We were talking about names last night at work, and how it’s hard to imagine newborn babies with common names of the recent past. Like Kevin, or Larry. When I was in school, those were just regular boy names. But it’s weird to think of a baby, lying in a crib in 2010, named Larry. Or Roger.
Then I asked my fellow sad-ass break room white bread sandwich-eaters if they’re satisfied with the names they were given. And it was a mixed response.
Personally, I’m neutral on mine. I don’t hate it, or love it. It’s not a name I would’ve chosen, that’s for sure, but it’s not horrible. I guess.
The problem, I think, is that mine brings together two one-syllable names, and it seems kinda halting and choppy. Know what I mean? If a person’s last name is only one syllable, you’ve gotta bust-out a few extra syllables with the first name. Right? Add a little texture… That’s what we did with our kids.
Yeah, I know, I could go with Jeffrey. But nobody’s ever called me that, and it conjures certain negative images in my head. The name Jeffrey seems like some wormy little man who is in his 40s and still lives with his parents, and says things like “Maybe we should call mother?”
And my middle name isn’t an option, either. Scott is also one-syllable, so that doesn’t help me, whatsoever. Maybe I could’ve gone the Waltons route, and started going by the name Jeff-Scott? Yeah, maybe not…
Another small issue I have with Jeff, is that it’s completely unoriginal. If you pull up a list of the most popular boy names from the year I was born, you’ll find that my parents weren’t exactly into bucking trends. They chose current popular names for me, and my brother. And I would’ve appreciated something a little more creative, thank you very much.
Plus, “Jeff Kay” sounds like “JFK,” and that’s kind of weird. I’m sure it never occurred to my mom and dad, but people sometimes still look at me weird when I tell them my name, like I’m trying to be funny or something.
On the other hand… it’s not a terrible name, and I certainly don’t hate it. I mean, at this point I’m kinda used to it. And it doesn’t really matter, one way or the other; it’s not something I’m going to get all wound-up about, in either direction.
But are you happy with your name? What are your thoughts on it? If you could change your first name to something else, do you have one picked out? I don’t. It’s not something I’ve ever contemplated. And have you come across any names, during your travels, that you thought were extra-cool?
Also, are there any names that have been permanently ruined in your mind, because of some person you know, or used to know?
I don’t want to offend anyone named Dennis out there, but I don’t care for that name — because of a guy from Junior High School. His name was Dennis (of course), and he was a complete roughneck stoner who smoked and made out with trashy skanks behind Dunbar Printing.
He was so old, had failed so many times, he drove to school during Junior High, and parked his piece of shit car in the teachers’ parking lot. Heh. He was a menacing kick-your-ass type, and always had hickies all over his neck. He was both scary and disgusting.
One time I saw him in an alley near the school with some breathtakingly ugly girl, and she had her right hand down the front of his underwear (his pants were fully unzipped), just going to town like she was churnin’ butter. In broad daylight, beside a crate of rotting cabbage!
So, you see, the name Dennis is completely ruined for me. Always and forever. Do you have anything along those lines? Tell us about it, won’t you?
And I’ll be back tomorrow, right here.
See ya then.
Maybe first.
I dont particularly like my name: Gregory Edward (last name is one syllable. ( 3,2,1,get it?) Edward was my dad’s name, that’s where that came from. I always like Steve or Eric. Either would have preferable.
There was akid in school with my name who was always getting into trouble. I guess that pretty well ruined Greg for me.
Good Afternoon Surf Reporters…..
John is OK, I guess. More people call me “Johnny” versus “John” though.
My dad is also John, but goes by “Jack”. I always thought that was kind of cool. Jack has cooler connotations….
As far as middle names go, I feel I have a pretty unique one. Never met any other that has it, and it is “Mattes”.
” ….just going to town like she was churnin’ butter.” I’ll be back when I can stop laughing and ditch the visual. Beautiful.
My name means “beloved”, so I’m OK with that. 🙂
I have a good buddy (and fellow Surf Reporter who may see this post) named Bill (WIlliam) who named his new kid Billy (also William of course)…keeping the family tradition, which I appreciate, but I also appreciate that he went with a “traditional” name instead of one of those fucking trendy-ass names of the past 10-20 years.
