I was listening to the radio today and there was an item about a survey here in the UK which has thrown up some crazy baby names being given by parents these days.

We now apparently have living in the UK, several Gandalfs, Arsenals...and two Supermen.

Can you imagine going through childhood with the name Superman? Poor, poor kids. Those parents should be done for child abuse!

LabRat

Nicolas Cage named his kid Kal-El. Why not just permanently attach a "Kick me" sign to his back? If Cage wanted to pay homage to Superman, he could've just named the boy Clark. That would save his son much grief growing up.

I read an article about it this morning:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061117/lf_afp/afplifestylebritain_061117111622

Think about the kids named Gandalf! LOL

My cousin adopted 2 siblings. They were young enough that they re-named them. Couldn't figure out where the one name came from until my aunt talked to me (knew this trivia would come in handy one day!). The boy's name was Kalel! (He's now renamed after my mom's family name--a much better moniker to have!)

Jo

Thanks for the link, Jojo! I tried finding it earlier but couldn't track it down.

Grief! Sense of humour? That's one way of putting it, I guess. Though I doubt the kids in question will find it half as amusing somehow!

OTOH:

Who's been a busy boy, then?

Ouch. Course you tend to expect this kind of lunacy from celebs. It's kind of worrisome that it's spread to everyone else!


LabRat

Well, you know... Superman is a very normal name compared to some that I have read recently.

There's a couple in British Columbia (Canada... yes...) whose four kids are named:


Repent of Your Sins
Repent or Burn Forever
Messiah is Coming
Mashiah Hosannah


I'm NOT kidding. I can't find the article in English, but I know I have a bookmark to a page in French which states sources and things... on my other computer though. Anyway... suffice it to say, it's true.

That just brings to mind one website that truly makes you wonder about people: Bad baby names

My mom was a midwife and the top two of her "All-Time Worst Names of Babies I Delivered" list were Latrina John (toilet toilet?!) and
Crystal Shanda Leer (say it all together quickly). I currently have a student who is so embarrased by her last name (Dick) that she refuses to say it out loud. After calling her "Heather She Who Must Not Be Named" a few times, I've officially shortened it to "Heather Voldemort." She likes it!

Holy.... )

Wish I'd had a teacher like you, Groobie, to lessen the pain.


LabRat

Having a really common (first) name, I like the idea of unusual/rare names. Especially some ancient Greek names - many of them are really beautiful, though people usually blink upon hearing one. For example, my father is pretty amazed at having a student named 'Andromeda'. Personally, I wouldn't mind being named like that.
(But then again, I live in Greece and speak Greek, so there's a bit of a double-standard here )

Having said that, some words are just not meant to be names. Superman??? Good grief, people. I do support meaningful names (as opposed to jumbled strings of letters), but... really.

I'm currently perusing the link Karen left. There are a few names I actually like, based on spelling and sound, but some of them are... I'll spare you my bitter comments.

I mean, seriously:

"For the last 50 years, my family has been naming their children after Southwestern Ontario cities."

Why, oh WHY?

See ya,
AnnaBtG.

Unusual names I like. After all, one of my characters is named Zared (a real name - Biblical).

But you are right about naming a kid Superman.

I used to work in obstetrics. Two names that I came across - Heaven Lee and (kid you not) Blue Smurf.

You sound like a fun teacher, groobie!

Heheh! Weeiiird names. I would Never, NEVER name my son Superman! I mean, naming a stuffed animal "superman" would be ok (yes I do name them sometimes ) but a child?

What about calling your cats "Help" and "Fire" and go looking for them in the garden and yelling their names :rolleyes:

I guess I'm not totally innocent when it comes to unusual names. My daughter's first and third names are *very* uncommon, but at least no embarrassing.

Yeah, I've heard VERY weird names for children. There was a story a long time ago on TV in Brazil about this family with three children which had the following names (translated to English, but the words are still weird):

Xerox
Photocopy
Authenticated

Apparently, the mother worked in a copy center and LOVED those words.

Also, I once was in a hospital in Brazil and had a nurse call out a name that made me go "WHAT???". The first name of this little boy was "Walt Disney".

Weird, huh?

malu

Yes, I've met a Walt Disney, too.

What I've met so far:
Felix Henrich Napoleon
Philip Dagobert (Dagobert is the German name of Scrooge McDuck)
Felix Robert Denis (pronounced French - sounds like Robert DeNiro)

Been there...

I was born Anna Owen (yes, a boy's name but it was my great-great-grandmother's maiden name) Rottenberg. And it's pronounced just as it looks. I was so happy when I got to change my last name at age 14!!!

