Good or Bad, Baby Names Have Long-lasting Effects
By Jeanna Bryner, LiveScience Managing Editor
posted: 13 June 2010 04:30 pm ET
Choosing a baby name proves to be a challenging task for many parents. And they're wise to work hard at it. A name can have a profound impact on a child that reverberates well into adulthood, a growing body of research suggests.
"There is a reason why baby name books are extremely popular," said David Figlio of Northwestern University in Illinois. "We're always trying to think about the first bit of a child's identity and so if we as a society pay a lot of attention to names it makes a lot of sense that people's names might influence how they think about themselves and the way in which people might think about them."
Plenty of research suggests the name chosen impacts a baby's life well into adulthood. For instance, donning your newborn boy with a girly sounding name could mean behavioral problems later in life. And unique baby names that only your child will have can be a hardship too.
A British study of 3,000 parents released in May suggests one-in-five parents regret the name they chose for a child, many of whom were distressed over the unusual or oddly spelled names they'd chosen. And even those who didn't explicitly regret the name choice admitted there were names they knew now they wished they'd chosen then, according to the study conducted by Bounty.com. [List of history's most popular baby names.]
Girly names
Boys with names traditionally given to girls are more likely to misbehave than their counterparts with masculine names, research suggests.
When in elementary school, boys named Ashley and Shannon, for instance, behave just like their more masculine-named classmates named Brian and other boyish names.
"Once these kids hit sixth grade, all of a sudden the rates of disciplinary problems skyrocket [for those boys with girlish names], and it was much more the case if there happened to be a girl in the grade with that same name," Figlio told LiveScience.
Imagine, Figlio said, having to come face-to-face with your girly name every day when there's a girl in the classroom with a matching moniker. That suggests feelings of self-consciousness, which are perhaps magnified by teasing from others, play a role in the name-behavior link in this case.
Girls given boy names also see an effect. In a 2005 study, Figlio parsed out names by their phonemic sounds and then figured out their likelihood of belonging to a girl. For instance, the names Kayla and Isabella were so phonemically feminine their predicted probability of belonging to a girl was more than 100 percent. At the other end of the spectrum, Taylor, Madison and Alexis were phonemically predicted to be twice as likely to belong to boys than girls.
"I found girls with names that are relatively feminine in high school chose advanced coursework in humanities – and less feminine are more likely to choose math and science courses," Figlio said, adding the research focused on high-achieving girls.
He can't say that one causes the other. Perhaps parents treat one daughter, Morgan, differently from an early age than they do her sister Elizabeth, whose name is much more feminine. “Did the parents choose that when they were choosing the name or did the name end up shaping their behavior toward their daughter?” Figlio said.
Socioeconomic status and expectations
Just as a person's accent or clothing can indicate something about that individual's background or character, so can a first name. And just like any other external indicator, names can lie.
Figlio got names from millions of birth certificates, and then broke down each name into more than a thousand phonemic components. He analyzed the names for letter combinations, complexity and other factors, and then used a statistical analysis to figure out the probability that the name belonged to someone of low socioeconomic status.
"Kids who have names [that] from a linguistic perspective are likely to be given by poorly educated parents, those kids ended up being treated differently," Figlio said. "They do worse in school and are less likely to be recommended for gifted [classes] and more likely to be classified as learning disabled."
He specifically looked at more unusual baby names, since with common names people have their individual experiences that can taint one's perspective of that name. Say you went to school with a jerk named George, you're likely to associate that name with negative qualities, regardless of how the name sounds linguistically.
To account for the idea that "dropout moms" might just give their babies poor-sounding names, Figlio included siblings from the same family with both high- and low-status sounding names. (Not all "poor-sounding" names were donned by kids of low socioeconomic status.)
Meeting low expectations
The link between a name and success later in life could have to do with these kids fulfilling others' expectations of them. Names that sound as though they came from a family of low socioeconomic status, might be tagged as less capable of achieving, for instance.
"People draw subconscious cues all the time about people. You meet a person for the first time and without thinking about it on an explicit level you're looking at the way they're walking, what their accent sounds like, how they're dressed, whether they smell ... and you're developing these immediate reactions," Figlio said.
He added, "I think there's probably an evolutionary reason behind that. We're hardwired to try to figure out in a heartbeat whether or not we want to trust somebody, whether we want to run from somebody.”
Today, Figlio said to imagine a teacher on the first day of class looking over his or her roster and trying to figure out what to expect from a child. Plenty of teachers have told Figlio "I have to fight myself from doing this. I see this name ... I think maybe they aren't going to have active parents."
And so the story continues. Children typically meet expectations, research has shown.
Self-esteem
Whether or not your name sounds upper class might not matter if you don’t like it. Accumulating research has shown a strong link between a person's like or dislike of his or her name and high and low self-esteem, respectively.
"The relationship is so strong that when people want to measure self-esteem in a more subtle way you can do it with the name-letter task," said Jean Twenge of San Diego State University, referring to a method in which subjects report whether they like different letters of the alphabet. Those with high self-esteem will say they like those letters in their names, particularly the first letter, she said.
It makes sense if you think about how much a part of a person a name really is.
"Our names really are wrapped up in our identity, and that might be why you get this somewhat surprising finding at least in some areas," Twenge said during a telephone interview. "People who particularly dislike their name and also if other people think it's an odd and unlikeable name, that can cause some problems. [They] tend not to be as well-adjusted."
Unusual vs. common names
When it's time to pick baby's name, there are two types of parents, those who want an unusual baby name and those who prefer a more common name donned by lots of kids.
Turns out, even if the particular name chosen doesn't make a difference in a child's success later in life, whether or not that name is common or unusual does matter.
The difference between choosing, say, one of five common, relatively likeable names is small in terms of any impact on the child’s life. "If you're choosing between a relatively likeable, common name and one that is really odd, that definitely could have an impact," Twenge said.
"Some of it ends up being a proxy for the parents' philosophy on life in general," Twenge said. "The parent who says 'I want my kid to be unique and stand out' and gives their kid a name that’s uncommon, probably will have a parenting style that emphasizes uniqueness and standing out."
She added, "So it ends up building on itself. The type of parent who would give a really unusual name is often going to parent differently from a parent who says 'I want to give my child a name so they fit in.'"
Twenge's recent research suggests parents are, in fact, choosing more unusual baby names than decades ago.
Baby-naming advice books and blogs often suggest changing up the spelling of a common, or on-the-rise, name, in order to add some flare. Preliminary results from Figlio’s work suggest that may not be wise. Children with a deviant spelling of a common name tended to have slowed spelling and reading capabilities.
"That suggests a lot about internalizing," Figlio said. “You have the child named Jennifer spelled with a "G" – her teacher says 'Are you sure your name is spelled that way?' That can be incredibly hard on a person's confidence.”
All this parents end up realizing, as the Bounty study shows: One-fifth of parents in the British study wished they had chosen a name that was easier to spell; 8 percent were fed up with people being unable to pronounce the child’s name; and one in 10 thought the chosen name was clever at the time, but said the novelty had worn off.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Awesome blog
Check Out: http://nameoftheyear.blogspot.com/-- a blog devoted to strange names. An awesome read!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Meet 'Flicity & Conna', the new baby names from the texting generation
The nice thing about baby names is that even older articles are usually still relevant.
By LUKE SALKED
Last updated at 08:06 31 March 2008
Read more:
ore parents are giving their children names derived from texting language
Given the unstoppable rise of text language, it was only a matter of time before children's names went the way of traditional English.
Sure enough, text-style versions have begun to appear on birth certificates.
Anne has been changed to An, Connor to Conna and Laura to Lora.
Six boys were named Cam'ron instead of Cameron. According to the online parenting club Bounty, one girl born last month was named Flicity. And there are numerous young chaps named Samiul.
Last year, a couple were told they would not be allowed to register their son's name as 4Real.
Officials in New Zealand ruled that the use of a number made it inappropriate, so Pat and Sheena Wheaton had to opt for their second choice - Superman.
In this country, other bizarre choices officially registered have included Ikea for a girl as well as Moet for a boy whose parents might have a soft spot for the champagne label.
The trend is thought to be inspired by the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, who named her daughter Apple, and Jamie Oliver, who has daughters Daisy Boo and Poppy Honey.
Bounty spokesman Pauline Kent said: "Some of these new and different names are a way for parents to give their children a unique identity.
"It is similar to the thinking that goes in to naming a new brand of product for example - something to make them stand out from the crowd."
Others in recent registers have followed the example of the Beckhams, who named their eldest son after the place where he was conceived.
But while David and Victoria chose Brooklyn, children in Britain have been named after places such as Finchley in North London and the cathedral city of Ely in Cambridgeshire.
Both are male names. Other examples of unusually-titled boys registered in the past 12 months include Rocky, Rivers and Red.
As well as Ikea, recent girls' names have included Paprica, Caramel, Bambi, Fire-Lily, Skylark and Tame - which apparently stands for The Apple of My Eye.
On the text-style names, John Dunford, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said it was possible that new mothers and fathers had lost the ability to spell.
He added: "Some of it is genuine misspelling; some is parents looking for a unique way to spell a name and some is just carelessness.
"It makes life very difficult for teachers taking the register and completing forms."
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-550688/Meet-Flicity--Conna-new-baby-names-texting-generation.html#ixzz0neTws8O3
Report: Lord Jesus Christ Hit by Mass. Car
Updated: Friday, 07 May 2010, 1:18 PM EDT
Published : Friday, 07 May 2010, 1:18 PM EDT
(NewsCore) - Cops in Northampton, Mass., issued a traffic citation this week to a driver whose car hit Lord Jesus Christ, WWLP reported Friday.
The crash happened Tuesday on Main Street in front of Fitzwilly's, Northampton.
Lt. Michael Patenaude told 22News a 50-year-old man, Lord Jesus Christ of Belchertown, was struck as he crossed Main Street a little after 3:30pm Eastern Time.
Twenty-year-old Brittany Cantarella of Pittsfield was cited for failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
Lord Jesus Christ was treated for facial injuries at Cooley Dickinson Hospital.
Lt. Patenaude said the man had a Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles identification card. Officers checked his ID and discovered that, indeed, his legal name was Lord Jesus Christ.
I suppose it's better than naming your kid Satan.
Monday, May 10, 2010
The Twilight Effect: Why Do So Many Parents Choose The Same Baby Names?