And I think it’s safe to say that the first name “Adolph” was pretty much ruined for the rest of mankind back in the ’40s (although I think Dolph Lundgren was born after that so I’m not sure what his parents were thinking).
I have a redneck name, Carla Dawn. I’m named after my dad Carl. So its not bad, but I am really glad my name doesn’t rhyme with anything. No taunting when I was little. My last name was Brown, but now its January. So I am Carla Dawn (Brown) January. And yes people do make jokes about that. No offense but I despise the names Amanda, all Amandas are bitches . Too long of a story.
It could be worse… my girlfriend’s aunt is named Thomasue. Apparently the aunt’s dad (my girlfriend’s grandfather) was really set on having a boy named Thomas. The mother was knocked out from exhaustion and painkillers after the birth, and so the dad named the newborn girl.
If you ever met her though, you’d agree that she is definitely a Thomasue.
Yea, Carla isn’t bad at all compared to that.
Hopefully Thomasue was kind, because having a terrible name does not mean you have to be hateful! I went to school with a girl named Thomasina, We called her tommy. She was alot of fun!
I worked for a hag named Heraldine. She was a real piece of work! Wanted us to recycle bread off of our tables if the customers hadn’t eaten it. Yuck!
I don’t care for my name only because half of my family still calls me by my childhood nickname “Missy” which always makes me think of a stripper who lies about her real age.
Of course my parents once told me that during my mother’s entire pregnancy they were dead set on the name “Heather” for me but once they saw me my dad called me Melissa & my mom liked it, so it stuck. Which is good because Heather goes back to stripper thoughts & I’m too fat to be a stripper!
I agree on the name Dennis. I had a coworker here who was tangled in all sorts of issues (possible child porn viewing at work, stalking, etc) & although I don’t know if any of that is true, the name brings bad memories in my head. I’m glad he’s now gone but no matter where I am at, when I hear the name Dennis he’s the first thought that comes to mind.
Which is sad because now that I think of it I have an uncle named Dennis who is actually a nice guy. Huh.
And Jeff, I just remembered that we have something in common. My middle name is Kaye. Not spelled the same, but it’s a Kaye none the less. My godmother is an aging (ancient!) Broadway/Television star that seldom few remember, Kaye Ballard & my parents named me after her.
You’re a Kay, I’m a Kaye, we’re all a Kay Kaye. (Ooooh, lame!)
Hey now…who doesn’t remember “The Mothers In Law”???
I knew a Melissa Kaye in Kansas.
Wasn’t Kaye Ballard the principal in Grease?
No, that was Eve Arden, the other “Mother-in-Law” 😉
Wow, you guys remember The Mothers-In-Law? I only saw a couple episodes since it was before my time, but would crack up if I saw it now.
I really didn’t think anyone in this crowd would know her.
It’s been about 10 years, but I saw Kaye Ballard onstage in Toronto in a production of “The Full Monty.” She had a small part, and it was a professional production, but she just lit up every one of her scenes. She is a true talent.
Yeah, I guess I’m alright with my name… I actually go by Jim in person. I also have the one-syllable last name, so it’s all really succinct. Plus, there’s no good alternative with it. James is too proper… and I just can’t picture being Jimmy.
Apparently before I was born, my parents planned to refer to me as Jimmy… but then a doctor named Jim pointed out that “Jimmy” doesn’t age well. Would you really want to go to a Dr. Jimmy, or to a lawyer named Jimmy? Man, that could have been awful.
Aside from my name being boring, it works alright. As a perk, someone semi-famous has the same name as me. So it’s nearly impossible to find any information about me online. Lazy cyber-stalkers wouldn’t want to deal with the hassle of filtering through all of those results.
My father-in-law’s given name is James, but has gone by Jimmy his whole life. His drivers license even says it now. He’s 65 years old.
