Also, wouldn't home grown Appalachian Ballads be more likely to use a more American sounding name for their hero or villain?
-Ptarmigan


I'm not trying to be argumentative, but doesn't Ptarmigan's question depend on what people think are "American sounding" [male] names? Wouldn't it depend on the region of the United States {I'm assuming that by "America" you mean the United States}, and the centuries, if not decades, not to mention other variables such as race and ethnicity, and probably also economic class.

Perhaps my question about Ptarmigan's musical question belongs in the BS section and not above the line, but maybe it belongs right here in this thread. Maybe my question is just rhetorical. On second thought, nope, it's not. I guess I really am in a semi-argumentative mood today, and wonder what folks think are real American names.