From Time Magazine:
By Claire Suddath Monday, May. 10, 2010
People are naming their children after vampires. The Social Security Administration has released its list of 2009's most popular baby names, and the leading choices were Isabella and Jacob. Both names just happen to belong to main characters in the Twilight book series. True, Isabella has been trending steadily upwards since the 1990s and Jacob has been in the top spot for 10 years in a row (thus predating 2005's Twilight). But one of the rising names is almost certainly the result of Stephanie Meyers' blood-sucking romance: Cullen. The last name of Meyer's sexy main vampire jumped 297 spots in one year and is now the 485th most popular first name for a baby boy. (Read TIME's Q&A with Kristen Stewart.)
Cullen is also part of a larger trend: two-syllable male names that end in the sound "-en." Aiden is another example (12th most popular name). So is Jayden (#8), Logan (#17), Nathan (#24), Kevin (#44), Justin (#46) and a name I've never heard of before — Brayden. At #47, it means I'll probably start meeting a number of Braydens in about 20 years. Likewise, nearly half of the 50 most popular girl names end in "-a," just like Isabella. Why does this happen? Why do parents so often choose the same names for their newborns?
The short answer is because people copy each other, and no one likes to be that unique. Just as fashion and music trends wax and wane, so do baby names. Girls born in the 1980s were given perky, peppy monikers that ended in "-y" or "-ie" — Tiffany, Ashley, Katie, Brittany. These days it's all about the soft, feminine ending: Isabella, Emma, Kayla and Ella. Sociologists and journalists often propose their own theories about child names, though they usually end up being nothing more than unfounded speculation. CBS News once asserted that Emma became popular in 2002 because Jennifer Aniston's character named her child that on Friends. But Emma had been on the rise since the 1980s and it broke into the top 20 a full three years before Rachel and Ross had their fictional night of passion. Friends probably had very little to do with it.
Dig a little deeper, and baby name trends become much more complicated. According to Harvard University's Roland Fryer and the University of Chicago's Steven Levitt, blacks and whites chose similar names for their babies until the 1970s, when hospitals began seeing a rise in so-called "black" names such as Ebony, Shanice or Darnell. The racial name divide is now so strong that Fryer and Levitt claim that 40% of all African-American babies born in California are given a name that doesn't appear on even a single white birth certificate. (They limited their study to California for simplicity's sake). (Comment on this story.)
Geography can also play a part. In 2009, Hebrew University researchers Jacob Goldenberg and Moshe Levy looked at names' varying popularity among different U.S. states, and found that people are likely to give their kids names that are popular in their town, city, or state. Judging from the Social Security's name database, they seem to be right. Isabella broke the top 5 most popular list first in Colorado and Rhode Island. From Colorado, it spread to California, Nevada and Arizona. From Rhode Island it hit Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey. Now it's all over the country.
But why did it start in Colorado and Rhode Island? And what happened in 1991 to suddenly shoot the name up 210 spots, from 698 to a still fairly uncommon 488, in just one year? Unfortunately, no one really knows. Ultimately, baby names remain subject to the whims of the people who bestow them. Parents are responsible for all the Isabellas, Emmas and Madisons in the world, not to mention the creative misspellings (Keighty instead of Katie, Danyale instead of Danielle) certain to drive their children mad for the rest of their lives.
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1988092,00.html#ixzz0nY3BIg2W
By Claire Suddath Monday, May. 10, 2010
People are naming their children after vampires. The Social Security Administration has released its list of 2009's most popular baby names, and the leading choices were Isabella and Jacob. Both names just happen to belong to main characters in the Twilight book series. True, Isabella has been trending steadily upwards since the 1990s and Jacob has been in the top spot for 10 years in a row (thus predating 2005's Twilight). But one of the rising names is almost certainly the result of Stephanie Meyers' blood-sucking romance: Cullen. The last name of Meyer's sexy main vampire jumped 297 spots in one year and is now the 485th most popular first name for a baby boy. (Read TIME's Q&A with Kristen Stewart.)
Cullen is also part of a larger trend: two-syllable male names that end in the sound "-en." Aiden is another example (12th most popular name). So is Jayden (#8), Logan (#17), Nathan (#24), Kevin (#44), Justin (#46) and a name I've never heard of before — Brayden. At #47, it means I'll probably start meeting a number of Braydens in about 20 years. Likewise, nearly half of the 50 most popular girl names end in "-a," just like Isabella. Why does this happen? Why do parents so often choose the same names for their newborns?
The short answer is because people copy each other, and no one likes to be that unique. Just as fashion and music trends wax and wane, so do baby names. Girls born in the 1980s were given perky, peppy monikers that ended in "-y" or "-ie" — Tiffany, Ashley, Katie, Brittany. These days it's all about the soft, feminine ending: Isabella, Emma, Kayla and Ella. Sociologists and journalists often propose their own theories about child names, though they usually end up being nothing more than unfounded speculation. CBS News once asserted that Emma became popular in 2002 because Jennifer Aniston's character named her child that on Friends. But Emma had been on the rise since the 1980s and it broke into the top 20 a full three years before Rachel and Ross had their fictional night of passion. Friends probably had very little to do with it.
Dig a little deeper, and baby name trends become much more complicated. According to Harvard University's Roland Fryer and the University of Chicago's Steven Levitt, blacks and whites chose similar names for their babies until the 1970s, when hospitals began seeing a rise in so-called "black" names such as Ebony, Shanice or Darnell. The racial name divide is now so strong that Fryer and Levitt claim that 40% of all African-American babies born in California are given a name that doesn't appear on even a single white birth certificate. (They limited their study to California for simplicity's sake). (Comment on this story.)
Geography can also play a part. In 2009, Hebrew University researchers Jacob Goldenberg and Moshe Levy looked at names' varying popularity among different U.S. states, and found that people are likely to give their kids names that are popular in their town, city, or state. Judging from the Social Security's name database, they seem to be right. Isabella broke the top 5 most popular list first in Colorado and Rhode Island. From Colorado, it spread to California, Nevada and Arizona. From Rhode Island it hit Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey. Now it's all over the country.
But why did it start in Colorado and Rhode Island? And what happened in 1991 to suddenly shoot the name up 210 spots, from 698 to a still fairly uncommon 488, in just one year? Unfortunately, no one really knows. Ultimately, baby names remain subject to the whims of the people who bestow them. Parents are responsible for all the Isabellas, Emmas and Madisons in the world, not to mention the creative misspellings (Keighty instead of Katie, Danyale instead of Danielle) certain to drive their children mad for the rest of their lives.
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1988092,00.html#ixzz0nY3BIg2W
Sunday, May 09, 2010
top names of 2009!
The Social Security Administration finally published their top 1000 names of 2009! I've re-organized them based on spelling in order to get a better idea of what names are popular.
Some highlights:
Politics seems to have influenced names last year:
Two of the biggest moving names are Malia and Sasha (President Obama's daughters' names) as well as Willow and Piper (presidential candidate Sarah Palin's daughters' names). Bristol, the name of Palin's oldest daughter, appeared in the top 1000 for the first time ever last year as well. Hillary, which has been slowly increasing in popularity since the end of the Clinton administration, fell out of the top 1000 last year.
The Twilight books/movies seem to have had a big influence as well, with Isabella being the new #1 name for girls. Bella is one of the biggest upward moving names for girls as well. For boys, Cullen appeared in the top 1000 for the first time. However, Edward, which peaked in popularity in 1909 and has been on a steady decline ever since, is still not showing a comeback.
Celebrities' babies also seemed to have an influence on naming last year: Vivienne, the name of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's daughter entered the top 1000 for the first time since 1930 and Knox (Vivienne's twin brother) showed up for the first time ever. Maddox, Jolie & Pitt's oldest son's name added another spelling to the top 1000 (Maddux) and is also on the rise. Harlow, another name showing up in the top 1000 for the first time has most recently come to prominence as the name of Nicole Richie and Joel Madden's daughter, although actress Patricia Arquette also has a daughter named Harlow. Kalel, the real name of Superman as well as the name of both Nicolas Cage's and actor Terry J. Vaughn's sons also debuted in the top 1000 last year.
For boys, the -aiden names still reign supreme. Aiden is still #1, with Jayden at #2. Relative newcomers Zayden and Raiden are two of the year's biggest movers, while Caden is #7, Brayden #25 and Hayden at #94.
Some highlights:
Politics seems to have influenced names last year:
Two of the biggest moving names are Malia and Sasha (President Obama's daughters' names) as well as Willow and Piper (presidential candidate Sarah Palin's daughters' names). Bristol, the name of Palin's oldest daughter, appeared in the top 1000 for the first time ever last year as well. Hillary, which has been slowly increasing in popularity since the end of the Clinton administration, fell out of the top 1000 last year.
The Twilight books/movies seem to have had a big influence as well, with Isabella being the new #1 name for girls. Bella is one of the biggest upward moving names for girls as well. For boys, Cullen appeared in the top 1000 for the first time. However, Edward, which peaked in popularity in 1909 and has been on a steady decline ever since, is still not showing a comeback.
Celebrities' babies also seemed to have an influence on naming last year: Vivienne, the name of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's daughter entered the top 1000 for the first time since 1930 and Knox (Vivienne's twin brother) showed up for the first time ever. Maddox, Jolie & Pitt's oldest son's name added another spelling to the top 1000 (Maddux) and is also on the rise. Harlow, another name showing up in the top 1000 for the first time has most recently come to prominence as the name of Nicole Richie and Joel Madden's daughter, although actress Patricia Arquette also has a daughter named Harlow. Kalel, the real name of Superman as well as the name of both Nicolas Cage's and actor Terry J. Vaughn's sons also debuted in the top 1000 last year.
For boys, the -aiden names still reign supreme. Aiden is still #1, with Jayden at #2. Relative newcomers Zayden and Raiden are two of the year's biggest movers, while Caden is #7, Brayden #25 and Hayden at #94.
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Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 02, 2009
Traditional names are 'dying out'
Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/uk/7556228.stm
Published: 2008/08/13 09:39:49 GMT
Some traditional names such as Edna and Norman are in danger of dying out in England and Wales, research suggests.
Gurgle.com studied the most popular names of 1907 with those that have made the grade over the past five years.
In 1907, 1,048 babies were named Gertrude but none were in 2005. Baby Normans declined from 1,991 to two.
Many babies are named after celebrities or given made-up names now, rather than being given relatives' ones, as often happened in the past, Gurgle.com said.
The two Normans named in 2005 were in Shropshire and Tyne and Wear.
GIRLS' NAMES OUT OF FAVOUR
Gertrude
Edna
Ethel
Irene
Ada
Norah
Olive
Richard, which was the most popular name 200 years ago, has also declined.
