bill Lear, the founder of the Lear Jet Corporation, named his daughter Shanda Lear. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-makes-stupid-choice-gets-mad-at-results/825917/28 "2018-12-11T10:06:28Z")
My sister was a government worker and tells of one application she processed: Name: 1142 South First Street (Ok, she’s thinking; just get the form lines mixed.) Address: Same as Name. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-makes-stupid-choice-gets-mad-at-results/825917/29 "2018-12-11T10:41:33Z")
I heard of some people called Shine who named their daughter Raina. There are people who collect lists of these things, and books devoted to them: [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1587100.Remarkable\_Names\_of\_Real\_People](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1587100.Remarkable_Names_of_Real_People) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-makes-stupid-choice-gets-mad-at-results/825917/30 "2018-12-11T12:07:06Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Nooooo! Anywhoo that wouldn’t be a dirty word. And it’s not ‘Muck’ either. Bildo? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-makes-stupid-choice-gets-mad-at-results/825917/31 "2018-12-11T12:30:51Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > Kudos to her family for trying to head off this nonsense at the pass. Really? Risking possible long term estrangement over the choice of a name for _her_ child? Do they think their ridicule will make her change her mind? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-makes-stupid-choice-gets-mad-at-results/825917/32 "2018-12-11T12:42:36Z")
One of my high school classmates’ fathers was named “Squire.” He must be 70-80 years old now. He seemed pretty normal. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-makes-stupid-choice-gets-mad-at-results/825917/33 "2018-12-11T13:29:40Z")
The man we bought our house from was named Swepson. I’m assuming it was a family name, since he was a Jr, but it’s right up there with unique names. His wife’s name was Mary, so her common balanced his rarity, I guess… ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-makes-stupid-choice-gets-mad-at-results/825917/34 "2018-12-11T13:36:54Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Nooooo! Anywhoo that wouldn’t be a dirty word. And it’s not ‘Muck’ either. Hunt? ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-makes-stupid-choice-gets-mad-at-results/825917/35 "2018-12-11T13:54:27Z")
> [@lingyi](#): > > And I’m always amazed that people name their children Jesus or Mohammed. Squire and Prince are nothing compared to that. I also worked with a girl named Queena, though it’s because it’s a quirk of the romanization of her name in Korean. “Mohammad” is, by most accounts, the most common given name in the world. And while “Jesus” isn’t a very common name in English-speaking cultures (although it’s very common among Spanish speakers), its cognate “Joshua” is not unusual at all. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-makes-stupid-choice-gets-mad-at-results/825917/36 "2018-12-11T13:58:48Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > OK, that’s a bit odd. I just assumed everyone would default to “Sebastian” or even “Squire.” All three is a bit much, but I have difficulty believing the story as told. Besides, how can he tell if his Mom’s getting annoyed? “Bobby… Bobby… Robert!.. Robert William Conagher!!” “Gotta go, guys.” ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-makes-stupid-choice-gets-mad-at-results/825917/37 "2018-12-11T14:24:05Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > The absolute strangest ( or maybe not) name I heard was a kid called ‘Boy’, yes he was a boy. I thought, “really? You are so anti-something you couldn’t give your kid a real name?” Turns out it was a nick-name for ‘Boyette’, apparently a family name. “Boy Mulcaster” is the name of a character in _Brideshead Revisited_. But it’s not clear if that’s his given name or a nickname. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-makes-stupid-choice-gets-mad-at-results/825917/38 "2018-12-11T14:30:11Z")
If the story’s true at all, it sounds like we’ve come in at stage 2 or 3 of the argument. ‘Squire’ by itself isn’t too odd. From reading the link, it looks like family were automatically shortening it to that because the full thing is clearly really impractical. Unfortunately, crazy-lady wants everyone to use a 3 part first name every time, and was then getting angry at people calling the baby ‘Squire’. It’s someone getting angry at friends and family calling baby Rebecca ‘Becky’, dialled upto 11. People probably weren’t bothered so much by the words themselves- as a first and two middle names it’d be pretty low in the weird name stakes- but the mother’s reaction to anyone shortening it to something usable. No one wants to spend time with someone being so angry and controlling. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-makes-stupid-choice-gets-mad-at-results/825917/39 "2018-12-11T14:36:24Z")
At least she didn’t insist on her first choice which would have forced them to always use “Squire Sebastian Senator _of Ulm_”. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-makes-stupid-choice-gets-mad-at-results/825917/40 "2018-12-11T15:09:23Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > If the story’s true at all, it sounds like we’ve come in at stage 2 or 3 of the argument. ‘Squire’ by itself isn’t too odd. From reading the link, it looks like family were automatically shortening it to that because the full thing is clearly really impractical. Unfortunately, crazy-lady wants everyone to use a 3 part first name every time, and was then getting angry at people calling the baby ‘Squire’. It’s someone getting angry at friends and family calling baby Rebecca ‘Becky’, dialled upto 11. > > People probably weren’t bothered so much by the words themselves- as a first and two middle names it’d be pretty low in the weird name stakes- but the mother’s reaction to anyone shortening it to something usable. No one wants to spend time with someone being so angry and controlling. Hey! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-makes-stupid-choice-gets-mad-at-results/825917.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-makes-stupid-choice-gets-mad-at-results/825917.md?page=3)