What's in a name?

[kragore]

I have a cousin who has an obnoxious wife and they live, with their brood, in Vermont.
These are the type of people who give Vermonters a bad name.
They were married at 18 because they looooved each other so much, (insert highschool giggle here!) They swore upside down and backwards to his family, (hers is out of the picture) that it was all for the loooove, and they were going to wait to have kids.

8 months later, a robust baby girl of 8 pounds was born. You do the math.

A few days ago, I get a call from my mom. "You'd never guess what they've done this time," she said with an exaperated sigh.
My mind raced to catch up on the "they" in question, and what "they" could have done.
After some elaboration, mom reveals that the Cousins have spawned again, and so have inflicted a name on yet another child.

I'm all for non-traditional names. To a point. I think, somewhere along the line, the Cousins forgot that they weren't naming pets, and sallied forth, naming with wanton distruction.

The first (the girl) was named after a character in a fantasy book (gag.)
MistyaRose, gods bless her tiny heart, will probably use Misty the second she enters elementary school and never look back. Oh wait! They're Home-Schooling! Nevermind.

Matrix (the first boy) had better start taking marshal arts classes now, or he's going to have his ass handed to him all the way through life. What fun, to be named after a movie, or a car. You decide.

And now, dear, poor sweet Merlin. (Second, and most recent boy.) You named your kid after a wizard?
Really, come on now... These kids have to live with these names!



In the future, I have to get a dog. And I think his name shall be Merlin.
- k.

Comments

[girliegoalie.livejournal.com]

My parents have a cat named Merlin, I named him when I was 16.

Did they give them normal middle names? Maybe the children can hide behind their middle names.

[maighread.livejournal.com]

I had an Australian Cattle dog named Merlin while I was in high school. My brother also has a cat named Merlin (although in his defense, his ex named the cat. I take full blame for naming the dog though.)

=)

[kragore.livejournal.com]

But it's a pet! I think it's a perfectly fine pet name!
And as much as we love them and personify them, when they mingle with their peers, they are more concerned about what the other guy smells like - they don't have to worry about being made fun of, picked on and teased unmercifully because their parents wanted their children to be original, because by being their children means they aren't original enough...

*sigh*

*does the "it's not my problem" dance.*

- k.

[darthgm.livejournal.com]

Tell me you're reading the current "Mike's Baby" story arc of Something Positive...

[kragore.livejournal.com]

I'm not, but I think now I have to....
:)
- k.

[elissadondain.livejournal.com]

These are some of the names I have come across during my EMT days
Oceana Pacifica
Male (insert Last name here)
Female (insert Last name here)

One of my friends in college was named Romeo. He was lucky he was gorgeous, if he turned out like his brother it would have been a nightmare.

My father almost named is second daughter-my half sister- Juliette or Venus. She was not a pretty child.

People just dont think about the effect of names on their children.

Names

[girliegoalie.livejournal.com]

My Mom's theory was for boys give them a boring generic name, something that isn't weird at all because boys can be cruel. My twin brothers were named John and David, rather than Herbert and Bernard (our grandfathers names). For girls, Mom wanted something pretty, uncommon but not strange.

[wyldehunt.livejournal.com]

My da pulled that trick with me. He read some fantasy novel with a telepathic panther in it, liked the name and slapped it onto me. My only saving grace is that it turns out to be historically saxon and gaelic, and me being me, well it fits. His name is Charles. His brother is Frank, his da was Howard; but me? Grrr...... People need to think long and hard before they saddle a child with an awkward name. Kids are cruel and feeling like a pet is no way for a kid to be raised.

[embermwe.livejournal.com]

Yeah, a more mundane middle name works, or a shortening perhaps if the name shortens to something more reasonable. Matrix and Mistyarose can become Mat and Rose or Misty without too much awkwardness. There is just not too much to be done with "Dweezil" aside of become class clown.
I always liked the idea of one name being "normal" and the other a bit more interesting. Then again, I know folks who just set to going by a nickname if they like it better or it fits better than their given name.
Personally, being saddled with "Leslie" (which gets you all sort of teasing in jr high) and "Ruth" which is pretty archaic/biblical,(and was my grandmother's name) I just kinda coped, I was already a bit wierd in other ways and a more normal name wouldn't have helped too much...
Not that I am likely to be naming any kids in MY lifetime...

Oh dear....

[measanan.livejournal.com]

On an amazingly related note, do you have any relatives that you acknowledge in Illinois?

I was stunned just now by a name on an order....

Re: Oh dear....

[kragore.livejournal.com]

hrmm... nope, no family (removed by 1 step or so.)
There are a few clumps a few generations back that may have spread out that way, but not so related that we'd get christmas cards or anything...