A total of 4,671 babies were named Richard in 1807, but the number fell to 2,289 in 1907 and 538 in 2005.
However, the researchers for the social networking site did find that names such as Thomas, Jack and William have remained in vogue for 200 years.
The survey also suggests a royal connection has kept names such as Elizabeth, Philip and Charles consistently popular over the past 100 years.
It also found that some names which have lost popularity have been replaced by something similar, with Olivia replacing Olive as a popular name.
BOYS' NAMES OUT OF FAVOUR
Norman
Walter
Percy
Harold
Ernest
Herbert
Clifford
Similarly, Lily has become a modern-day Lilian and Alfred has become Alfie.
Sarah Stone, editor of Gurgle.com, said: "Not so long ago it seems we all knew a Great Uncle Harold or Aunty Irene, but sadly it seems these names could soon be lost forever.
"It is clear that modern parents are increasingly being influenced by fashions and celebrity. However we also need to remember that there are now more choices available."
The Office for National Statistics says the most popular baby names last year were Jack, Thomas and Oliver for boys and Grace, Ruby and Olivia for girls.
© BBC MMIX
Published: 2008/08/13 09:39:49 GMT
Some traditional names such as Edna and Norman are in danger of dying out in England and Wales, research suggests.
Gurgle.com studied the most popular names of 1907 with those that have made the grade over the past five years.
In 1907, 1,048 babies were named Gertrude but none were in 2005. Baby Normans declined from 1,991 to two.
Many babies are named after celebrities or given made-up names now, rather than being given relatives' ones, as often happened in the past, Gurgle.com said.
The two Normans named in 2005 were in Shropshire and Tyne and Wear.
GIRLS' NAMES OUT OF FAVOUR
Gertrude
Edna
Ethel
Irene
Ada
Norah
Olive
Richard, which was the most popular name 200 years ago, has also declined.
A total of 4,671 babies were named Richard in 1807, but the number fell to 2,289 in 1907 and 538 in 2005.
However, the researchers for the social networking site did find that names such as Thomas, Jack and William have remained in vogue for 200 years.
The survey also suggests a royal connection has kept names such as Elizabeth, Philip and Charles consistently popular over the past 100 years.
It also found that some names which have lost popularity have been replaced by something similar, with Olivia replacing Olive as a popular name.
BOYS' NAMES OUT OF FAVOUR
Norman
Walter
Percy
Harold
Ernest
Herbert
Clifford
Similarly, Lily has become a modern-day Lilian and Alfred has become Alfie.
Sarah Stone, editor of Gurgle.com, said: "Not so long ago it seems we all knew a Great Uncle Harold or Aunty Irene, but sadly it seems these names could soon be lost forever.
"It is clear that modern parents are increasingly being influenced by fashions and celebrity. However we also need to remember that there are now more choices available."
The Office for National Statistics says the most popular baby names last year were Jack, Thomas and Oliver for boys and Grace, Ruby and Olivia for girls.
© BBC MMIX
'Most unfortunate names' revealed
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7909561.stm
Page last updated at 18:04 GMT, Wednesday, 25 February 2009
Imagine growing up as Annette Curtain or Tim Burr
What do you call some of the most unlucky people in Britain?
Justin Case, Barb Dwyer and Stan Still.
It sounds like a bad joke, but a study has revealed that there really are unfortunate people with those names in the UK.
Joining them on the list are Terry Bull, Paige Turner, Mary Christmas and Anna Sasin.
And just imagine having to introduce yourself to a crowd as Doug Hole or Hazel Nutt.
The names were uncovered by researchers from parenting group TheBabyWebsite.com after trawling through online telephone records.
Retired airman Stan Still, 76, from Cirencester, Gloucestershire, said his name had been "a blooming millstone around my neck my entire life".
"When I was in the RAF my commanding officer used to shout, 'Stan Still, get a move on' and roll about laughing," he said.
"It got hugely boring after a while."
But 51-year-old Rose Bush, from Coventry, West Midlands, said she loved her name. MORE UNFORTUNATE NAMES
Pearl Button
Jo King
Barry Cade
Carrie Oakey
Priti Manek
Tim Burr
"I always get comments about it but they are always very positive," she said.
Implications
Researchers also scoured phone records in the US and found some unlikely names there too.
Spare a thought for Anna Prentice, Annette Curtain and Bill Board the next time you sign your name.
A string of Americans also have very job-specific names, including Dr Leslie Doctor, Dr Thoulton Surgeon and Les Plack - a dentist in San Francisco.
A spokesman for TheBabyWebsite.com said: "When the parents of some of those people mentioned named their children, many probably didn't even realise the implications at the time.
"Parents really do need to think carefully though when choosing names for their children.
"Their name will be with them for life and what may be quirky and fun for a toddler might be regretted terribly when that person becomes older or even a grandparent perhaps."
Below are a selection of your comments.
I was named Simon Swindells at birth. It caused no end of ridicule throughout my childhood and teens and I changed my first name by deed poll shortly after turning 18 and changed the surname a few years later.
I found it difficult to be taken seriously when meeting people (socially and professionally when applying for jobs etc) as they laughed out loud when hearing the name.
Chrys Hudson Lee, Brighton
My name is the same as the actor who played the third Doctor Who. Growing up wasn't so bad, I used to get called all sorts, but because Doctor Who was seen as "cool" the nicknames were always positive.
But when he moved on and became Worzel Gummidge, the school taunts became crueller. I was constantly asked if I had an Aunt Sally, asked by teachers if I had the stupid head on today etc.
In my 20s, people still recognised the name, and when the actor passed away, I got several phone calls to see if I was still alive.
Jon Pertwee, Sion, Switzerland
This is a common name in Belgium and France but when I was living in UK it was quite weird, because people were always talking about Richard the Third and I had no clue of what they were talking about. I just realised some time later on.
Furthermore in France, one of my colleagues has double nationality (British and French) and his name is Olivier Moron (French origins). Once again in French, no problem at all... but in English
Richard Six, Paris, France (but I'm Belgian)
Mine tops the lot. Think about it.
Jenny Taylor, Kendal
Well, years of ruthless teasing have given way to slightly kinder comments along the lines of "what a great name". I just wish I had a decent answer to the question: "What were your parents thinking?"
Daisy Picking, London
My father, whose name was Albert Hall, had a lot to answer for when he named my brother Jim. Jim took a pounding whenever PE came round at school.
You'd have thought the "Royal" Albert would have been a bit more circumspect in his choice of name for his offspring!
David Hall, Cardross, Scotland
My cousins called their daughter Esther Munday, it has always made me chuckle.
Terry Withington, Hinckley, England
This article has put a big smile on many of my colleagues, friends and client's faces today. You would not believe how many times I have been e-mailed with links to your website.
I personally love my name as it makes people laugh and at least no-one will forget it! I'd never consider it unfortunate, it's just funny.
Jo King, London
My name was Susan Frame. I am a lawyer. I met and married Robert who is a banker. His surname is Mee. Now we are Sue Mee, a lawyer, and Rob Mee, a banker - ironic? I have taken no end of stick for this, believe me.
Susan Mee, Doncaster
My name being Andrew Burke, a lot of letters I get are to A Burke.
Andrew Burke, Aldershot, UK
When I lived near Aberystwyth, 20 years ago, I had a lovely neighbour called Ivy Plant. If she's still alive, or anyone knows of her whereabouts, I'd appreciate an address or any news of her.
John McCullough, Ballymena, Antrim
Unfortunately your name doesn't have to have a double meaning to be found continually amusing to others. However, I have found the benefit in adult life is that it is always noticed and remembered and is therefore a great networking "tool".
Bill Badger, Romford, Essex
A chap who preceded me as student's union president at Imperial in London changed his name to Sidney Harbour-Bridge for a year for charity. After the year he decided to keep it as he found it an asset in business... I'd love to hear if he has the moniker after nearly 20 years!
Chris Davidson, Market Bosworth
Hi, my mum was Hazel Nutt. Her maiden name was Morrison and she married my father, Peter Nutt. I watched her write out a cheque once with the checkout girl grinning, but my mum was definitely hiding a grin too. I think she loved it.
Donald Nutt, Dundee
My name is ok, but I have a 14-year-old niece called Lotte Flack. Luckily for her she lives in Germany so she is blissfully unaware of the implications. So far.
Eliot Flack-Hill, Hove, East Sussex
Doesn't sound bad but when people start chanting merrily, merrily, merrily it becomes tedious. Should have kept my maiden name.
Mary Lee, Pinner, Middlesex
I've always said that if my partner (a Button) and I had a baby girl we'd call her Pearl. With the fringe benefit that I'd get to call myself mother-of-Pearl Button.
Katie, St Albans, Hertfordshire
At the turn of the last century it was common to give girls the names of flowers, hence my Nan and her sisters who were called Ivy, Daisy and Rose. It's a shame their maiden name was Roots. My father, on the other hand, has a sister called June, which goes so well with our family name, don't you think?
Kevin May, Kent
I went to school with a Penny Bunn and my cousin always said she would call her daughter her favourite girl's name, Dawn, until she married a Mr Hobbs.
Delia Wyers, Burton-on-Trent
Page last updated at 18:04 GMT, Wednesday, 25 February 2009
Imagine growing up as Annette Curtain or Tim Burr
What do you call some of the most unlucky people in Britain?
Justin Case, Barb Dwyer and Stan Still.
It sounds like a bad joke, but a study has revealed that there really are unfortunate people with those names in the UK.
Joining them on the list are Terry Bull, Paige Turner, Mary Christmas and Anna Sasin.
And just imagine having to introduce yourself to a crowd as Doug Hole or Hazel Nutt.
The names were uncovered by researchers from parenting group TheBabyWebsite.com after trawling through online telephone records.
Retired airman Stan Still, 76, from Cirencester, Gloucestershire, said his name had been "a blooming millstone around my neck my entire life".
"When I was in the RAF my commanding officer used to shout, 'Stan Still, get a move on' and roll about laughing," he said.
"It got hugely boring after a while."
But 51-year-old Rose Bush, from Coventry, West Midlands, said she loved her name. MORE UNFORTUNATE NAMES
Pearl Button
Jo King
Barry Cade
Carrie Oakey
Priti Manek
Tim Burr
"I always get comments about it but they are always very positive," she said.
Implications
Researchers also scoured phone records in the US and found some unlikely names there too.
Spare a thought for Anna Prentice, Annette Curtain and Bill Board the next time you sign your name.
