David Duchovny and Tea Leoni named their child Kyd. Smoking crack and baby naming should not be paired.
Michael Jackson named his first child Prince and his second child Prince Michael II. Later when this was no longer strange enough for Peter Pan, he nicknamed II, Blanket.
As sibling rivalry goes ballistic, Jermaine Jackson needed to one up his wacko brother by naming his son Jermjesty. Jerm for short?
Frank Zappa (remember the olden days when he was the only parent who gave weird baby names?) has four children, proving naming cruelty and fertility can co exist- Moon Unit, Diva Thin Muffin, Dweezil and, in a moment of sobriety, Ahmet. Is there any chance with names like these, that they would be able to say no to Chrystal Meth?
Actor Jason Lee named his child Pilot Inspektor after a song he was listening to. Rob Morrow could not stand the fun and irony available to him and named his child Tu.
You don’t have to be a strange self indulgent Hollywood type to burden your children with extremely odd names. I know a couple who on their first date ended up talking about their love and admiration of Shakleton (romantic Antarctic adventurer at the turn of the last century and if you ask me iconic hero) and when they fell in love swore they would name their first child after him. Time marched on and maturity too, and their first child was named John instead. My daughter was at camp with a girl named Magellan (after Ferdinand-the famous Portuguese explorer). How can she just go to the mall with a name like that? Doesn’t she need to discover something?
Everyday people have a weird sense of humour or are too quick to name-naming their children Jay Bird, Joanne King (Jo King for short), Terrence Bull (Terry Bull) and Justin Case, Hazel Nut, Phillip Hole (Phil Hole), Stan Still and Rosemary Border.
I went to elementary school with a boy named Harold Dyck.(pronounced Dick). Everyone called him Harry. When he asked me to slow dance I could not do it for his name.
We are all moved by our ability to create life- and as we know it takes little effort, no brains and zero level of physical fitness. A sperm intersecting with an egg can be as easy as 1,2,3 (I am not poking fun at fertility complications- I think people who work harder to conceive, likely do not saddle their offspring with wacko names. They have been humbled by the miracle and understand it does not take a genius to procreate) But we are so impressed with our ability to perform miracles and then be able to name them that it seems not enough to give them the ordinary. We must give them a name that will turn heads, stop traffic and require explanation.
With a face like this- I honestly wanted to call her “angel” but that would limit some devilish fun later. I certainly could not name her “Pat” or “Frieda” or “Betty”.
Will Shakespeare said “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet” I am not so sure. Naming things helps to define them- why else do those names we choose suit our children so much? They grow into them. They become them.
One day as a teenager, I asked my mom why she named me Nancy. I hated the sound of my own name at that point and wanted to change it. She told me she had a good friend named Nancy who she met as a teenager who was the most beautiful woman she had ever known, inside and out- in part for how she captivated everyone and lit up a room as she walked into it. Every man between Montreal and Toronto pursued her and adored her. So I asked again “Yeah but mom, why did you name me Nancy?”
When I met this woman I felt sick. I was a teenager and did not feel my beauty. I felt like I should give the name back. Later-when I understood where our beauty comes from and grew to love myself, I began to like the name they gave me.
Would I be a divorced art teacher with two incredible daughters and a beautiful life if my name had been Einstein, Eve or Emily? What about Mary or Mel or Marva ?
How has your name defined you? Have your children become their names?
Hated my name and still do……………..i have shortened it since way back in school to Lynn instead of Linda! I have always felt it was so plain and boring. i hear names now that are full of meaning and so original. I have to say some of them are way out there, i DO agree, but there really are some pretty names these days that you can tell have meaning to the parents. I think that there is nothing wrong with being creative in naming children.
does anyone like theiri name as kids? Or even as adults? Interesting how many comments. xxm
Nancy,
Great post. I hated my name growing up. There were few Erin’s around and I could never, EVER, find shoelaces or pencils or bedroom door nameplates with my name. I hated my middle name too, Leslie, spelled the boy way. My dad claims my mom chose the name after the actress on Bewitched, but she denies it. My sister got the good name, Madeleine Amy. I’ve grown to like Erin though, I love that it means Ireland & peace.
