S/O Strangest Name You Ever Heard:

[mommyagain]

When I use to work as a receptionist in an OB office, we had a birth certificate come through with the name Reignbeaux for a baby girl!

[BigMamaBird]

I knew a family who had a daughters named Spring, Autumn and Winter and a son named Sommer.

 

I love nature based names but my dh instantly vetos them. Though he is o.k. with flower names for middle names.

[Rosie_0801]

A friend in high school said there were lots of kids in her Saturday School classes called "Potato" and "The" and similar things. Their parents arrived here not speaking English so they picked out English names for their kids from signs at the market. I'm sure these people had perfectly respectable Chinese names though.

 

Rosie

[Alphabetika]

I think the Jello twins must be an urban legend or something. I've read about them twice in this thread, and a friend once told me that she'd been a camp counselor to sisters names Orangejello and Cherryjello. :glare:

[dangermom]

It irritates my Russian SIL no end that Igor is such a maligned name in the US. She thinks Igor (Gregory) is a fine name and would like to use it. Same with Boris. (I like Boris.)

 

 

Well, Igor conjures up an image of the hunchback assistant in horror films. And when I think of Boris, I think of Boris Karloff who acted in many horror films. At least that's what everyone in our small town thought of when I was young.... does this make me old? lol!

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

Talula does the hula from hawaii <-- yes THAT is the whole name. They tried but was not allowed to here is the article

 

 

I didnt read through 17 pgs responses so maybe that one was said already. just rediculous! (though that was not a birth name)

[Tap]

Mister for a first name. The grandmother told me that she only had girls and she always thought it would be funny to have a Mr.Mister Xyz. Her granddaughter named her son Mister to honor her grandmother.

 

I believe the g-daughters name was Princess.

 

I know another person who only has one name but since that really complicates paperwork, she goes by the same name twice... Osima, Osima.

[Nicole M]

I forgot to mention one! A boy named "Reason." Reason? REASON!!??

 

For some reason, this reminds me of a boy named Courage. I was looking at the photos in my midwives' office, all the moms and their babies, and there was one baby named Courage on the wall next to our picture. I said something like, "That's an interesting name." And my midwife sorta mumbled under her breath, "Interesting name, yes. Courage. He's going to need it, living in that family!"

 

ETA: I actually like the name Courage. But I like Grace and Serenity and Hope and all those cheesy names, too.

[melissel]

I went to school with a girl named Candy Graham. I had an English teacher with the unfortunate name of Dick Burns. I cannot fathom why the man did not go by Richard instead :lol:

 

I had a vice-principal in high school whose name was Richard Wiener. He DID go by Richard, but of course that's not what the kids called him. There was no way he was getting out of that one. Fortunately, he was a very good sport.

 

..."Drilled and Filled by Dr. Love!"

 

That is AWESOME!!! :lol:

 

I once had a PA at our doc's office named Sandy Butts. And it was her married name!

 

Oh noooooo!! Why wouldn't she just keep her maiden name?! I remember seeing Christine Lahti on a talk show once, and she told a story about how much she always hated her last name because it was so weird and she had to spell it all the time, and she couldn't wait to get married so she could change it. And then she ended up marrying the director Tommy Schlamme (pronounced shlommee), so she just sucked it up and kept her maiden name :lol:

[Julie in MO]

We had a new neighbor move in a few years ago and I was anxious to meet her. She had two rambunctious boys and a cute but wild little toddler daughter. She kept running into the street...over and over again! Her mom didn't say anything to her - she didn't even interrupt our conversation. She would just walk out into the street, take her by the arm, sigh, and keep talking. The little girl would throw a tantrum, scream uncontrollably, then run back into the street. OK...now I'll share her name.....Tyrrany.

 

:lol:Julie

[3lilreds in NC]

Why are those names strange?

 

Boris and Igor sound like horror film characters to me. :)

 

I have a friend whose children are named Skye (their last name is King) and Wylie Kye (I believe after Wile E. Coyote).

 

I knew a girl who named her son Atticus Aidan. I confess that Atticus sounds strange to me, but I haven't heard a lot of Greek names - mostly I think it was oddly paired with an Irish name. They called him Aidan. (I have never understood calling a child by their middle name, unless their first name is the duplicate of a parent's name. Why not just name them what you will call them?)

 

A couple of names that I've heard in recent years are Laken and Gracen. I have 2 friends from HS with girls named Laken, and know a couple of Gracens (girls). Grayson, for a boy, doesn't seem quite so strange, but Gracen for a girl seems like the "n" was just added for no apparent reason. It's more of a spelling issue for me than how it sounds for a girl, I think. Like my cousin named Cortney - they were trying for a unique spelling and to me it just looks incorrect.