A string of Americans also have very job-specific names, including Dr Leslie Doctor, Dr Thoulton Surgeon and Les Plack - a dentist in San Francisco.
A spokesman for TheBabyWebsite.com said: "When the parents of some of those people mentioned named their children, many probably didn't even realise the implications at the time.
"Parents really do need to think carefully though when choosing names for their children.
"Their name will be with them for life and what may be quirky and fun for a toddler might be regretted terribly when that person becomes older or even a grandparent perhaps."
Below are a selection of your comments.
I was named Simon Swindells at birth. It caused no end of ridicule throughout my childhood and teens and I changed my first name by deed poll shortly after turning 18 and changed the surname a few years later.
I found it difficult to be taken seriously when meeting people (socially and professionally when applying for jobs etc) as they laughed out loud when hearing the name.
Chrys Hudson Lee, Brighton
My name is the same as the actor who played the third Doctor Who. Growing up wasn't so bad, I used to get called all sorts, but because Doctor Who was seen as "cool" the nicknames were always positive.
But when he moved on and became Worzel Gummidge, the school taunts became crueller. I was constantly asked if I had an Aunt Sally, asked by teachers if I had the stupid head on today etc.
In my 20s, people still recognised the name, and when the actor passed away, I got several phone calls to see if I was still alive.
Jon Pertwee, Sion, Switzerland
This is a common name in Belgium and France but when I was living in UK it was quite weird, because people were always talking about Richard the Third and I had no clue of what they were talking about. I just realised some time later on.
Furthermore in France, one of my colleagues has double nationality (British and French) and his name is Olivier Moron (French origins). Once again in French, no problem at all... but in English
Richard Six, Paris, France (but I'm Belgian)
Mine tops the lot. Think about it.
Jenny Taylor, Kendal
Well, years of ruthless teasing have given way to slightly kinder comments along the lines of "what a great name". I just wish I had a decent answer to the question: "What were your parents thinking?"
Daisy Picking, London
My father, whose name was Albert Hall, had a lot to answer for when he named my brother Jim. Jim took a pounding whenever PE came round at school.
You'd have thought the "Royal" Albert would have been a bit more circumspect in his choice of name for his offspring!
David Hall, Cardross, Scotland
My cousins called their daughter Esther Munday, it has always made me chuckle.
Terry Withington, Hinckley, England
This article has put a big smile on many of my colleagues, friends and client's faces today. You would not believe how many times I have been e-mailed with links to your website.
I personally love my name as it makes people laugh and at least no-one will forget it! I'd never consider it unfortunate, it's just funny.
Jo King, London
My name was Susan Frame. I am a lawyer. I met and married Robert who is a banker. His surname is Mee. Now we are Sue Mee, a lawyer, and Rob Mee, a banker - ironic? I have taken no end of stick for this, believe me.
Susan Mee, Doncaster
My name being Andrew Burke, a lot of letters I get are to A Burke.
Andrew Burke, Aldershot, UK
When I lived near Aberystwyth, 20 years ago, I had a lovely neighbour called Ivy Plant. If she's still alive, or anyone knows of her whereabouts, I'd appreciate an address or any news of her.
John McCullough, Ballymena, Antrim
Unfortunately your name doesn't have to have a double meaning to be found continually amusing to others. However, I have found the benefit in adult life is that it is always noticed and remembered and is therefore a great networking "tool".
Bill Badger, Romford, Essex
A chap who preceded me as student's union president at Imperial in London changed his name to Sidney Harbour-Bridge for a year for charity. After the year he decided to keep it as he found it an asset in business... I'd love to hear if he has the moniker after nearly 20 years!
Chris Davidson, Market Bosworth
Hi, my mum was Hazel Nutt. Her maiden name was Morrison and she married my father, Peter Nutt. I watched her write out a cheque once with the checkout girl grinning, but my mum was definitely hiding a grin too. I think she loved it.
Donald Nutt, Dundee
My name is ok, but I have a 14-year-old niece called Lotte Flack. Luckily for her she lives in Germany so she is blissfully unaware of the implications. So far.
Eliot Flack-Hill, Hove, East Sussex
Doesn't sound bad but when people start chanting merrily, merrily, merrily it becomes tedious. Should have kept my maiden name.
Mary Lee, Pinner, Middlesex
I've always said that if my partner (a Button) and I had a baby girl we'd call her Pearl. With the fringe benefit that I'd get to call myself mother-of-Pearl Button.
Katie, St Albans, Hertfordshire
At the turn of the last century it was common to give girls the names of flowers, hence my Nan and her sisters who were called Ivy, Daisy and Rose. It's a shame their maiden name was Roots. My father, on the other hand, has a sister called June, which goes so well with our family name, don't you think?
Kevin May, Kent
I went to school with a Penny Bunn and my cousin always said she would call her daughter her favourite girl's name, Dawn, until she married a Mr Hobbs.
Delia Wyers, Burton-on-Trent
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Your... name
Here's a list of all the "find your ___ name" things that I've found... WARNING: some of them are kind of offensive (Terrorist name? Come on!) I've filled in the blanks with my own answers, though most of them don't work too well!
- ACTION HERO NAME: (first name of a main character in the last movie you watched, last food you ate)
Lou Toast
- BARFLY NAME:(last snack food you ate + your favorite drink)
Cookie Cranberry
- BLUES NAME: (disability + city you were born in + last name of the person on the currency in your pocket)
Retarded Syracuse Washington
- CARTOON NAME (your favorite fruit + add "ie" or "y", and an article of clothing you’re wearing right now)
Pomegranatey Pajamas- CARTOON VARIATION (favorite fruit, article of clothing you're wearing right now + "ie" or "y")
Pomegranate Pajamasie
- CARTOON VARIATION (favorite fruit, article of clothing you're wearing right now + "ie" or "y")
- CRIMINAL NAME: (name of your favorite perfume/cologne, favorite candy bar)-- this is the same as the Stripper Name-- do criminals and strippers have similar names?
Jasmine Mars
- DETECTIVE NAME:(favorite color, favorite animal)
Orange Wombat
- DETECTIVE VARIATION: (favorite animal, favorite color)
Wombat Orange
- DETECTIVE VARIATION 2: (favorite animal, name of high school)
Wombat Cortland - DETECTIVE VARIATION 3: (favorite color, favorite insect)
Orange Firefly
- DETECTIVE VARIATION: (favorite animal, favorite color)
- DRAG QUEEN NAME: (first pet + mother's maiden name)
Emmett Schoenfeld
- EASTERN NAME (2nd letter of your first name, 3rd letter of your last name, any letter of your middle name, 2nd letter of your moms maiden name, 3rd letter of you dads middle name, 1st letter of a siblings first name, last letter of your moms middle name)
Oricaaa
- EMO BAND NAME: (first word in the top banner ad above, city of the away team of the last major sporting event you went to/remember)
This Sky
- EXOTIC FOREIGNER ALIAS: (favorite spice + last vacation spot visited)
Cilantro Penobscot
- FASHION DESIGNER NAME: (first word you see on your left + favorite restaurant)
One Tu y To
- GAMER TAG: (a favorite color, a favorite animal)
Orange Rat
- GHETTO NAME: (first 2 or 3 letters of your first name, -Shawn/Quan/Quita/Niqua, last name of whatever President or Prime Minister is on the currency you have in your pocket)
Noquita Jefferson
- GANGSTA NAME:(first 3 letters of real name plus izzle)
Norizzle
- GANGSTA NAME VARIATION: (first 4 letters of real name plus izzle)
Noraizzle
- GANGSTA VARIATION 2:( fav ice cream flavor, fav cookie)
Big Dig Oatmeal Raisin
- GANGSTA VARIATION 3: (favorite ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe)
Big Dig Slippers
- GANGASTA VARIATION 4: (favorite beer + favorite car)
Negra Modelo Fiat
- GANGSTA NAME VARIATION: (first 4 letters of real name plus izzle)
- GOTH NAME:(black, and the name of one of your pets)
Black Morrissey
- HIPPIE NAME: (what you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)
Toast Willow
- ICON ALIAS: (something sweet within sight + any liquid in the kitchen)
Raisin Vodka
- IRAQI NAME: (2nd letter of your first name, 3rd letter of your last name, 1st letter of your last name, 2nd letter of your moms maiden name, 3rd letter of your dads name, 1st letter of a siblings first name, and last letter of your moms first name)
Orbclaa
- MOB NAME (Dad's name, favorite Italian restaurant)
Bill Regina
- MOVIE STAR NAME: (grandfather/grandmother on your Mum's side, your favorite candy)
Evelyn Reese
- MOVIE STAR VAR 1: (grandfather/grandmother on your dad's side, favorite candy)
Frances Reese
- MOVIE STAR VAR 2: (favorite snack food + grandfather's first name)
Doritos Sidney - MOVIE STAR VAR 3: (first pet’s name + Favorite teacher’s name)
Emmett Levine
- MOVIE STAR NAME: (grandfather/grandmother on your Mum's side, your favorite candy)
- NASCAR NAME:(first name of your mother's dad, father's dad)
Sidney Bill
- NATIVE AMERICAN NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)
Orange Wombat
- NATIVE AMERICAN VARIATION: (last action you did + favorite animal)
Typing Wombat
- NATIVE AMERICAN VARIATION: (last action you did + favorite animal)
- NEWSCASTER NAME (your middle name, moms maiden name)
Hinman Schoenwald
- OPPOSITE SEX NAME: (name of [opposite sex] friend + phone company you use):
Justin Sprint- OPPOSITE SEX VAR: (name of dad/mom, cell phone company you use)
Bill Sprint
- OPPOSITE SEX VAR: (name of dad/mom, cell phone company you use)
- PORN NAME: (1st pet, a street you grew up on)
Pequeño Seneca
- PORN VARIATION: (first pet and current street name)
Pequeño Verdun
- PORN VARIATION 2: (middle name, father's middle initial, street you grew up on)
Hinman T. Randall
- PORN VARIATION 3: (current pet's name, street you grew up on)
Morrissey Seneca
- PORN VARIATION: (first pet and current street name)
- RAP or FLY GIRL/GUY NAME:(first 2 letters of 1st name, last 2 letters of your last name)
No-ch
- RAP or FLY GIRL/GUY VAR: (1st Initial of 1st name, 1st 2 or 3 letters of middle name)
N-hin
- RAP or FLY GIRL/GUY VAR: (1st Initial of 1st name, 1st 2 or 3 letters of middle name)
- ROCK STAR NAME:(current pets name, current street name)
Jarvis Verdun
- ROCK STAR VARIATION (your first pet & current car)
Pequeño Civic
- ROCK STAR VARIATION 2:(friend's middle name, street you grew up on)
Kerr Randall
- ROCK STAR VARIATION 3: (first pet and color of your walls)
Emmett Off-White
- ROCK STAR VARIATION 4: (favorite candy/dessert + favorite musician's last name)
Rhubarb Pie Adamson
- ROCK STAR VARIATION (your first pet & current car)
- ROCKSTAR TOUR:("The” + Your fave hobby/craft, your fave weather element + the word “Tour”)
The Onomastics Rain Tour
- SOAP OPERA NAME:(middle name, county where you were born)
Hinman Onondaga
- SOAP OPERA VARIATION:(middle name, city where you were born)
Hinman Syracuse
- SOAP OPERA VARIATION 2:(middle name, and childhood street)
Hinman Seneca
- SOAP OPERA VARIATION 3: (middle name & city where you live)
Hinman Cambridge
- SOAP OPERA VARIATION 4: (middle name + the street you live on)
Hinman Verdun - SOAP OPERA VARIATION 5: (favorite grandmother’s/grandfather’s name, city where you were born)
Evelyn Syracuse
- SOAP OPERA VARIATION:(middle name, city where you were born)
- SOCIALITE NAME; (silliest childhood nickname + first town where you partied):
Greeny New Rochelle
- SPORTS NICKNAME (Favorite car maker, second favorite animal, and "The")
The Fiat Hedgehog
- SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday to your favorite flower)
Autumn Violet
- SPY VARIATION: (middle name and current street name)
Hinman Verdun
- SPY VARIATION: (middle name and current street name)
- STAR WARS NAME:(the 1st 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name)
Burno
- STAR WARS VARIATION:(the 1st 2 letters of last name, 1st 4 letters of 1st name)
Bunora
- STAR WARS VARIATION 2: (the 1st 3 letters of last name, 1st 2 letters of 1st name, 1st 3 letters of mom's maiden name)
Burnosch
- STAR WARS VARIATION 3: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name, first 2 letters of mom's maiden name and first 3 letters of the town you grew up in)
Burno Scsyr
- STAR WARS VAR 4: (first 3 letters of your last name, last 3 letters of mother's maiden name, first 3 letters of your pet's name)
Bur Ald Mor
- STAR WARS VAR 5: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name, first 2 letters of mom's maiden name, and first 3 letters of siblings name)
Burnoschal - STAR WARS VAR 6:(the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name, first 2 letters of middlename and first 3 letters of the town you grew up in.)