However, I agree with you on the doctor thing, but he’s a A/C guy, so I guess it works for him. It’s the kind of name you expect to be embroidered on a patch on a shirt with a blue collar. Like Earl, or Roy, or Bobby.
Used to hate my name but I’m getting better at it. Madeleine. the longest spelling. And don’t even THINK of calling me Maddy (although some select few can and do). But my middle name is Ellen. Madeleine Ellen. It sounds the same and it’s SO FRICKING LONG. My maiden name was 3 syllables too. Penmanship almost made me a fucking cripple and I swear, I think I have strains of rheumatoid arthritis. My hands are going to look like a couple of sheleighlys some day.
Suzies and Cathys have been ruined for me forever.
ANd I can do without hyphenated names. Christ, pick one, wiil ya???
For some reason I can never remember a few of the reporter’s genders based solely on their web name, Your”s is one. I guess to me it’s gender neutral – until I now realize it’s short for Madeleine (pretty name btw). It’s not like Brit’s or bikerchick’s or Gretchen’s… weird of me. But then again, hot fuzz doesn’t really scream male or female. Anyway…thought I’d share.
I love the name Madeleine. But I bet its hard to fit in the little boxes when filling out paperwork.
Thank you! WHen I was a kid, everyone had those personalized license plates on their bikes. Not me. Sigh. Nothing personalized.
I guess madz can lean either way. It’s what someone at an old job started calling me and I’ve taken a shine to it.
Years ago at another job we all sat around at lunch discussing this exact topic. So I mistakenly told the Florence-Dorothy quandry my parents were in and someone came up with “FloDot”. Because there were two “Tracie’s” in the office, they called me that until I left a few years later
My niece named her first daughter Madalyn. I might be off on their goofy spelling of her name but it doesn’t matter. I’m sure they gave her that name just so they could call her Maddy. Everyone does!… except me…Uncle Dave. I like her name and refuse to use anything else and everyone knows it. She’s in the 5th grade and I bet she prefers Madalyn too. Someday she’ll reclaim it I’m sure.
My second daughter is Madelyn. Wife picked the spelling. I think it’s a beautiful name. I don’t call her Maddy.
To my eye, “Madeleine” looks like the correct spelling. And I’ll bet you get a certain amount of junk mail addressed to “Madelein”, due to 8-character fields in these tools’ databases. My first name is 11 letters, and I see 8- and 10- letter versions pretty often.
Dennis sounds like good people.
Mine is old fashioned. The only time it was in the top 10 was in 1942 (I am in my forties). I would pick something really old-fashioned like Iris (my grandmother’s name). I have never met another Iris and the only time it broke the top 200 was back in the 20’s.
Iris is a very lovely name.
I really disliked “Yvonne” as a kid, but have become more tolerant of it as I get older. Mostly because the process of changing my name, and getting people who’ve known me forever to use the new one, sounds too complicated and time-consuming.
I know it’s not really a common name, but people seem to have the damnedest time spelling and/or remembering it. Lots of people spell it as Evan (seriously??). And I also answer to the name Yvette because so many people who’ve just met or talked to me will call me that.
I have issues with the name Frank. Everyone I’ve known with that name has either been a psycho (my cousin’s husband), or a drug dealer (one of my friends’ boyfriend, and my late uncle), or both (my late grandfather).
I think it’s a beautiful name. And, apparently, you pronounce it in the usual accepted manner. I have known, however, several people who called themselves “Ya Vonne” and one “Why Vonne”. Why do this to a child? They spend the rest of their lives correcting people.
I knew some hill folk that name their daughter Yvonne.
Except they pronounced it “Wyevonnie.”
Chuck? Charlie? Charles? Meh. Don’t really care. I was named after my father and that’s cool. But I think I may be too old now to be a Chuck. Can you outgrow your name?
Oh…and people that insist on calling me ‘Chuckles’? Give it a fucking rest.
Only if you were Chuckles the Clown.
A little song…. a little dance.
A little seltzer down your pants!
I don’t care for the names “Patton” (as a first name) or “Rhonda”.
I could take or leave my name. Badass McKnifetotheneck is pretty sweet is some situation, but it’s a pain to fill out in bubble forms that only give 9 letters of space to write your name out.