 

I have a new neighbor whose children are named Will and Jada. I asked her if she named them after Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith, and she told me that her son Will is William after her grandfather, and she thought *she* made up Jada, but now people ask her this. I thought that was funny.

 

Of course, I am the person who chose Emma for my oldest because it was a pretty, old-fashioned name that no one was using, and then every little girl I met the year she was born seemed to be named Emma. Same thing with Abigail. And do you know how many people I have met with girls named Emma and Abigail? It's pretty ridiculous. Dh and I were laughing over some of the names here and agreed that we are pretty much the opposite of interesting when it comes to names. I thought we were being all unique. Apparently I am more influenced by popular culture than I thought. :D

[OnTheBrink]

I knew a family who had a daughters named Spring, Autumn and Winter and a son named Sommer.

 

I love nature based names but my dh instantly vetos them. Though he is o.k. with flower names for middle names.

 

I have a friend who has 4 daughters: Summer, Autumn, Spring and Winter. I used to babysit Spring.

 

Also (referring to an earlier post), our pastor's grandson is named Malachi, after the prophet.

[TrixieB]

OH, I forgot one. I used to know a girl named Tequila. Her mother (who didn't have custody of her) named her after her favorite booze. Sad, huh?

I went to school with Brandy Beers and her sister Amber.

 

A little girl who lives up the street from us is named Diamonique.

Edited May 13, 2010 by TrixieB

[OnTheBrink]

I think the Jello twins must be an urban legend or something. I've read about them twice in this thread, and a friend once told me that she'd been a camp counselor to sisters names Orangejello and Cherryjello. :glare:

 

I've heard the jello names a few times from other people on the 'net.

[Kirch]

I have a friend who named her daughter Boo. Seriously, her given name.

[Ailaena]

I went to high school with a Saffron and her sister, Sage. We called her Saffy, which is certainly not any better:D

 

When I was in 1st grade or so a girl came to our school who was either from Germany or of German ancestry (so hazy now...). Her last name was Schitt. I only remember the principal telling her that she needed to pronounce it with a long I and her being very confused as to why:lol:

[OnTheBrink]

I have a friend who named her daughter Boo. Seriously, her given name.

 

Their last name isn't Radley, is it? :lol:

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

For some reason, this reminds me of a boy named Courage. I was looking at the photos in my midwives' office, all the moms and their babies, and there was one baby named Courage on the wall next to our picture. I said something like, "That's an interesting name." And my midwife sorta mumbled under her breath, "Interesting name, yes. Courage. He's going to need it, living in that family!"

 

ETA: I actually like the name Courage. But I like Grace and Serenity and Hope and all those cheesy names, too.

 

 

Kind of along the same lines, I had a friend who had 3 daughters. The oldest was Faith. The middle was Hope-- we were trying to get her to name her 3rd Charity or something else,,, I cant remember its been 10 years but she ended up naming her 3rd Emma. Faith, Hope and Emma just doesnt have the same ring as Faith, Hope and Charity :lol: I do not think of those as odd names but your Grace and Serenity made me think of her!

[Alphabetika]

Well if you don't like Heather, how about Erica? It is the same name. (Erica is the botanical name for heather). Oh, and although I have no children with botanical names, I really like them- Lily, Dahlia, Rose, etc.

 

 

I like that name. :)

 

Thanks for mentioning it,

Erika

[happygrrl]

A lot of these names are not that strange to me. Maybe it's my age/my parents' age (they came of age and I was born in the hippie era).

 

I live in an older "back to the land" neighborhood and I am so used to the hippie names that a "Sarah" or "Jason" would elicit the double take.

 

We have had Harmony, Starlight, Angel, Orion, Jedi, Soozee, Mycah, Zephyr, Liberty, Freedom, Dragonfly, Mandolyn, Jasmine, Mudra, Autumn, Stormie, Talon, Jubilee, and more that I can't remember at present. One poor unfortunate was named Siddartha, but we didn't mind because before that he was named Jung :).

[GESTEP]

I met General Mills III . No, he was not from the cereal company.

[Shawna in Texas]

My mom was a hippy. She named me Shawna because she didn't know how to spell Ambrosia.

[EthiopianFood]

Our vet is named Dr. Barkus. :)

[FlockOfSillies]

People love to make fun of certain names, and why have so many posts begun with "when I was a social worker" or "when I lived in the inner city"?