Burno Hisyr
- JEDI NAME: (last name spelled backwards, your mom's first name spelled backward)
Hcrub Arual
- JEDI NAME VARIATION 1: (First syllable of mothers maiden name + first syllable of city born in = Jedi last)
Schoen Syr
- JEDI VARIATION 2:(middle name spelled backwards, mom's maiden name backwards)
Namnih Dlefneohcs
- STAR WARS VARIATION:(the 1st 2 letters of last name, 1st 4 letters of 1st name)
- STRIPPER NAME: (name of your fav perfume, fav candy)
Jasmine Candy Corn
- SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd fav color, fav drink, add "THE" to the beginning)
The Green Cranberry Juice
- SUPERHERO VARIATION: (2nd favorite color, favorite alcoholic drink, optionally add “THE” to the beginning)
The Green Cuba Libre
- SUPERHERO VARIATION 2: ("The", your favorite color, the automobile you drive)
The Orange Civic
- SUPERHERO VARIATION 3: ("The", your favorite color, favorite fruit)
The Orange Pomegranate
- SUPERHERO VARIATION 4: ("The", your favorite color, the car your mom drives)
The Orange Volvo or the Orange Beetle (stepmom is better)
- SUPERHERO VARIATION 5: ("The", your favorite color, the car your dad drives)
the Orange Golf or The Orange Seville (stepdad is better!)
- SUPERHERO VARIATION: (2nd favorite color, favorite alcoholic drink, optionally add “THE” to the beginning)
- SUPER HERO TEAM NAME (The mood you are in, number of pets you own, and add the)
The Sleepy 3
- TERRORIST NAME (first name spelled backwards, your mom's maiden name spelled backwards)
Hanor Dlawneohcs
- TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (your 5th grade teacher’s last name and add a major city that starts with the same letter)
Carrier Cleveland
- WITNESS PROTECTION NAME:(mother and fathers middle names)
Julie Tracy
- WITNESS VARIATION: (grandfather and grandmothers first name
Francis Sidney
- WITNESS VARIATION: (grandfather and grandmothers first name
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Baby Name Fail!
see more pwn and owned pictures
I'm not sure which site this screen shot was from, but I hope it doesn't inspire anyone to name a kid ESPN... at least not a girl. The other baby ESPN's out there seem to all be boys!
From MSNBC:
Parents name baby after ESPN, Joe Montana
But D'Iberville baby isn't alone — 3 were named after network last year
updated 12:05 p.m. ET, Mon., Oct. 9, 2006
BILOXI, Miss. - Leann Real promised her husband, an avid sports fan, that if they ever had a son he'd get to pick the name. ESPN Montana Real was born this week at Biloxi Regional Medical Center.
Rusty Real, of D'Iberville, chose ESPN (pronounced Espen) after the sports network and Montana after football legend Joe Montana.
Baby ESPN isn't alone.
Three others were cited in a 2005 report on tivocommunity.com about the network's 25th anniversary. They are Espn Malachi McCall in Pampa, Texas; Espn Curiel in Corpus Christi, Texas; and Espn Blondeel in Michigan.
"We were the talk of the hospital," Rusty Real said. "The nurses kept asking my wife if she was really going to let her husband name him ESPN. She said, 'Oh, yes.'"
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Ima Hogg Revealed
Whenever anyone is compiling a list of funny names, Ima Hogg usually figures prominently. Here's an article about her from the Irish Times:
Friday, December 19, 2008
An Irishman's Diary
BEAR with me while I return yet again to the subject of funny names. But the fact is that no discussion of this phenomenon would be complete without mentioning the daughter of a famous Texan lawyer and politician, James "Big Jim" Hogg, writes Frank McNally
There could be no doubting Big Jim's delight at the birth of his only female child in 1882. In a letter he wrote: "Our cup of joy is now overflowing! We have a daughter of as fine proportions and of as angelic mien as ever gracious nature [allows]..." Then, for reasons best known to himself, he christened the baby "Ima".
Cynics have suggested that Big Jim, who was running for district attorney at the time (and would later become state governor), may have calculated that subjecting the child to a lifetime of embarrassment was a price worth paying for headlines.
Indeed, years later, it became a running joke (in more ways than one) that whenever Ima and a female friend accompanied him on campaign appearances, he would claim both as daughters, and introduce the second as "Ura". This never happened, according to Ima, who remained admirably loyal to her father throughout her life.
The truth, it seems, is that, amid the distraction of their cup of joy overflowing, it had not occurred to Big Jim or his wife Sarah that there was anything untoward in the name. It was probably chosen in tribute to the child's uncle, who had written an epic poem featuring heroines called "Ima" and "Leila". By the time it occurred to anyone that, from such a short-list, Leila was the better choice, the infant's fate was sealed.
As an adult, she recalled: "My grandfather. . .lived 15 miles from Mineola and news travelled slowly. When he learned of his granddaughter's name he came trotting to town as fast as he could to protest but it was too late. The christening had taken place, and Ima I was to remain."
You would think that going through life as Ima Hogg would be a disadvantage, and to some extent it was. She usually signed herself elliptically as "Miss Hogg", and eventually invented a new middle name, "Imogene". But apart from the endless jokes, her misfortune does not seem to have held her back.
If you must be so saddled, it helps to be well off, and Ima certainly was. She was reared a lady, playing piano from the age of three and going on to study music in New York, Berlin, and Vienna, before returning to found the Houston Symphony Orchestra. Not poor to begin with, the Hoggs then discovered oil on the family farm - a windfall that, by the 1920s, set Ima on a career in philanthropy.
We mentioned in a previous column the sad case of a woman called Ima Mae Queen, named on the register of a US army psychiatric hospital. Well, Ima Hogg had mental problems too. After being treated successfully, she founded a centre for disturbed children, established the Hogg Foundation for Mental Hygiene, and became an activist for many causes, especially education.
By the early 1960s, she was being called the "First Lady of Texas", a title not begrudged her by the woman who officially qualified for it: the wife of governor John Connally.
In 1969, Ima became one of the first female members of the Academy of Texas, along with Lady Bird Johnson (the ex-president's wife) and a woman called Oveta Culp Hobby - a fact that illustrates why having a funny name is not a major handicap in the US south. After a lifetime spent in the service of others, Ima Hogg died in 1975, at the grand old age of 93.
I THANK again the many readers who continue to send their own examples of apt, inapt, or just amusing names. My sympathy goes out to more than one real-life Irish woman called Annette Curtin. But no matter how many times you've been told to pull yourself together, I suspect that's still better than having to call yourself a hog.
Animal names are a recurring theme, even outside Texas. I'm informed that there is at least one Paschal Lambe in Ireland, who must have a hard time every Easter. And Steven Butler, the curator of horticulture at Dublin Zoo, tells me that the people interviewed for his equivalent job in Chester Zoo included a "Pett", a "Bird", a "Wren", a "Mole", and a "Sparrow". The sparrow won.
Thanks to several readers for pointing out the happy fact that Birdwatch Ireland has a staff member called Niall Hatch; and that, better still, he's the development officer.
But back to the pork sector, as it were, and to that apocryphal joke about Big Jim Hogg pretending to have a second daughter called "Ura". You might think such a name could never happen in real life. And you would be wrong.
Old US census records include numerous references to a similar but even less poetic surname, "Pigg". But as if that were not enough to pass on, several proud parents felt the need to add unusual forenames. The birth of one "Della O.U. Pigg" is recorded in Tennessee circa 1873. In 1900, we also find a "Ure O. Pigg" in Oklahoma. And the train of thought reached its logical conclusion in 1928, also in Oklahoma, with the christening of one "Ure Alton Pigg" or "Ure A. Pigg" for short.
We know nothing more about this unfortunate person. It must be presumed that his or her family did not strike oil.
Friday, December 19, 2008
An Irishman's Diary
BEAR with me while I return yet again to the subject of funny names. But the fact is that no discussion of this phenomenon would be complete without mentioning the daughter of a famous Texan lawyer and politician, James "Big Jim" Hogg, writes Frank McNally
There could be no doubting Big Jim's delight at the birth of his only female child in 1882. In a letter he wrote: "Our cup of joy is now overflowing! We have a daughter of as fine proportions and of as angelic mien as ever gracious nature [allows]..." Then, for reasons best known to himself, he christened the baby "Ima".