Choosing names for my girls was hard. We had very few names that we liked. We really wanted a Gaelic name because we both have the Gaelic in our ancestry. But a lot of those names are strange so we ended up with one, Fiona Mary(should be pronounced Finna, it’s the feminine version of Fion, pronounce Finn). Sophie Madeleine has two French names and I think they are lovely.
I am here to testify.
I try to breathe deeply when I see family or friends name their kids “unspellable/unsayable” names.
From the time I could scrawl 4 little letters right from JK, I hated this name. Every supply teacher triped over my name, I learned to grit my primary teeth
It spread every year: dentist, doctor, receptionist, school secretary, new classmates, I cringed at that look of “oh crap, how do I say THIS?”.
I have to wonder if people are just so short sighted, or have a hidden mean streak. I really dislike how they justify their own narrow opinion of how “it’ll be fine eventually” and unleash predictable aggravation, embarrassment and even humiliation.
If people want to be cute, or original, or what ever, why can’t people just be satisfied with a nickname of their choosing and leave a child’s legal to be reasonably fair to all parties?
Today, I don’t even register what people call me. I only get annoyed with the curse when I have to witness that uncomfortable look on people’s faces stumbling and tripping over my name.
Ida would have been tolerable, but that S on the end ….I used to get called IdipusRex in high school…imagine trying to out-cool that. I had a Mohawk for a few months to shake it off.
It is a known fact resume’s with difficult or tricky names get purged from the call back pile in the first cut. I wonder if parents ever consider this when naming their child. Imagine how it plays out getting picked for Red Rover….
Just say no to thoughless naming of babies. Please. It is very heavy karma.
not bad to be called BELLA or Italian for “beautiful”. I would not mind that one bit. Very pretty name!
In my camp leader days, two kids in my group were named Brooks and Reebok– after the shoes. It was the 80s.
I don’t mind my name. Everyone calls me Annabelle but my real name is Annabella–though I don’t like the way most people say that one… I was always called “Bella” as a child or “Belle”– and my hubby always calls me Bella– and I am just like a kid cause when he calls me “Annabelle” I know I did something wrong!
Did you know George Forman had something like 7 kids all named …GEORGE!
I used to hate my name – especially my middle one which is Edith….named for my spinster great aunt who died alone (as my grandmother kept reminding me)…THANKS….now I’ve come to be okay with both of mine… I found out recently that I don’t have an ‘h’ on my name because although I’m named for my paternal grandmother…my mom always claimed I wasn’t because it was spelled differently…ah family!!!
what about William Power – introducing himself at AA or overeaters anon and saying- “I am Will Power and I have none” ?
I love your name- but I know what you mean by the nickname your husband gives you is the loveliest name of all. I love to give nicknames because it is a way of showing affection and a unique connection, a re-naming if you will. If someone I like calls me “nance” – I feel the love. If someone I don’t like calls me “nance”- well, fingernails on the blackboard…
Great post, Nancy! I find it so bizarre when I’m in a mall and I hear a mother yelling “Come back here, Houston!” or “Don’t chase your brother, Gallery!” or “No running, Urban and Easter!” How does one go into a meeting and say, “Hi I’m Barker and I’m running the show here.”
I’m one of the many Jennifer’s out there and I actually love my name. Obviously it has its down side but I always felt a part of something bigger, a club of Jen’s. Wouldn’t change it for the world.
Love this post! As a child you long to fit in and having a name that sets you apart can be tough. I wonder if those with unique names appreciate them as adults.
How can she just go to the mall with a name like that? Doesn’t she need to discover something?
^^OMG dying laughing at that!!^^
I love all my kids names. They are each perfectly suited to them and fit them each to a T.
My name – I don’t love it, but I don’t hate it.
Depending on who’s saying it it can be said different way CHRISteen, ChrisTEEN
or Chris – but only a chosen few can get away with that. And I have 1 friend ONLY who can get away with calling me Chrissy.
I rarely if ever hear my husband say my name. He calls me “Irish” and I love that.
When I was little I wished my name was Nicole or Rebecca. Or Megan. I LOVED those names growing up. My friends and I would “change” our names all the time and refer to each other by the names we wished we were called.