All first names are tough for the men in my family because our last name starts with a long e sound. So if you say your name to quickly it sounds like you’re still 9- Mike sounds like Mikey, etc. It’s easier to name girls because most female names that we use are polysyllabic and end with a vowel sound that handles that issue- like Maria always sounds like Maria.
And from the movie Baby Momma: “Romaine, Cheyenne, time to go! We have a playdate with Wingspan and Banjo.”
Man, Tina Fey is both brilliant and hot.
Where was I? Oh, right. Names. I think we’ll just stick with good, basic, passed down through the family names.
No name complaints from me. I do note that there seem to be a few parents who either can not spell or have decided that their Precious Snowflake® deserves a truly unique name. The proof is left to the reader and a Google search…
I think I’ll change mine to Yanni Zamphir Bolton just to see people’s reactions.
The ending credits of Ghostbuster II had some fun with names. My favorite was Slagathor… Slaggy for short.
Ray is ok with me – sounds pretty laid back. I’m always surprised how many Ray’s are in movies. I call myself Raymond every once in a while just to throw people off.
My Aunt REALLY wanted to name her third son Raymond since her first two were Ronny and Robert… She had to change her plan to Roy and wouldn’t speak to my mom for months. The three of them had the worst sort of luck –
Roy – leg caught in a feed auger when he tried to use his boot to kick loose a clog. His leg wrapped around the auger and luckily his steel toe boot jammed or else he’d be really busy in an ass kicking contest.
Robert – his best friend has his “face blown off” by a biker and lived in fear for years.
Roy – was in a box nailed to a skid that was held up by a forklift so they could change bulbs in the warehouse. Broke his neck in the fall and had to wear structural steel for about a year.
Could have been worse – he could have been called Raymond.
The last name is French so I have to spell it everywhere – even in Quebec. It’s actually the first word I learned to spell since Mommy (at the time) used to spell it in to the telephone every day.
I like biblical or old time names.
“Shadley” is one of the coolest names I’ve ever heard. I was on a plane once when I was about 11, flying out to take care of some business in Chicago, and the lady next to me told me that was her name. I had never heard it before or since. It is the single most unique name I’ve ever come across.
I also hate names with outrageous letters such as “Q” in them,
I also don’t like the fact that I share both first and last names with my father, not middle name though. Shit, is it that hard to say any word other than your own name when naming a kid.
When I was in Afghanistan I met a guy with the name of “Shovel”. It was the Pashtun word for shovel, but that was the translation of his name. His dad didn’t know very many word, at all, so he named his son after the tool he owned.
Jezebel is a kickass name.
Nope. Never liked my name. Tracie. I know there’s another Tracy here so please don’t be offended. But I have never warmed up to my name. Even at 47. I’d rather have it formally changed to “bikerchick”. I always wanted a more feminine, “pretty” name. But looking on the bright side…My maternal grandmothers’ name was Florence; paternal grandmother was Dorothy. When I was born my parents wanted to name me after both and couldn’t decide if I’d be Florence Dorothy or Dorothy Florence. So..they decided on…….Dorence and call me Dory for short. At the last minute they went with Tracie. Whew!!
Jeeze crisis averted. My mom almost named me Darlene, and My dad wanted Carla, They were gonna compromise with Carlene, but my mom gave in. Thank God!
No offense. I hate my name always have. I always felt I got screwed in the name department. Plus I’ve met more men with the name than females. At least your parents were creative enough with the ie at the end. Alls I got was the lousy Y.
Why on earth do parents think it’s cool to combine their names to get a kids name? My mother is named after her parents. Her fathers name was Leonard and her mother’s middle name was Etta. They named her Lynnetta. WTH? And then to add insult to injury gave her the middle name of Maxine. So it’s Lynnetta Maxine.
Ouch.
She goes by Lynn.
I’m cool with my first name.
‘McKnifetotheneck’ as stated a few posts above would be fitting for a last name.
Jeff Kay is kind of a white bread name.