Cynics have suggested that Big Jim, who was running for district attorney at the time (and would later become state governor), may have calculated that subjecting the child to a lifetime of embarrassment was a price worth paying for headlines.
Indeed, years later, it became a running joke (in more ways than one) that whenever Ima and a female friend accompanied him on campaign appearances, he would claim both as daughters, and introduce the second as "Ura". This never happened, according to Ima, who remained admirably loyal to her father throughout her life.
The truth, it seems, is that, amid the distraction of their cup of joy overflowing, it had not occurred to Big Jim or his wife Sarah that there was anything untoward in the name. It was probably chosen in tribute to the child's uncle, who had written an epic poem featuring heroines called "Ima" and "Leila". By the time it occurred to anyone that, from such a short-list, Leila was the better choice, the infant's fate was sealed.
As an adult, she recalled: "My grandfather. . .lived 15 miles from Mineola and news travelled slowly. When he learned of his granddaughter's name he came trotting to town as fast as he could to protest but it was too late. The christening had taken place, and Ima I was to remain."
You would think that going through life as Ima Hogg would be a disadvantage, and to some extent it was. She usually signed herself elliptically as "Miss Hogg", and eventually invented a new middle name, "Imogene". But apart from the endless jokes, her misfortune does not seem to have held her back.
If you must be so saddled, it helps to be well off, and Ima certainly was. She was reared a lady, playing piano from the age of three and going on to study music in New York, Berlin, and Vienna, before returning to found the Houston Symphony Orchestra. Not poor to begin with, the Hoggs then discovered oil on the family farm - a windfall that, by the 1920s, set Ima on a career in philanthropy.
We mentioned in a previous column the sad case of a woman called Ima Mae Queen, named on the register of a US army psychiatric hospital. Well, Ima Hogg had mental problems too. After being treated successfully, she founded a centre for disturbed children, established the Hogg Foundation for Mental Hygiene, and became an activist for many causes, especially education.
By the early 1960s, she was being called the "First Lady of Texas", a title not begrudged her by the woman who officially qualified for it: the wife of governor John Connally.
In 1969, Ima became one of the first female members of the Academy of Texas, along with Lady Bird Johnson (the ex-president's wife) and a woman called Oveta Culp Hobby - a fact that illustrates why having a funny name is not a major handicap in the US south. After a lifetime spent in the service of others, Ima Hogg died in 1975, at the grand old age of 93.
I THANK again the many readers who continue to send their own examples of apt, inapt, or just amusing names. My sympathy goes out to more than one real-life Irish woman called Annette Curtin. But no matter how many times you've been told to pull yourself together, I suspect that's still better than having to call yourself a hog.
Animal names are a recurring theme, even outside Texas. I'm informed that there is at least one Paschal Lambe in Ireland, who must have a hard time every Easter. And Steven Butler, the curator of horticulture at Dublin Zoo, tells me that the people interviewed for his equivalent job in Chester Zoo included a "Pett", a "Bird", a "Wren", a "Mole", and a "Sparrow". The sparrow won.
Thanks to several readers for pointing out the happy fact that Birdwatch Ireland has a staff member called Niall Hatch; and that, better still, he's the development officer.
But back to the pork sector, as it were, and to that apocryphal joke about Big Jim Hogg pretending to have a second daughter called "Ura". You might think such a name could never happen in real life. And you would be wrong.
Old US census records include numerous references to a similar but even less poetic surname, "Pigg". But as if that were not enough to pass on, several proud parents felt the need to add unusual forenames. The birth of one "Della O.U. Pigg" is recorded in Tennessee circa 1873. In 1900, we also find a "Ure O. Pigg" in Oklahoma. And the train of thought reached its logical conclusion in 1928, also in Oklahoma, with the christening of one "Ure Alton Pigg" or "Ure A. Pigg" for short.
We know nothing more about this unfortunate person. It must be presumed that his or her family did not strike oil.
Peruvian Jesus born to Virgin Mary on Christmas
Mon Dec 29, 2008 10:02am EST
LIMA (Reuters) - Virgin Mary, a 20-year-old Peruvian woman, gave birth to a baby boy on Christmas day and named him Jesus, Peru's state news agency said on Friday.
The baby's father, Adolfo Jorge Huamani, 24, is a carpenter. Religious Peruvians compared him to Joseph the Carpenter in the Bible.
"Two thousand years later the story of Bethlehem is relived," read the headline about the birth in El Comercio, the main newspaper in Peru, a predominantly Catholic country.
The mother, Virgen Maria Huarcaya, delivered the 7.7 pound (3.5 kg) boy, Jesus Emanuel, in the early hours of Christmas at the central maternity hospital in Lima, the capital.
"A few days ago we had decided to name my son after a professional soccer player," the father said. "But thanks to a happy coincidence this is how things ended up."
(Reporting by Terry Wade; Editing by Vicki Allen)
LIMA (Reuters) - Virgin Mary, a 20-year-old Peruvian woman, gave birth to a baby boy on Christmas day and named him Jesus, Peru's state news agency said on Friday.
The baby's father, Adolfo Jorge Huamani, 24, is a carpenter. Religious Peruvians compared him to Joseph the Carpenter in the Bible.
"Two thousand years later the story of Bethlehem is relived," read the headline about the birth in El Comercio, the main newspaper in Peru, a predominantly Catholic country.
The mother, Virgen Maria Huarcaya, delivered the 7.7 pound (3.5 kg) boy, Jesus Emanuel, in the early hours of Christmas at the central maternity hospital in Lima, the capital.
"A few days ago we had decided to name my son after a professional soccer player," the father said. "But thanks to a happy coincidence this is how things ended up."
(Reporting by Terry Wade; Editing by Vicki Allen)
Saturday, December 13, 2008
More Baby Obamas
Parents worldwide inspired to name kids for Obama
By ALISON MUTLER and WILLIAM J. KOLE
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — By his own admission, Barack Obama was "a skinny kid with a funny name," but that isn't stopping proud parents from Romania to Indonesia from naming their newborns after the U.S. president-elect.
Romania's downtrodden Gypsies — once enslaved, like African-Americans, yet still struggling to overcome deep-seated prejudice — seem particularly inspired.
"When I saw Obama on TV, my heart swelled with joy. I thought he was one of us Gypsies because of his skin color," said Maria Savu, whose infant grandson — Obama Sorin Ilie Scoica — was born in the central Romania village of Rusciori.
Little Obama is the third child of a poor family that barely gets by on 200 lei ($66) a month in welfare benefits.
He came into the world on Nov. 4, the day Americans voted in their new multiracial president-elect, and Savu, 43, told the Evenimentul Zilei newspaper she hopes his name will bring him luck.
Obama's victory also moved Sugiarto, a 36-year-old security guard in Jakarta, Indonesia, and his wife, Sularsih, to name their new son after him.
Indonesia, an overwhelmingly Muslim nation made up of more than 18,000 islands, is unabashedly Obama-crazy — in part because Obama spent four years there as a child.
"He's great, isn't it?" said Sularsih, 34, rubbing the cheek of their sleeping 1-month-old, Husein Obama. "I think it's a beautiful name for him. And who knows? Maybe one day he'll be president of Indonesia."
Underscoring Obama's popularity across the sprawling archipelago: Many political parties have made up new banners that feature photos of the U.S. leader, and some have even co-opted his "Yes we can" and "change" themes.
Americans also have been naming children for Obama. Patrick and Sasha Hall Fisher of Hollywood, Florida, are credited as being the first: Sanjae Obama Fisher was born a few hours before news outlets declared Obama to be the new president-elect.
In the Dutch city of Leiden, officials proudly announced last week that Obama's roots can be traced to the Pilgrims who eventually settled America after fleeing England in 1609. The Pilgrims spent 11 years in Leiden on their way to the new world.
Obama is a descendant of Thomas Blossom, local alderman Jan-Jaap Haan said, citing research by the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston.
"Leiden is proud that our historic city is linked via this family tree to the already special background of the new president of America," Haan said.
But Obama's victory has had a special resonance in corners of the world where the poor and underprivileged see him as an example of the change they crave in their own societies.
Atta Mills, an opposition candidate campaigning on a platform of change in this month's presidential elections in Ghana, put up posters of himself standing next to a life-size photo cutout of Obama to help make his point to voters.
And in Brazil, at least eight black candidates took advantage of a quirk in electoral laws and opted to have their names appear as "Barack Obama" in October elections.
In Romania, Banel Nicolita, a member of Romania's national soccer team, is a Gypsy who comes from a family of eight who once lived in a house made of mud. His accomplishments, against all odds, have earned him the nickname "the Obama of Romanian football."
Romania officially is home to 500,000 Gypsies, or Roma, although it's widely believed that there are really at least twice as many. Many people of Roma extraction don't declare their ethnicity due to widespread prejudice, and many live in poverty.
The European Union's Fundamental Rights Agency says Gypsies also suffer routine discrimination in education, employment, health services and housing — just a few of the reasons so many identify with the struggles of American blacks.
"Obama's victory is a motivation for us," said Gruia Bumbu, chairman of the National Agency for the Roma.
Like African-Americans, Gypsies were slaves until roughly the same time in the 19th century. But the Roma never launched a broad civil rights movement, and today, Bumbu said, "we are 20 to 30 years behind."
"When you see that an African-American becomes president, it shows you that the dreams can turn into reality," he said. "It's like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel — the fight for equal opportunities can have a happy ending."
Kole reported from Vienna, Austria. AP writers Irwan Firdaus in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, contributed to this story.
By ALISON MUTLER and WILLIAM J. KOLE
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — By his own admission, Barack Obama was "a skinny kid with a funny name," but that isn't stopping proud parents from Romania to Indonesia from naming their newborns after the U.S. president-elect.
Romania's downtrodden Gypsies — once enslaved, like African-Americans, yet still struggling to overcome deep-seated prejudice — seem particularly inspired.
"When I saw Obama on TV, my heart swelled with joy. I thought he was one of us Gypsies because of his skin color," said Maria Savu, whose infant grandson — Obama Sorin Ilie Scoica — was born in the central Romania village of Rusciori.
Little Obama is the third child of a poor family that barely gets by on 200 lei ($66) a month in welfare benefits.
