BS: What were the Parents Thinking

Subject: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: olddude
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 09:09 AM

I was bored last night and was thinking about some of the crazy names parents give their children. I can recall many. Just a couple that come to mind quickly that I have known:

Candi Barr

An insurance company in my home town was called Assalone Insurance after the owner. He named his daughter Leema (absolutely true)
the list goes on and is even worse
what is your favorites?

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: Rapparee
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 09:23 AM

Merry Christmas, who was elected Miss Merry Christmas in the high school back in my home town.

I had twin aunts who died long before their first birthday. Their names were Mary and Martha. So my brother named his last daughter Marian Martha -- she doesn't mind and in fact leaves for college today (her cousin Tony, to be differentiated from his Marian's father Tony, left for grad school in chemistry at U. Delaware yesterday). Marian wants a DVM and Tony wants a PhD, assuming he remember a) where he's going and b) to attend the ceremony instead of holing up in a lab making ammonium iodide.

My family reuses names:

Daniel Michael (Dan) has Uncle Dan and two Uncles Michael
Theodore Edward (Ted) has Uncle Ted and two grandfathers Edward
Anthony James (Tony) has Uncle Tony, who is Ted's father. Tony's father is Ted's Uncle Tony.

Ted's father, Tony, has as his full name Anthony Thomas Ralph.
My full name is Michael Anthony Ralph.
Ted's Uncle Ted, Tony's father, is Theodore Ralph Anthony.
Ted's oldest brother is Ralph Paul. His children are Xavier and Andrew.

So...Xavier's Uncle Ted is about eight years older than X is, but Uncle Ted's Uncle Ted is was born in 1948.

So we speak of "Little Tony", who just left for grad school and who stands 6'4" and "Big Tony", who's had 9 heart bypasses and who stands a mere 6'2". Also of Big and Little Ted.

And that's just the male side.

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: SINSULL
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 09:30 AM

Sam Francisco - a buyer for a food company.

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: artbrooks
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 09:41 AM

The poor kid whose granny-dress-wearing flower-child mother named him Bilbo during the Tolkien scare of the 60s. You know what he was renamed as soon as he started school!!

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: catspaw49
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 09:51 AM

Once again and still my favorite........I went to school with a girl named Sharon Peters. We never thought twice about it, missed meaning entirely, until my best friend's Dad asked when we were about 13, "Sharon Peters? What's that......some kind of bathroom game?"

That moment also marked an important point in our lives as Mike and I, although always treated as adults, had never before been let in to the inner sanctum of "real men." It was also the last time either of us said Sharon Peters without laughing.

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: bankley
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 09:52 AM

Dweezel and Moon Unit Zappa

I named my son 'Soleil' which was okay until he started school, then he renamed himself Andrew (legally)...don't know many folks that get to choose their own handle at the ripe age of 5... but it coulda been worse... me being a Cash fan, he could have been named Sue..

we still talk....

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 10:44 AM

Anyone else ever notice that Peter O'Toole's name is redundant?

Remember the film "A Thousand Clowns" where the kid gets to choose his permanent name at age 12 or 13 (I think -- been too long since I've seen this lovely film).

Wish I'd been given the option to try out a few names -- instead I got stuck with not one, not two, but THREE common names. (The only thing common about me!)

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: quokka
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 10:53 AM

There were some Shakepeare fans...Mr.and Mrs Dick, who named their daughter Ophelia...and the Hunt boys, Greg and Mike. You can imagine the sniggers at roll-call :-}

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: Becca72
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 10:59 AM

I went to school with:

April Beaver
Iva Head (the boys called her "Gimme")
Chris Crangle
Andy Griffith
James Dean

My friend, Mary Ivy, had a baby when we were sophomores. She named her Misty Dawn Ivy. Talk about setting your kid up to be a stripper!

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: catspaw49
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 11:07 AM

LOL at Linn.........Yeah, I think it was Groucho who once quipped, "Peter O'Toole has a double phallic name."

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: pdq
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 11:08 AM

The first name mentioned was a real person (phoney name, but...):

                            Candy Barr

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: olddude
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 11:19 AM

Pdq
not the same candi barr .. that was real. This one is too
it is the best. I went to grade school and HS with a kid named Jack
no problem right? Well his last name was IMHOFF

say it fast ... it wasn't until HS that we got it ... I would change my name if I were him

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: pdq
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 11:21 AM

Real? Candy Barr was popular long before silicone!