 

People love to make fun of oddball or picturesque names. Just scanning the examples here, I see some that are hippie, some that are redneck, some that are Trekkie, and some that are merely unfortunate. Oh yeah, and some from the black urban subculture. (Shhh, we don't have a black underclass and we're not allowed to notice that sometimes "inner city residents" choose, ahem, creative names. It's much easier to insinuate that the other posters here are a bunch of white racists.)

 

Here's a crazy theory: drug addicts, whatever their skin color, aren't so good at making life choices for their kids (which is why the social workers are there). That extends to name choices sometimes.

 

Personally I think the name Madison for a girl (or any name ending with -son, for that matter) is silly.

 

:iagree: DD6 plays softball against a team with a girl named Harrisan. The first time I heard it, I looked for a boy on the other team. Just 'cause you change the spelling doesn't mean you aren't still naming your daughter "Harry's Son." :banghead:

 

But I'm practically allergic to trendy names anyway. Don't get me started on the -aden phenomenon for boys... HSAT, I'm pretty much the opposite of Penn Jillette -- I think it's cruel to name your kid something so weird that no one on earth would ever duplicate it.

 

If we really wanted to dig into a treasure trove of oddball names, we could limit our choices to white celebrities and still have enough material to keep us going for days. Bonus: no more need for sensitive souls to hunt for an undercurrent of racism in every thread on these boards. :glare:

 

All this spoken by someone who once thought it would be a great idea to name her future dd "Scarlett Epiphany." :lol:

[Natalieclare]

My mom was a hippy. She named me Shawna because she didn't know how to spell Ambrosia.

 

:lol:

[mrsrevmeg]

When I was pregnant with our first son, my husband's grandmother wanted us to name him Absalom Bird, after someone in her family. She also had a brother named Bishop Knight _______. My doctor's wife when I was a kid was named Icy Lou _____. When my kids were in school I used to volunteer in the library. There was a kid named Cain. (hmm... Who should we name after baby after? How about the first murderer in the Bible?) My husband used to work with two brothers named Grant and Lee. I used to go to church with a lady named Carol Carroll.

I thought she was just odd when she first introduced herself. :D

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

My brother didn't understand the family uproar when he announced that if his first born was a boy it would be Maverick Destin. He named him Drake instead.

 

As a teenager, I used to read the telephone book to find unusual names. Yes, I was different. :-P

 

Any way here are some I found:

Mark Book

Ivory Black

Rosy Bush

Fanny Sweat

 

My mother had two friends who when married (not to each other) became Candy Mann and Sandy Beech.

[Margo out of lurking]

My two longtime "favorites" are

 

Diamondrim Asterisk (a boy's first and middle names)

and a friend who named their son Yly. It was pronounced "Eli."

[springmama]

A few years ago a friend told me about a girl she recently encountered. The girls name was......

 

La-A

 

 

How do you think that is pronounced?

 

 

Ladasha

 

Seriously???? Apparently the girl explained her name by saying "The dash don't be silent"

 

I wonder if she knew it wasn't really a dash?

 

Poor kid.

[lionfamily1999]

Brock, by itself a good name. Middle name, Leo. That's where she lost me ;)

[radiobrain]

Well, we honestly had the name Bannister on our short list of names for our first kid. :confused: I don't remember where we came up with that one!

 

I went to school with a Barbie Case.

 

I once took a check at a store I worked at for a __(normal first name)___ Pett-Bunny.

 

Family names:

 

Vigin Mary

Spurgeon

Attila & Ruella Hemphill (I love this!)

 

there are more, but I haven't had enough coffee to access that part of my brain!

[tonya in sc]

I am too scared to name my child anything TOO odd, but I love the names. :001_smile:

 

I have a friend who just loves hunting and camping. He named his first son Coleman Hunter. He goes by Cole.

 

As for the going by the middle name thing - my dd2 goes by her middle name, and here's why.

Dd1 is Cecelia, after my grandmother. Dd2 is only 16 month younger. I knew they would be together all the time growing up, and I wanted something that sounded nice when paired with "Cecelia and". I chose Celeste. However, my husband really wanted a nod to his side of the family. His mother's name is Lidia (Cuban, hence the spelling), who is a favorite Biblical character of mine. Lidia Celeste sounds just beautiful to me, whereas Celeste Lidia sounds discordant, at least to my ears. So, she goes by Celeste, and answers to Lidia when we are at the dr.'s office or anywhere official.

 

I love old names that people have heard, usually know how to spell, yet are uncommon. In my Sunday School class that I teach, I have Magnolia, Charlotte, Olivia, and Furman.