Perhaps you should go with J. Scott Kay for the book. It has a certain literary doocheyness to it.
Oh but I will buy the book either way.
Carla: Our parents must have been friends!
Re: The Walton’s. John Ritter’s widow said in an interview that he always made fun of his character’s name on The Waltons.
Real name of character: Reverend Fordwick
John’s off-camera name for his character: Reverend Foreskin.
I’m happy with Kevin. My middle name is Ross which is my dad’s first name and that works for me too.
My last name is something that is fairly easy to make fun of…and I did get teased a little in school but it never bothered me…which led to less teasing because where’s the fun in teasing someone when they just don’t give a rats ass?
My baby’s mama’s name is Jen and she is a crazy useless bitch…but I wouldn’t say the name is ruined for me because I had a threesome with another Jen (& a Melissa) and I remember that quite fondly.
I have always disliked my first name, as it is such a hillbilly 70s name to me. I actually was supposed to be Donna, named after my father, Don, but my mother found out just before I was born that my father lost his virginity to a girl named Donna, so she changed it to Dawn.
Here’s the crazy about my name though. My middle name is Elizabeth, after my grandmother, and my maiden last name is 13 letters long. My entire given name is the exact length of the alphabet…26 letters. My running joke was always that my only requirement for marriage was that he have 6 letters or less in his last name. So, I meet a man named Baker…perfect! But, then my dad heard me say that once and got pissed at me for not honoring my maiden name, and since he died shortly after I married my Baker, what did I do? Freaking hyphenated!! So now my name is 31 letters, just like the ice cream.
My married last name is 13 letters and ends with worth. I get a bunch of mail and stuff that always ends it in WORT–13 must be too many letters for your basic computer forms.
I love my name (from the Scottish king Malcolm III, who was crowned king at the end of Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
In the Scots tradition I have two middle names, one is my father’s middle name and the other my mother’s maiden name.
We carried this tradition on with our two youngest secrets, who both have two middle names, one from her side, one from mine.
Our oldest son is from my wife’s first marriage, in Russia. There you have no choice but to take the last name of your father AND your middle name from his first name (a patrynomic system).
The only creativity can be for the first name, and most Russian names are for saints in the Eastern Orthodox church. There is not a wide range. So he is Matvey Alekseyevich, with his dad’s last name.
Because of this system, my wife has a cluster of friends all named Tanya, another bunch called Natasha, and a few Annas and Irinas thrown in for good measure. I never know who she’s talking about so I just mumble in agreement (yeah, that bitch is crazy…).
I’ve heard that two syllables plus one, or one plus two, is good rhythm for first and last names. So, “Michael Smith” oozes out better than “Mike Smith” and “Tom Collins” rolls off the tongue easier than “Thomas Collins.”
And my last name gives me the same moniker as a (dead) famous person, so I get a lot of crap when I give out my name. I still like the whole thing, though.
I don’t particularly hate my name, but–my mother did put this cutesy spelling on in it. Apparently back in the 50s when I was born it was cutting edge to end names with an i. I guess she didn’t think about the fact that one day I’d be a past-middle-aged gray haired grouch more suited to Ethel or Winnie Ruth, which is what my Dad wanted me named (Winnie Ruth, not Ethel.)
Downside–no matter how many times my name is spelled correctly in business correspondence from me, it always, always comes back with a Vickie or a Vicky. Never effing fails.
I think my name was the number one name for girls throughout the entire 1960’s. In my sixth grade class alone, their were three of us named Lisa, so we were always referred to by our first names and last initials.
It’s weird though how after years of popularity, my name has almost completely disappeared. I have been a teacher for quite a while and I have seen name trends come and go, but I have yet to come across another child named Lisa.
I never minded my first name so much, but I was quite annoyed by my last name. It was a three-syllable name that was quite ethnic. Very easy to spell, but no one could ever pronounce it correctly. I always tell my husband that one of the reasons I married him was to change my last name to something “normal”.
Names I don’t care for:
Mike/Michael: I dated 3 different ones, and they all turned out to be jerks
Gabrielle: For no reason at all, something about the name just doesn’t sit right with me.