He came into the world on Nov. 4, the day Americans voted in their new multiracial president-elect, and Savu, 43, told the Evenimentul Zilei newspaper she hopes his name will bring him luck.
Obama's victory also moved Sugiarto, a 36-year-old security guard in Jakarta, Indonesia, and his wife, Sularsih, to name their new son after him.
Indonesia, an overwhelmingly Muslim nation made up of more than 18,000 islands, is unabashedly Obama-crazy — in part because Obama spent four years there as a child.
"He's great, isn't it?" said Sularsih, 34, rubbing the cheek of their sleeping 1-month-old, Husein Obama. "I think it's a beautiful name for him. And who knows? Maybe one day he'll be president of Indonesia."
Underscoring Obama's popularity across the sprawling archipelago: Many political parties have made up new banners that feature photos of the U.S. leader, and some have even co-opted his "Yes we can" and "change" themes.
Americans also have been naming children for Obama. Patrick and Sasha Hall Fisher of Hollywood, Florida, are credited as being the first: Sanjae Obama Fisher was born a few hours before news outlets declared Obama to be the new president-elect.
In the Dutch city of Leiden, officials proudly announced last week that Obama's roots can be traced to the Pilgrims who eventually settled America after fleeing England in 1609. The Pilgrims spent 11 years in Leiden on their way to the new world.
Obama is a descendant of Thomas Blossom, local alderman Jan-Jaap Haan said, citing research by the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston.
"Leiden is proud that our historic city is linked via this family tree to the already special background of the new president of America," Haan said.
But Obama's victory has had a special resonance in corners of the world where the poor and underprivileged see him as an example of the change they crave in their own societies.
Atta Mills, an opposition candidate campaigning on a platform of change in this month's presidential elections in Ghana, put up posters of himself standing next to a life-size photo cutout of Obama to help make his point to voters.
And in Brazil, at least eight black candidates took advantage of a quirk in electoral laws and opted to have their names appear as "Barack Obama" in October elections.
In Romania, Banel Nicolita, a member of Romania's national soccer team, is a Gypsy who comes from a family of eight who once lived in a house made of mud. His accomplishments, against all odds, have earned him the nickname "the Obama of Romanian football."
Romania officially is home to 500,000 Gypsies, or Roma, although it's widely believed that there are really at least twice as many. Many people of Roma extraction don't declare their ethnicity due to widespread prejudice, and many live in poverty.
The European Union's Fundamental Rights Agency says Gypsies also suffer routine discrimination in education, employment, health services and housing — just a few of the reasons so many identify with the struggles of American blacks.
"Obama's victory is a motivation for us," said Gruia Bumbu, chairman of the National Agency for the Roma.
Like African-Americans, Gypsies were slaves until roughly the same time in the 19th century. But the Roma never launched a broad civil rights movement, and today, Bumbu said, "we are 20 to 30 years behind."
"When you see that an African-American becomes president, it shows you that the dreams can turn into reality," he said. "It's like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel — the fight for equal opportunities can have a happy ending."
Kole reported from Vienna, Austria. AP writers Irwan Firdaus in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, contributed to this story.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Baby Name Generators
Here are a couple of name generators I've found out there:
Emo baby Name Generator
Celebrity Baby Name Generator
Emo baby Name Generator
Celebrity Baby Name Generator
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Baby-name experts grade `Bronx Mowgli'
By ERIN CARLSON
The name Brooklyn has been done before, so Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Pete Wentz turned to another New York City borough in naming their newborn son: The Bronx.
She hails from Texas, he grew up near Chicago, and the pop-rock power couple haven't said whether the Yankees' territory (and arguably the toughest real estate in New York City) inspired their unusual choice: Bronx Mowgli Wentz.
That ranks right up there with Zuma Nesta Rock — Gwen Stefani's baby boy — in the category of quirkiest baby names.
The Associated Press consulted its panel of baby-name gurus to weigh in on the scrappy-sounding moniker.
___
EXPERT: Whitney Walker, co-author with Eric Reyes of "The Perfect Baby Name" and consultant through ThePerfectBabyName.com.
SPECIALTY: Phonetics and rhythm — how names sound and flow together.
IMPRESSIONS: "I actually like the name Bronx. ... It is kind of a poser move to name your kid after this particular neighborhood that's seen as being a tough New York neighborhood. But if they have some connection to it, then that's nice."
"That `x' ending and the short `o' sound — those are things that are going to be appealing to people, so it's not surprising that Bronx is a choice. ... It sound tough, and hopefully the kid will be a little bit tough, and he probably will with Pete Wentz as a father, because Pete Wentz comes across certainly as a prankster. ... Bronx isn't the name for some nerdy, shy kid, you know?"
"Mowgli is a character (from the Rudyard Kipling stories and the Disney film `The Jungle Book') who's got a lot of independence, and he's brave and he saves the day, and I think there's a great tradition of naming your kids after a fictional character ... that represents an ideal that you want to impart to your kid."
"The reason that I'm giving it a minus is because Bronx ends with an `s' sound and Wentz ends with an `s' sound, and to have two one-syllable names in a row like that (both) ending with the same sound? It's almost like it's rhyming. It's a little bit too repetitive."
GRADE: B-
___
EXPERT: Maryanna Korwitts, author of "Name Power 101" and founder of BabyNamingCentral.com.
SPECIALTY: The holistic approach, from sounds and meanings to the impact of names, possible nicknames — even initials — on personality traits.
IMPRESSIONS: "With Bronx, it's got some positives: It's short, not a name that's going to be shortened with a crazy nickname, so it is what it is. It does have a very masculine sound. There's a lot of appeal to x's and z's in names for some reason for people, and so that's another positive in the way that the name looks. It's got a nice, hard sound in the beginning — and easy to spell."
"Subliminally, it's a name that's gonna encourage this child to be very independent, very headstrong. ... He's going to have a stubborn streak and really want to do things his way, which will help him growing up in a celebrity family."
"This is a child that's going to grow up using his physical traits and talents, so he would be the kind that you talk to him the wrong way, he might throw a punch. Or he might turn his sights to sports."
"One of the things that I always caution my clients on is to choose a middle name that a child is not going to be embarrassed by later on, and this is one that could definitely be one of those that's hidden. `What's your middle name?' `Oh, I don't have one.' ... That's kind of a downer, and I think when choose a name like that, they're picking it more on the basis of their own likes and dislikes and not really thinking about the child going forward."
"Bronx Wentz? Little problem in the flow there in saying the name. ... We've got some problems in that Bronx and Wentz are both one syllable, and it's a very herky-jerky type of thing when you're saying it."
GRADE: C
___
EXPERT: Jennifer Moss, author of "The One-in-a-Million Baby Name Book" and founder of Babynames.com.
SPECIALTY: Practicality. Moss focuses on the research process, looking for influences such as family history and life experiences.
IMPRESSIONS: "The sound of it — Bronx Wentz — is really a harsh sound. And the name Bronx itself sounds like a honk, you know? ... It associates with a certain place — not that there's anything wrong with the Bronx, but it's, like, why? ... I mean, I don't know, it's just like naming somebody Detroit."
GRADE: D+
___
COMPOSITE PANEL GRADE: C
___
PREVIOUS PANEL RESULTS:
_ Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline, twins of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt: Knox Leon: C, Vivienne Marcheline: B-plus.
_ Zuma Nesta Rock, son of Gavin Rossdale and Gwen Stefani: C-
The name Brooklyn has been done before, so Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Pete Wentz turned to another New York City borough in naming their newborn son: The Bronx.
She hails from Texas, he grew up near Chicago, and the pop-rock power couple haven't said whether the Yankees' territory (and arguably the toughest real estate in New York City) inspired their unusual choice: Bronx Mowgli Wentz.
That ranks right up there with Zuma Nesta Rock — Gwen Stefani's baby boy — in the category of quirkiest baby names.
The Associated Press consulted its panel of baby-name gurus to weigh in on the scrappy-sounding moniker.
___
EXPERT: Whitney Walker, co-author with Eric Reyes of "The Perfect Baby Name" and consultant through ThePerfectBabyName.com.
SPECIALTY: Phonetics and rhythm — how names sound and flow together.
IMPRESSIONS: "I actually like the name Bronx. ... It is kind of a poser move to name your kid after this particular neighborhood that's seen as being a tough New York neighborhood. But if they have some connection to it, then that's nice."
"That `x' ending and the short `o' sound — those are things that are going to be appealing to people, so it's not surprising that Bronx is a choice. ... It sound tough, and hopefully the kid will be a little bit tough, and he probably will with Pete Wentz as a father, because Pete Wentz comes across certainly as a prankster. ... Bronx isn't the name for some nerdy, shy kid, you know?"
"Mowgli is a character (from the Rudyard Kipling stories and the Disney film `The Jungle Book') who's got a lot of independence, and he's brave and he saves the day, and I think there's a great tradition of naming your kids after a fictional character ... that represents an ideal that you want to impart to your kid."
"The reason that I'm giving it a minus is because Bronx ends with an `s' sound and Wentz ends with an `s' sound, and to have two one-syllable names in a row like that (both) ending with the same sound? It's almost like it's rhyming. It's a little bit too repetitive."
GRADE: B-
___
EXPERT: Maryanna Korwitts, author of "Name Power 101" and founder of BabyNamingCentral.com.
SPECIALTY: The holistic approach, from sounds and meanings to the impact of names, possible nicknames — even initials — on personality traits.
IMPRESSIONS: "With Bronx, it's got some positives: It's short, not a name that's going to be shortened with a crazy nickname, so it is what it is. It does have a very masculine sound. There's a lot of appeal to x's and z's in names for some reason for people, and so that's another positive in the way that the name looks. It's got a nice, hard sound in the beginning — and easy to spell."
"Subliminally, it's a name that's gonna encourage this child to be very independent, very headstrong. ... He's going to have a stubborn streak and really want to do things his way, which will help him growing up in a celebrity family."
"This is a child that's going to grow up using his physical traits and talents, so he would be the kind that you talk to him the wrong way, he might throw a punch. Or he might turn his sights to sports."
"One of the things that I always caution my clients on is to choose a middle name that a child is not going to be embarrassed by later on, and this is one that could definitely be one of those that's hidden. `What's your middle name?' `Oh, I don't have one.' ... That's kind of a downer, and I think when choose a name like that, they're picking it more on the basis of their own likes and dislikes and not really thinking about the child going forward."
"Bronx Wentz? Little problem in the flow there in saying the name. ... We've got some problems in that Bronx and Wentz are both one syllable, and it's a very herky-jerky type of thing when you're saying it."