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: GUEST,Neil D
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 11:24 AM

I always thought Peter Sellers should be the name of a male escort service.

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: pdq
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 11:32 AM

And Dick Trickle (NASCAR driver) should be a venereal disease.

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: olddude
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 11:37 AM

Pdq
that was great LOL

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: GUEST,Neil D
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 11:53 AM

I used to run a phone center and some of my employs started a notebook collection of funny names from the call lists. A few of my favorites:
    Dewey Chambers
    Harry Burroghs
    Tuchawan Wang
    Peter Gozinia

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: Acorn4
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 12:39 PM

I've known a :-

Cherry Orchard
Penny Farthing
Luke Lively

Tese were in the olden days but there seem to be no holds barred these days. Until recently I was a supply teacher and once had a class with a Sky, a River and a Forest in it.

Recently I came across someone with two little lads called Sparrow and Hawk.

Also someone telling off a badly behaved kid at a supermarket checkout whose name was apparently Bastuin.

Then there's the naming of children after printer cartidges - Yellow, Cyan, Magenta. Someone told me a story the other night about son=meone who'd been to Ireland and wanted a Gaelic name for their daughter so chose Chiffon (presumably Siobhan?)

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: Donuel
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 12:43 PM

I dated Hiedi Kuntz.

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 12:54 PM

The daughter of a noted Texas politician and millionaire was named Ima Hogg.
She was a patron of the arts and philanthropist. The Texas Handbook has a write-up on her life.

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: Barry Finn
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 12:54 PM

"Peter O'Toole has a double phallic name."

Spaw, there's a thread about my friend "Peter Johnson"

A friend of mine from Hawaii who was the builder/owner of the brig the Hawaiian Chieftain named his son "Sea"

Another friend who I used to play & sing Irish music with named his daughter "May Day"

I sailed with a woman I knew in the Hawaiian Islands who was a world class skipper/sailor, her name was "Marina"


Barry

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: Big Mick
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 01:03 PM

William Powell Lear,known as Bill Lear, named his daughter Shanda Lear. Bill Lear was from my hometown and founded Lear Corporation, maker of the famous Lear jet, and he also invented the 8 track tape player.

All the best,

Mick

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: olddude
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 01:05 PM

I also worked with a Penny Saver

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: GUEST,Jack Campin (cookieless)
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 02:23 PM

One of the most horrifying books I have ever seen is "The Celtic Baby Names Book" by Gillian Delaforce. Imagine going through life with these inflicted on you:

(girls) Aalid, Blaa, Cymidia, Darlughdacha, Dogmaela, Eapag, Ewe, Ffraid, Gobnet, Lachtna, Luisiuil, Oighrig, Tlachtga, Sitofolla

(boys) Flurry (or Mac for short, I guess), Ce, Cunotigern, Efflam, Fanch, Fedilimid, Gowon, Gwallawg, Hicca, Mongfhinn, Olc, Tadhg, Wrmonec

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: katlaughing
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 02:48 PM

pdq, thanks for the link. Fascinating woman!

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: pdq
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 02:53 PM

Q,

You are correct about the lady named being named Ima Hogg, but it was pronounced as if it were spelled "Imma Hoag". Neither first nor last name pronounced they way you suggest. Thrust me on this one. The family was important, though, as Hogg County, Texas, was named after them.

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: Rapparee
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 03:51 PM

Oh, yeah. About my nephew Ted, who is an Uncle Ted and who has an Uncle Ted -- he also had a great-great-uncle Ted.

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: jacqui.c
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 03:55 PM

I once worked for a guy called John Thomas - name and nature!

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 08:35 PM

Once lived in San Antonio and Dallas area, went to University in Austin, and worked in Houston for a while, but never heard the pronunciation 'Imma.' Of course in Texas pronunciation of hog often is close to 'hoag.'
One summer I worked in the capitol, checking names on census rolls (busy work for people who knew politicians with pull).
There was one child named Lemon Meringue. Can't remember if male or female.

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: curmudgeon
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 08:50 PM

There was a chap at the job who's name was Randy McNally.

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: Charley Noble
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 10:13 PM

I went to elementary school with the Yvonne and Karen Furbush. I fear they did not survive high school.

Sad.