Javan/Jovan/Jovon: One year, I had 3 students with similar names, all pronounced the same but spelled differently. It drove me crazy. There’s gotta be some kind of standard.
Mariah: The name of the child belonging to my former coke-head neighbors. I used to hear that kid’s name yelled so much, I think I even heard it in my sleep.
I hate names that have apostophies in them, especially after the first letter:
D’Antone (I especially hate the consenant/apostrophe combination”
O’Rourke
T’Bob
Really, what letters are you hiding there under that punctuation symbo?
Timmy. Good luck beating that for name- loathing.
I introduce myself as Dave to guys and David to girls. Sounds great when a girl calls me David. Sounds gay when a guy does.
Middle name …Bernard. I kinda like that. Not all that common, was my Dad’s name (he prefered Ben) and it goes pretty good with David I think. I only heard the two together when I was in a world of shit and I knew there was going to be a spanking involved. I’m glad of the spankings and that they hadn’t invented pills for little kids that act like little kids.
Bernard was ruined for me. As a child, my beloved pet bunny, Bernard, died a tragic death and it was the first time I saw what happens when things die (my parents made me deal with the aftermath). When I hear that name, my heart always sinks.
Bernard is a pretty cool name for a rabbit. You should be proud. Right up there with Harvey.
My nephew just had a baby boy and named him Jack, which I like a lot since you don’t hear it much anymore. I can imagine some kid coming home from school saying “Jack beat me up again.”
My family has always made it known that if I had been a girl my name was going to be Sarah Jane. I think they wanted the boy-girl-boy-girl thing and I screwed it up.
I got my dad’s name: Robert. I don’t have any problem at all with that name. I go by the name “Robert”.
For some reason, there are people out there that have insurmountable issues with the name Robert. Upon meeting me, they feel the need to ask “so, do you go by Bob, Bobby, Richard, Rupert, Franklin, or what?” As if the name Robert is just not an acceptable word to utter. I have never been able to figure out why. Does it sound too formal? So invariably, this particular breed of person will start referring to me as “Bob”. Even after I say that my name is actually Robert. Even if I correct someone and say “No, it’s actually Robert”, some folks will continue to refer to me as Bob. It kind of ticks me off when people insist on calling me Bob. I am not a Bob. I feel as though calling me Bob without my consent is in itself a very licentious act. A Bob is a very special sort of person. Someone wrote a book about it some years back. But who has time to read anymore…..
I hate my name, but what guy wouldn’t hat the name Sue? Well, my dad knew he wouldn’t be around and he had to make me tough…
Seriously though, my mother really wanted to name me Percival..Thank god dad said, Oh, HELL no!
But you probably would have been nicknamed Percy and that’s kinda cool .
I hate unique names. Parents think they are being cute or original, but they are just setting their kids up for annoying situations. Original spellings are bad, but the worst are the names that seem to have been chosen by throwing all the Scrabble tiles against the wall and pulling out the ones that landed face-up. These parents then usually call the kid some stupid nickname because their given name is not pronounceable following any know laws of grammar, maybe because it’s totally lacking vowels. I spend a lot of time calling patients “Ms. Last Name” because I’m not even going to attempt their first names. And I can’t listen to family members for clues, because everyone in the room is calling them Poo.
Cutesy names are bad, too. Kimi, Wendi, Cutey Tootey, whatever. If you can’t put Doctor or Your Honor or The winner of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize is: in front of a name, then don’t bestow it upon some defenseless child.
As far as names that are ruined for me, I’d have to say that Tammy (or Tami, or Tammie, etc) is it for me. Most of the ones I’ve known are as silly and annoying as their name.
The book Freakanomics has a great analysis about what names say about the people choosing them. It confirmed all the bitchy, judgmental opinions I’ve had on the subject.
I disagree. I don’t think I would name a child Apple or Rumor but let’s face it we are not all going to be professional Doctors , Lawyers , Judges. How boring if everyone were named Joe , Ted, Sue and Debra.