Years ago, I read an article about a couple who lived on the beach in Florida. They named their children Sandy, Rocky, Coral and Pebbles!!!

Try having the first name Darcy (which was somewhat meanly rhymed with "Parsley" in kindergarten), and the last name Smittenaar--which got mis-pronounced a LOT, not to mention changed to "spit an hour" by a few of the other kids when I was in third grade.

To top it off, my middle name is Ann, so my initials spell the word "sad" backwards.

Don't get me wrong, I like my half-Dutch heritage, but I can't WAIT to find a decent guy with a more common (at least here in the States) last name!

Can't resist the pun.

Do you hope he will be Smitten with you?

Ouch! Bad pun!

There's Jason Lee's son: Pilot Inspektor.

I've gone to school with boys named Miracle Angel Ulysses and Sir Tolaver. Their parents sure had some high hopes for them.

Oooh, Woody, that's so bad! (And the answer is: totally.)

Actually, a while back, whenever someone would have trouble pronouncing my last name, I'd always tell them to think of a love-struck pirate . . . y'know, like:

"Smitten?"

"Aar!"

Yeah, I thought of using the aar for something with pirates, but decided to just keep it simple.

When I was in first grade there were twin girls in my class named Hope and Joy. They had a sister named Faith and a brother named... Chuck

Never really understood that one

Kaylle

Oh and don't forget, my personal favorite weird name--

Moon Unit Zappa

Thank goodness my parents had sense in naming me and my sisters! Although, part of it is because my mother hated her own name growing up (Laviana Delores) so much that she has gone by "Bonnie" all her life (very long story on how that nickname came about!).

In my family the weirdest it gets is my sister Lynness--and the worst that happens is that nobody can ever spell it right.

Seriously though, what are all these parents thinking?!?

Remember, Moon Unit has a brother named Dweezil.

Ich.

When our first child was born, I was told about a young woman who named her daughter (phonetic spelling attempt) Fe-Mal-Ay because she saw the wristband on the baby and the notation "FEMALE" and - well, she was a teen mother.

Hah, don't forget Male (Mal-Ay) as well! My father did a rotation in ob-gyn and such many moons ago, and he would tell me about the deliveries and all the people that named their kids Male and Female.

JD

My husband came across this name...and it IS real. Theodorus Van Everdink.

I can't believe someone would name their kid Superman. It's soooo bad. I'm still shaking my head.

I used to want to name my kids, if I have any, Rowan, Allwyn, Owen (I've heard it as a boy or girl),Haydn or Rohan. After family members and/or a combo of my name and my husand's. One sprurs fond memories as a child and no not from LOTR.

Now I can't use Rohan because of course LOTR. Rowan is becoming popular and I'm miffed about that. I love Arwyn and Éowyn but of course I can't now because of LOTR too. I love different names, or names that seem different but are not to me (would probably be a better way of putting it). Should I risk it and just name them what I want anyways?

My name is Ruth as some of you know (if anyone reads my posts) and I hated going through life with that name. My mum, former hippie, refused to name me something like Summer, Echo or Moon Beam like the others she hung out with incase I wanted to be a serious accountant or lawyer (ah she dreamt). Sometimes I wish I had a name 'weird' like that because if someone tells me one more time that it's an old lady's name or calls me Ruthie (and proceeds to tease me) I'll just She was going to call me Cody or Roo, but figured she should stay with something small and easy to spell to try and not tramatize me to much. I know I would have suffered trauma either way and I just like the weird names b/c of my normal one.

That's cool!

However, after getting married and adding on my husband's name to my own, I do get a lot of compliments on my name now. HAHA.

And she named you sister Lynness? It almost sounds like lioness or Linus. But hey, I think your mom’s name is pretty - I like Laviana. Never heard it before, but I like it. And get my mom’s name - Belva Imogene. How about that one? (And yes, she hates it.)


As long as they really are names, then why not? (Just don’t name one of your kids Superman, Kal-El, Lois Lane, or Clark Kent. I’ve actually met a Clark Kent.)

Hey SuperRoo, I wouldn’t worry about your name so much. When I was growing up, Emily was considered a hideous name. Now it’s very common and is considered a nice name. And you do have one of the oldest names around. Good solid name. (I say that now, but oh, how I used to wish I was named something besides Nancy.)

Well, I used to hate my name, too. I mean, 'Melanie' is very common. And I've met several other Melanies, which I found confusing. And then the meaning ('the black' or 'the dark'). It made me feel like the black sheep in the family.

And then, there are seveal ways to make my name into something hideous. At least in German. And I hated them all. One of the worst inventions was from my brother, who called me 'Mel' for some time. I mean, do I look like Mel Gibson? Certainly not. Wrong gender...