GRADE: C
___
EXPERT: Jennifer Moss, author of "The One-in-a-Million Baby Name Book" and founder of Babynames.com.
SPECIALTY: Practicality. Moss focuses on the research process, looking for influences such as family history and life experiences.
IMPRESSIONS: "The sound of it — Bronx Wentz — is really a harsh sound. And the name Bronx itself sounds like a honk, you know? ... It associates with a certain place — not that there's anything wrong with the Bronx, but it's, like, why? ... I mean, I don't know, it's just like naming somebody Detroit."
GRADE: D+
___
COMPOSITE PANEL GRADE: C
___
PREVIOUS PANEL RESULTS:
_ Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline, twins of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt: Knox Leon: C, Vivienne Marcheline: B-plus.
_ Zuma Nesta Rock, son of Gavin Rossdale and Gwen Stefani: C-
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Barack a hot name for new babies
From the International Herald Tribune
By Jennifer 8. Lee
Published: November 10, 2008
Decontee Williams was so excited by Barack Obama's victory on Tuesday night that she started jumping up and down — and went into labor. Twelve hours later, Barack Jeilah was born at Phoenix Baptist Hospital to Williams and Prince Jeilah. The baby was 8 pounds 9 ounces and had a full head of hair.
"I love Barack Obama, and I love the name," said Williams, 31, who came to the United States as a refugee from Liberia in 2003. "In Africa, we call it a blessing. That is a good name."
In the last week, Barack, Obama, Michelle, Malia and Sasha have become inspirations for first and middle names across the United States, according to news reports. But the Obama baby boom has been even more pronounced in Kenya, particularly in Kisumu, an area in the western part of the country where relatives of Obama live.
From Election Day through Saturday afternoon, 43 children born at the Nyanza Provincial Hospital in Kisumu were named after the Obamas, with 23 boys given the first and middle name Barack Obama and 20 girls named Michelle Obama.
Pamela Odhiambo, who gave birth to a girl during Obama's victory speech in Chicago, named her Michelle Obama. "It's a new start, a new beginning," said Odhiambo, 18.
There have been other presidential naming trends in the past century, according to Social Security Administration data. Franklin jumped to No. 33 in 1933, up from No. 147 in 1931. Dwight surged in the 1950s and Lyndon in the 1960s. Theodore hit its peak in the first decade of the 20th century.
"Honoring new presidents with baby namesakes used to be an American tradition," said Laura Wattenberg, author of "The Baby Name Wizard." But she pointed out that the custom faded around the time of Watergate, in part because people became more cynical about the presidency.
Wattenberg said Barack and Obama might break that trend for a number of reasons. Blacks, particularly moved by Obama's victory, tend to be more open to new names and to naming children after public figures. Also, Obama drew strong support from people of child-bearing age, and his name sounds fresh.
Obama has said that Barack has the same etymological roots as the Hebrew name Baruch, "one who is blessed."
A shift away from traditional names has meant a decline in the prevalence of John, George, William and James, the popularity (or unpopularity) of presidents notwithstanding.
There is perhaps more hope for presidential surnames, as parents look for untraditional monikers with a classic flavor. Lincoln (for boys) and Kennedy and Reagan (for girls) jumped in popularity in the 1990s. But none of those can compare with the surge by Madison, which broke into the top 10 for girls in 1998 and peaked at No. 2. (Though that may have more to do with a mermaid in the movie "Splash" than a framer of the Constitution.)
And the names can also track the rise and fall of the public's perception of presidents. Hoover came out of nowhere to land at No. 367 for boys' names in 1928, the year Herbert Hoover was elected the 31st president. Then the Great Depression started, and it dropped to No. 945 in 1931. And Clinton, a top 200 baby name for boys in the 1970s and 1980s, still ranked No. 211 in 1992. By 1999, the year after the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke, it had sunk to No. 664.
Even the most tainted presidencies have left a nomenclature mark. The Watergate president inspired some parents, at least overseas. In Venezuela, Nixon Moreno was one of the leaders behind student protests two years ago.
Then again, his co-organizer was Stalin González.
By Jennifer 8. Lee
Published: November 10, 2008
Decontee Williams was so excited by Barack Obama's victory on Tuesday night that she started jumping up and down — and went into labor. Twelve hours later, Barack Jeilah was born at Phoenix Baptist Hospital to Williams and Prince Jeilah. The baby was 8 pounds 9 ounces and had a full head of hair.
"I love Barack Obama, and I love the name," said Williams, 31, who came to the United States as a refugee from Liberia in 2003. "In Africa, we call it a blessing. That is a good name."
In the last week, Barack, Obama, Michelle, Malia and Sasha have become inspirations for first and middle names across the United States, according to news reports. But the Obama baby boom has been even more pronounced in Kenya, particularly in Kisumu, an area in the western part of the country where relatives of Obama live.
From Election Day through Saturday afternoon, 43 children born at the Nyanza Provincial Hospital in Kisumu were named after the Obamas, with 23 boys given the first and middle name Barack Obama and 20 girls named Michelle Obama.
Pamela Odhiambo, who gave birth to a girl during Obama's victory speech in Chicago, named her Michelle Obama. "It's a new start, a new beginning," said Odhiambo, 18.
There have been other presidential naming trends in the past century, according to Social Security Administration data. Franklin jumped to No. 33 in 1933, up from No. 147 in 1931. Dwight surged in the 1950s and Lyndon in the 1960s. Theodore hit its peak in the first decade of the 20th century.
"Honoring new presidents with baby namesakes used to be an American tradition," said Laura Wattenberg, author of "The Baby Name Wizard." But she pointed out that the custom faded around the time of Watergate, in part because people became more cynical about the presidency.
Wattenberg said Barack and Obama might break that trend for a number of reasons. Blacks, particularly moved by Obama's victory, tend to be more open to new names and to naming children after public figures. Also, Obama drew strong support from people of child-bearing age, and his name sounds fresh.
Obama has said that Barack has the same etymological roots as the Hebrew name Baruch, "one who is blessed."
A shift away from traditional names has meant a decline in the prevalence of John, George, William and James, the popularity (or unpopularity) of presidents notwithstanding.
There is perhaps more hope for presidential surnames, as parents look for untraditional monikers with a classic flavor. Lincoln (for boys) and Kennedy and Reagan (for girls) jumped in popularity in the 1990s. But none of those can compare with the surge by Madison, which broke into the top 10 for girls in 1998 and peaked at No. 2. (Though that may have more to do with a mermaid in the movie "Splash" than a framer of the Constitution.)
And the names can also track the rise and fall of the public's perception of presidents. Hoover came out of nowhere to land at No. 367 for boys' names in 1928, the year Herbert Hoover was elected the 31st president. Then the Great Depression started, and it dropped to No. 945 in 1931. And Clinton, a top 200 baby name for boys in the 1970s and 1980s, still ranked No. 211 in 1992. By 1999, the year after the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke, it had sunk to No. 664.
Even the most tainted presidencies have left a nomenclature mark. The Watergate president inspired some parents, at least overseas. In Venezuela, Nixon Moreno was one of the leaders behind student protests two years ago.
Then again, his co-organizer was Stalin González.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Sarah Palin's Kids' Names Deconstructed
What's in the Palin children's names? Fish, for one
BY RICH SCHAPIRO
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Sunday, August 31st 2008, 12:36 AM
Bristol. Piper. Track. Willow. Trig.
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has bestowed unusual names on her five children - but they're full of personal meaning.
A dedicated runner, she named her older son Track because he was born during that sport's season 18 years ago.
Her youngest is 4-month-old Trig Paxson, whose first name is Norse for "true" or "strength" and whose middle name comes from one of his mother's favorite spots in Alaska.
Her three daughters are Bristol, 17, Willow, 14, and Piper, 7.
Palin said the eldest girl was named after Bristol Bay, where the family fishes.
She hasn't explained the other girls' names, but there's a town in Alaska called Willow and Piper brings to mind the Piper Super Cub, a bush plane popular in her state.
Experts said the offbeat names suggest Palin is an outside-the-box thinker who desperately wants to give her kids an edge.
"A lot of times when parents choose unusual names they're looking to make their children stand out above the crowd," said Albert Mehrabian, a professor emeritus of psychology at UCLA and author of the book "The Baby Name Report Card."
Mehrabian said the selection of Track and Trig shows that Palin wants her boys to grow up to be full of machismo.
"Short names like these are given by people who want their kids to be masculine," Mehrabian said. "She's athletic, she's coached kids, so maybe that's part of her value system."
Willow is an earthy, feminine name, while Piper is more adventurous, the experts said. Bristol is in line with a modern tradition of naming people after places.
Together, the five names stunned one maven.
"In my 20 years in the field and after writing nine baby-name books, I gotta say [she] stumped the master," said Pamela Satran, co-author of the book "The Baby Name Bible.
"I've never heard of those."
rschapiro@nydailynews.com
BY RICH SCHAPIRO
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Sunday, August 31st 2008, 12:36 AM
Bristol. Piper. Track. Willow. Trig.
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has bestowed unusual names on her five children - but they're full of personal meaning.
A dedicated runner, she named her older son Track because he was born during that sport's season 18 years ago.
Her youngest is 4-month-old Trig Paxson, whose first name is Norse for "true" or "strength" and whose middle name comes from one of his mother's favorite spots in Alaska.
Her three daughters are Bristol, 17, Willow, 14, and Piper, 7.
Palin said the eldest girl was named after Bristol Bay, where the family fishes.
She hasn't explained the other girls' names, but there's a town in Alaska called Willow and Piper brings to mind the Piper Super Cub, a bush plane popular in her state.
Experts said the offbeat names suggest Palin is an outside-the-box thinker who desperately wants to give her kids an edge.
"A lot of times when parents choose unusual names they're looking to make their children stand out above the crowd," said Albert Mehrabian, a professor emeritus of psychology at UCLA and author of the book "The Baby Name Report Card."
Mehrabian said the selection of Track and Trig shows that Palin wants her boys to grow up to be full of machismo.
"Short names like these are given by people who want their kids to be masculine," Mehrabian said. "She's athletic, she's coached kids, so maybe that's part of her value system."
Willow is an earthy, feminine name, while Piper is more adventurous, the experts said. Bristol is in line with a modern tradition of naming people after places.
Together, the five names stunned one maven.
"In my 20 years in the field and after writing nine baby-name books, I gotta say [she] stumped the master," said Pamela Satran, co-author of the book "The Baby Name Bible.
"I've never heard of those."
rschapiro@nydailynews.com
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