I don’t have a weird name but it has a weird spelling and it has been a pain in the ass over the years. But I have always longed for a different , unique name. It’s a shame we can’t wait til we get about ten and name ourselves. That would be interesting.
I can’t speak for anyone else, but *my* judgment was maybe the tiniest bit shaky at age ten.
Shit naw! We have a “Tammie” of our own here at the WVSR and she’s great.
Donald is a rare common name. I don’t know too many. At a gathering last year we actually had 4 people named Don. we were the 4 Dons.
Where you’re from, I thought “Don” was a title of respect, lol! My dad is a Don, and I have a cousin named after him.
There’s a little (5 year old) kid across the street. A curly headed ginger. His name is Dakota. He’d be a much better Ian or a Sean Cool names while Dakota just reeks of Daddy doucheness every time I hear him call the kid. You should be able to leave the hospital and just tell ’em you don’t know what you’re going to call him yet. I took almost three weeks to name my dog. Just told people I didn’t know when they asked. Then one day he was Stanley. The kid has a little sister. Her name is probably Souix.
I think her name is probably Cheyenne.
Cheyenne probably wouldn’t be so bad, but I have a friend who added to the douchiness by naming her daughter “Shyanne.” As she put it, just to add to the “uniqueness” of her child.
There was a Shyanne Club here back n teh day. It was whore house.
I might have gotten this originally from the Mountain here at the wvsr, but I don’t remember:
http://www.notwithoutmyhandbag.com/babynames/
I love the comments here, and the classifications (brought to you by the letter Y, e.g.).
I don’t really like my name, too many stripper/porn star/pet/Gilligan’s Island jokes my whole life. And gingerbread. It doesn’t help that my middle name is Lyn, which, if you add an “n” is the exact name of the mega-old-skool porn star of the 70’s and 80’s. Fantastic.
And everyone I know has or once had a cat or a dog named Ginger.
Yet, I wouldn’t change it, and it least it isn’t Jennifer, Michelle or Heather, which is so terribly common for women my age.
I didn’t realize how much I loved my last name until I (reluctantly, after a decade of marriage) changed it.
I was reading off some parts of the comments for my hub whilst were sitting here having our evening cocktail and I said, “Here’s one named Ginger Lyn” and he said, “Like the porn star?”
I’m so sorry.
I had a pony named Ginger.
Ginger: When I was in grade school, I hated my first name so much I wanted to use a version of my middle name, Virginia. So I figured my choices were Ginny or Ginger. I chose Ginger. I loved that name. During my 3rd/4th grade year I tried using the name Ginger until my teacher said enough or she would call my parents. LOL
There’s this thing that “psychics” do called cold reading. They study statistics, to be exact. Turns out that something like 80% of single women over 40 have at least one cat. And most of them call them “Ginger” or “Kitty”. Amazing when they get called out. Right?
And dto just reminded me of another reason to dislike Ginger. Please, world, stop referring to redheaded people as “gingers.” I cannot tell you how many people throughout the UK stopped, turned, stared and LAUGHED at me every time I was introduced. Most refused to believe that was even my real name, since I am blonde. I think my own name has been ruined for me.
Hopefully no harm in my use of ‘ginger’ but here’s some Tim Minchin you might find funny. Stay with it. 2:30 is funny!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVN_0qvuhhw
I always liked the name Alethea. Alas, I have never met a woman named Alethea.
Alethea, Alethea
Don’t let them put the blame on you.
What seems so bad now
Could easily change for the better.
I’ve known two Altheas. Does it count they were missing the “e”?
I used to work with an Anthea. 5’2″ 108 lb body builder and then power lifter at age 50+.
There sure are some interesting people aren’t there?
My name is ok – “Nicole” – my parents were both elementary school teachers so they tried to choose names for my sister and I that were NOT names of any douchy kids that they had had as students. Apparently it was pretty difficult. Nicoles are usually snotty bitches so I don’t feel like it fits.
We gave our kids all traditional type names. My eldest is ten and her name is “Laura” and people always look at us oddly when we mention that. I mean come on – it isn’t like we named her Ethyl or something!