Charley Noble (not my real name)

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: Bryn Pugh
Date: 22 Aug 08 - 07:36 AM

I had a student in one of my Tutorial groups called Aragorn.

Ara for short.

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 22 Aug 08 - 08:04 AM

There were some strange kids names when I was teaching
there was a a boy called Carty and his Mum called him Orson.

Several Albert Halls

There was this very religious Headmaster, who put his head round the classroom door and said, I'd like to talk to Master Bates, please.

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: olddude
Date: 22 Aug 08 - 08:26 AM

In Buffalo NY there is a funeral home called
"AMIGONE" Funeral Service. The owner is named Amigone

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: dwditty
Date: 22 Aug 08 - 08:34 AM

I had a classmate whose unfortunate last name was Mycock...he had an endless string of nicknames.

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: Jeanie
Date: 22 Aug 08 - 08:37 AM

I have come across a Mr. & Mrs. Royds who called their daughter Emma.

- jeanie

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: JennieG
Date: 23 Aug 08 - 01:21 AM

I know a family who named their daughters 'Cygnet' and 'Brindle" - not sure of the latter's spelling, though. Don't know their son's name - probably just as well!

Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 23 Aug 08 - 02:41 AM

Mike Hunt.

eric

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: GUEST,BigDaddy
Date: 23 Aug 08 - 03:07 AM

Not a joke...Met a man once whose name was Harold Organs. Had occasion to see his driver's license and a check he had written. And no, I didn't ask if he was ever called "Harry."

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: Rasener
Date: 23 Aug 08 - 03:16 AM

How about this one.

In my day, anybody called Mervyn were nicknamed Muff.

Now would anybody in their right mind who has a surname Diver, call their son Mervyn. No they wouldn't would they.

Got this snippet from

Opportunities with the Presbyterian Church in Ireland
Opportunities in Ministry
Employment Opportunities

FANNET; MILFORD; RATHMULLAN:

REV. W.A. McCULLY: (Fannet) Mr. Eric Borland, Cloughview, Rossnakill, Kerrykeel, Co. Donegal. (Milford) Mr. Mervyn Diver, Farmyard, Milford, Co. Donegal. (Rathmullan) Mr. Harry Borland, Red Brae, Rathmullan, Co. Donegal.


Hello, is there a Muff Diver in the church.
Yes thats me - can I help you.

:-)

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: Mrrzy
Date: 23 Aug 08 - 09:04 PM

I know a family whose children are Birch, Cypress and Linden, and have the last name of the one grandparent whose name was dying out, and which is the last name of neither parent. I kinda like that, but still...

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: Sorcha
Date: 23 Aug 08 - 10:15 PM

Well, Mrz, my best friend went to a wedding a couple weeks ago. Her nephew (or something) was marrying a girl named Juniper. She'd have fit right in.

My son knows a girl named Cinnamon. I keep wondering if she has siters named Ginger, Pepper, Clove, and Allspice.....Curry maybe?

Mick, I went to school with Shanda Lear...I KNOW that is not a made up story.

Hey! Tadg isn't a bad name at all! My grandsons name is Owen...I wanted them to spell it Owain but they wouldn't. Wonder why? LOL

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: GUEST,BrujaHa
Date: 08 Oct 08 - 09:33 PM

Poor Shanda Lear's story is actually even worse than reported thus far: Shanda is her middle name. Her first name is "Crystal."

To add to the List o' Torment, my cousin bore seven children - and gave them all names that rhyme: Mary, Larry, Terry, Cherry, Zerry, Barry, & Berry... They were once featured in Charles Kuralt's On The Road. Although their mother goes by 'Shorty', her given name is Thelma Louise. (I'm not making this up.)

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: Anne Lister
Date: 09 Oct 08 - 03:07 AM

I have taught a Lee Rozee (whose name in the school register was therefore Rozee Lee), a child whose surname was Mudd, another who was Cod and a lad who had the honourable (but funny) given name of Oral. And yes, he was all mouth. They were all in the same class.

I met a woman who had chosen to call herself "Treelight", following a mystical dream .. her surname was Green.

But back to parents - the saddest moment (out of many mis-spelled and oddly chosen names) was the girl who said her name was Seeb-han. It was, of course, Siobhan but her parents didn't know how to pronounce it. Poor little scrap.

