The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #94361   Message #1827156
Posted By: LadyJean
05-Sep-06 - 12:49 AM
Thread Name: Folklore: What's in a Name
Subject: RE: Folklore: What's in a Name
I'm afflicted with the international surname. It can be English, French, Scottish, German, Scandinavian, Irish, and probably Welsh. In my case it's Irish.

American Southerners give their children unusual names, I once dated a Billy Dee Bailey. He was white, from Ewing Kentucky, and I don't know what his parents were thinking either. He had a sister named Sabina Rae. I also knew a Danita Jolene, an elderly lady named Austin, and another old dear, descended from Kentucky's famous Clay family, who was named Clavia.
After 6 years in a prep school where every third girl was named either Susan, Laura or Nancy it was kind of refreshing. (My poor sister was one of 3 Ellens in her class. In the fifth grade their teacher asked the Ellens mothers what they were called at home. Mom called my sister E. The other 2 were Lolly and Ellie. They remained E, Lolly and Ellie until they graduated from high school.)

I work for a number of Jewish ladies. It's amazing how many of them have French names, Yvonne, Annette, etc. That seems to have been a trend in the 50s. Their daughters, for the most part, had proper Hebrew names like Rachel or Sarah.