The name that is ruined for me is “Jason” – no offense to the Jasons on here but both my psycho stepbrother, a collection of crappy ex boyfriends, and my ex husband had that name.
That’s strange that the only common factor between all those men was their name.
Ice – you can be vicious when you want to be, can’t you? too funny…keep it up.
Trust me, I wasn’t the one to turn them “strange” – no one has that much power. To illustrate:
Jason the stepbrother: Used to get drunk watching Ted Nugent while cleaning his gun…. which he would point at me or my sister if we tried to change the channel.
Jason the ex boyfriend #1: Nice guy. Or so I thought before he went to jail for a B&E he and his brilliant friend cooked up (one might ask why the heck I dated someone like that… my only defense was I was a teenager).
Jason the ex boyfriend #2: Decided that he liked his roommate Josh better than me. As well as several women of questionable repute.
Jason the ex husband: Didn’t work for four years and laid on the couch so much he quite literally fell out the back of it.
So as you can see, I have my reasons. But my friend has a husband named Jason who is a perfectly lovely person. Who knows.
But lest you think I am some sort of weird man-hater, I am perfectly happy with my husband…. Bill.
aww it was more fun before you explained it 🙂
I know a guy named Jason and he does questionable things with Velveeta so go figure on the Jason thing.
Misselle,
I have a real problem with your dislikes of people named “Jason”. What about me? I never raped you (don’t think) or stole your pets (don’t think). And “Nicole” gives me nothing but good thoughts. I had a girlfriend named Nicole and she was a real hell-cat in the sack. Until I raped her, and started dating her mom while Nicole was handcuffed to the bed, forced to watch. But she remains the only blonde I was ever really attracted to. So go figure.
The name’s James. I go by Jim. I like it just fine.
I have always felt sorry for guys named Richard – for obvious reasons.
I just opened a company wide email (memo) from a guy (girl?) named Frenchie. There you go. No matter how bad you feel about your name, just remember it could be Frenchie.
I like my name, Deirdre. It’s Irish; it means “sorrowful” and it suits me. I just don’t like having to spell it for people all the time and having them murder it by calling me “Dee-dra” or “Dee-dree.”
No offense to anyone…but…
It always made me laugh to hear Jimmy Fallon say during the news on SNL, “wherever five or more whores are gathered, there’s always a Tina”.
I have always disliked my name Juanita Ann. I was named after both my grandmothers. I always wondered where my grandmother Juanita got her name since she was born in Kentucky. Many years ago when she was getting a passport to go on vacation she had to request her birth certificate. We were all surprised to find out that legally her name wasn’t even Juanita it was Mary. After her mother died her father hated the name Mary (it was his mother-in-laws name) and decided to call her Juanita for whatever reason. So, I guess I should have been Mary Ann. I’m not sure that is better. I’ve never been called Juanita by my family I was always Nita. I guess I don’t mind my name so much anymore since my Grandma passed away but dang I hated it as a child! My brother always called me Nita-Burrita and made me cry.
I’m waiting until my parents step off this mortal coil to change my name (though my husband is currently showing resistance). I have a theory that most people react negatively to my name. I once tested that theory by posting similar comments to various blogs, one comment in my name the other comment in a different name. The Gretchen comments got ripped a new one while the other ones went either untouched or praised. God only knows how many of you people here secretly hate me. I don’t watch “Project Runway” anymore, but I understand this season they had a Gretchen on there. I figured she’d be in for a world of hurt online and that’s exactly what happened. Yep, thanks a bunch mom and dad.
For the record, I’m partial to “Kalle” as a first name. Though while walking through a cemetery recently I came across a “Geneva” and I kind of dug that.
Dug the name, not the person. That is.
I went to school with a girl named Gretchen Newman. A wonderfully sweet girl.and I’ve never met another. Always a nice name to me…dunno? Safe or something…ya know?
Like Mother Earth safe, non-whore safe, what?
oh no…I love your name. Really. 🙂
Like a Mother Earth non-demanding bitch who asks too many goddamn questions kinda safe…OK!!
:oD
Shit, that was supposed to be a: 😀