Anne

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 09 Oct 08 - 04:13 AM

The priest leans over to the organist and asks:
"In the front row, is that Fanny Green?"
Organist replies:
"No, it's the way the light comes through the stained glass windows!"

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: Bryn Pugh
Date: 09 Oct 08 - 04:31 AM

There was in our street in Manchester (Greame St., Moss Side, 1951)two sisters, Penelope and Lucille.

Only problem was, the first named was Pennuloap, and the second-named Loose-ill.

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: jonm
Date: 09 Oct 08 - 04:49 AM

I have taught a Shevawn, because the parents couldn't spell.

I was at school with a Richard Soul.

Registers were read out initial, surname.

R. Soul

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: freda underhill
Date: 09 Oct 08 - 05:33 AM

We have a politician in Australia called Richard Face.

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 09 Oct 08 - 09:43 AM

Okay, Okay, I'm slow on the uptake, I guess.

Artbrooks, what was Bilbo's nickname when he got to school?

I've been trying to figure it out, and I can't for the life of me find any obvious, let alone funny or insulting, nickname for Bilbo.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: jeffp
Date: 09 Oct 08 - 12:57 PM

Change the B's to D's.

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: Acorn4
Date: 09 Oct 08 - 01:26 PM

In Oliver Cromwell's England, people would give their children weird religious middle names -the famous Daniel "Praise-God" Barebones had a brother called "Worship Jesus or be Damned Barebones" ,but "Put thy Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and Flee Fornication Williams" was apparently made up, though "Deliverance" was a popular name for a girl.

My step daughter lives in Sicily with her partner, and has just had a baby son; they had to choose names from a list provided by the government.

Perhaps that's not SO BAD an idea?,

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 09 Oct 08 - 01:35 PM

Oliver Klozov

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 09 Oct 08 - 01:40 PM

In Belleville, New Jersey, the library there is named after, Richard Shafter, the author and historian. His son, was a very close friend of mine, and is also a wonderful bass player..He refused to be called 'Dick'..but sometimes would muse about it.

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: Michael S
Date: 09 Oct 08 - 02:29 PM

Here in Austin, TX we have a urologist named Richard Chopp. He is, of course, Dick Chopp, and he performs many vasectomies. Here he is.

--Michael Scully

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: GUEST,MarkS (on the road)
Date: 09 Oct 08 - 05:39 PM

Luckily this guys last name was not Hertz. He would be performing a VERY comprehensive vasectomy!

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: Rowan
Date: 10 Oct 08 - 12:38 AM

Years ago I taught by correspondence a group whose workbooks always had the covers labelled with the "Family Name" listed first, followed by all the "Given Names". One lad had parents who'd read AA Milne but his name on the books was always

Idle Christopher Robin.

And, while I'm on about unimaginative naming, I went through school with a lad whose parents had obviously been impressed by one particular American, without realising his devious disrespect for Australian troops. The lad's name was

Douglas Macarthur Rxxxxxom.

But at least he fared better than the son of the woman who gave birth to a lad on the same day the Wallabies won the Rugby World Cup a decade or so ago. That lad had the surname of every player in the team as his Given Names. "Campesi" as one of two or three Given Names I could understand, but...the whole lot?

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: Schantieman
Date: 10 Oct 08 - 02:34 PM

Spaw ... I may be thick, but I don't get 'Sharon Peters' at all. ???

Steve

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: Becca72
Date: 10 Oct 08 - 02:53 PM

I like adressing envelopes on my correspondenc with my first and middle initials and last name.... R.E. Morse

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: folk1e
Date: 10 Oct 08 - 03:00 PM

My mate Tony always insisted his first girl would be Tanya
pity his surname is Hyde!

He didn't go through with it though.

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: Bagpuss
Date: 11 Oct 08 - 05:20 AM

My husband used to teach a pupil called Misty Blue Hymen.

Subject: RE: BS: What were the Parents Thinking
From: Irene M
Date: 11 Oct 08 - 02:02 PM

I work for a government department which shall remain nameless. We regularly see kids given strange names by semi-literate parents. It makes us want to smack the parents for what they are doing to their kids.
Having said that, my cousin's latest grand-sprog has been given the name Sadhbh. (Pronounced Sive, to rhyme with jive). I know they live in Co Dublin, but I suggested that to avoid matricide in 15 years time they give her a "common" middle name. I suggested Ethel. At that point, the e mail conversation went quiet!