To top it off, my mother didn't even think of granting me a second name, so I can't even choose. Well, I learned to cope by using 'Mellie' most of the time. My mom doesn't like it overly much (thinks it is too childish), but then she doesn't have to live with it.

Hey, my little brother is named Theodoros! *g* "How weird a name is depends on your perspective."

See ya,
AnnaBtG.

Spotted this while searching for something else and bumped it up because I was watching a rerun of a quiz show last night and they had a very nice example of parental lunacy.

Euryn.

Poor, poor kid.

LabRat

Hi Ruth. My grandmother wanted me to be named Ruth (she actually wanted to name my mother Ruth, but her mother (my great-grandmother, who was named Ruth and who's oldest was named Ruth) said they had too many Ruths and she should name my mother Ann (after her sister Ann). Did I mention my grandmother was named Ann?

So Ruth had daughters named Ruth and Ann. Ruth had only sons. Ann wanted to name her daughter Ruth, but Ruth (the elder) said Ann should name her daughter Ann (after Ruth-the-elder's sister) and she did. So when Ann-the-younger had me, her mother wanted me to be named Ruth. My mother didn't like Ruth, and so I'm Rebecca. Which I thought was quite plain for a while while I was in elementary school, but doesn't bother me now. I am glad she didn't name Ruth, though. But Ann is my middle name.

I've decided that if I have children, I don't want them named after anybody. Just names that no (close) family members have.

There's a Superman I had a couple of classes with at the University of Kentucky, and he went to high school with one of my buddies. In high school, Superman was on the wrestling team. How lame did the other guy feel when their names were announced just before a match?

"Joe Smith versus SUUUUUUUUPERMAAAAAAAAN Berrow"?

Talk about a kick to the ego for the other side.

Oh, and Superman has three brothers who also came to UK. They all have "normal" names: James, John and Steve.

Let's just hope someone never names their kid Mxyzptlk.

I wonder how many kids get named Ringo.

LOL my middle name is Anne.
I have always loved the name Emily. I have many dolls with that name and Rebecca too
I don't have much family and not physically near or close to much of them so worrying about too many duplicates isn't much of a worry.

Mind you my hubbie has the same first name as his dad and grandfather. My brother-in-law has his dad's middle name as his middle name. That's craziness.

Funky names I've come across at work:
Anitta Ralph
Harry Toupet (sounds similar to the hair piece)
Winter Falle (don't know how to pronouce the last name)

My husband comes across ones that are soo awesome, but I can't remember them and it's probably a good idea (confidential stuff).

Well, it might be a German pun. 'Winter' is 'winter', and 'Falle' is 'trap'...

Penn Jillet, the magician from "Illusions of Grandeur" I think?

Moxie Crimefighter

And the child is a GIRL


And remember what Bob Geldof named his three daughters?

Well, I dated a guy in high school named 'Rock'. That's almost as bad.


My father's name was Benjamin. His father's name was Benjamin. His father's name was Benjamin. His father's name was Benjamin... Get the idea? (The all had different middle names though.) My dad hated the name, but my mom loved it. So I'm guessing if I'd been a boy, or if there had been a boy at all, I or he would have been Benjamin.


I'm thinking it's probably pronounced Fall. Wonder if there is another kid named Summer Spring.


Sad, isn't it?

How about a girl whose first name is Scout ?

*twitches*

See ya,
AnnaBtG.

Anymore, that is normal.

I know a lady who named her daughter Blue... Yes, Blue Berry.
Carol

But it'd be just cruel to name your *daughter* Superman.

When my husband was on the track team in high school, they only used last names for introductions, and the coach wanted him to change his event so they would be able to hear, "Now throwing javelin, Spear!"

When we first got married, Craig wanted to name our son either Lance (very redundant) or Charles Andrew (Chuck A. Spear)!!

This is why we only have cats!!!

My mom, thank heavens, decided to go relatively normal when naming us kids.

Here's my contribution to the weird names list:

http://wesclark.com/ubn/

It's a site listing weird names in Utah. People here like to be original. I've met people with the names Janalee and Ranelle. I'm sure I've met people with equally original names, but they don't come to mind at the moment. Maybe later!

Jen

DS Dragon: My mother's maiden name is Schoorman - full name was Damaris Helene Schoorman. Smittenar(sp?) isn't that bad.

Also here's my contribution - it's not a bad name per se but a friend of mine has the last name "Gray" and he was named ... Dorian Gray.

He calls himself "D. Gray" or "The Gray".

The Little Tornado.