[TN Mama]

How in the world do you presume these names are from *any* color people? Seriously, where did that come from?

 

 

This is immediately what I thought. Obviously the poster who mentioned Angel as a boy's name is unfamiliar with how common it is in certain ethnic groups and its pronunciation. I have not picked up on any intentional digs toward a certain group of people, well aside from the one about Heather & whites. It is comments like those that are purposely trying to get a point across. A not so nice one, if I might add.

[TN Mama]

 

If we really wanted to dig into a treasure trove of oddball names, we could limit our choices to white celebrities and still have enough material to keep us going for days.

 

Just what is it about fame that seems to require off the wall names for their children?

[K-FL]

This is immediately what I thought. Obviously the poster who mentioned Angel as a boy's name is unfamiliar with how common it is in certain ethnic groups and its pronunciation.

 

My dh was listening to a radio sports-talk show once & the dense host was being snarky about getting an e-mail from Jesus. Obviously, he didn't live in a very Hispanic area since he didn't know that's a very common man's name (pronounced Hay-Zeus.)

[Luckymama]

My dh's great-uncle is named Richard Dick. He goes by Dick Dick. We call him "Uncle Dick Dick" :D He is a fabulously funny, outgoing, and active man in his 80s.

[Dobela]

I know another person who only has one name but since that really complicates paperwork, she goes by the same name twice... Osima, Osima.

 

When I was in college there was a guy in one of my classes named Adam Adams. He hated it LOL.

 

Brock: I don't particularly like it, but recently on a rerun of Reba they shared the full name of the dad - Brock Enroll Hart. I will never be able to hear Brock again and not have a personal chuckle!

 

I love older unusual names. MY grandmother has a name that is fuond no where else as far as we know (and I am not putting it here for fear it will become popular and I won't get to use it with a future child or grandchild LOL). My grandmother had 12 brothers and sisters (9 lived to adults) and some names are just funny and make no sense. One sister was named Jernevive. My great grandma liked the name Genevive but couldn't spell it which led to that spelling and the nickname of Jernie (prounounced Journey). For my grandmother, my great grandma always she neamed her after a favorite cousin - but my grandma's name starts with V and there is no one else found in the family that starts with a V. :confused:

 

Then there were the twin brothers with the same name flipped - James Louis and Louis James. So keen they were on that name game that they even named the children the same way. I can't believe the wives went along with it :001_huh:. So one had a Amee Grace, the other Grace Amee. Sons were James Lewis and Lewis James. And so on thru about 6 kids. It has made geneology a real pain.

[lionfamily1999]

Brock: I don't particularly like it, but recently on a rerun of Reba they shared the full name of the dad - Brock Enroll Hart. I will never be able to hear Brock again and not have a personal chuckle!

I sort of like Brock, it's a nice masculine name, but Brock Leo? :lol: I begged my friend to reconsider.

[angela in ohio]

Then there were the twin brothers with the same name flipped - James Louis and Louis James.

 

Dh has a friend who did this to his sons. Both are the names of grandfathers.

[dansamy]

My grandmother: Jennie Vee. (Her parents couldn't spell Genevieve.)

 

Poor unfortunate baby: Cole Tide (Alabama fan parents)

 

Baby girl: Nevaeh (Heaven spelled backwards)

 

Baby boy: TreMarvin

 

Boy in high school: Odell

 

A friend of mine's twin great-aunts: Ora May and Ola Fay

 

And one at myself: I almost named 3rd child Justin Case. In my defense, they really shouldn't send the birth registrar to see someone who is on a demerol pump. Demerol makes me hallucinate. DH sent the registrar packing. However, 2 of my children do have the same middle name: Michelle and Michael. I didn't realize it until later. Oh well. Michelle is also my niece's middle name. Eldest child's middle name is Scott. Almost all of my male cousins have the middle name Scott.

Edited May 13, 2010 by dansamy

[Truscifi]

My great aunt was named Cityannkatiejaneviarillalavonia. All one word. My great great grandmother couldn't decide, so she just stuck them all together. And her last name was Bird! My great aunt went by Katie, BTW.

[ereks mom]

Jovi. They got the name from the movie Elf. Jovi was the girl Buddy worked with at the department store--the one who was singing "Baby, It's Cold Outside" in the shower.

 

It's a cute name, not really strange, but I'd never heard it before.

[AndyJoy]

Then there was the 4-year-old named Messiah in the after-care program at the school were I taught. It was a little disconcerting to hear myself say, "Messiah, we don't hit!"

[Lisa in Jax]

I have traced my family history way, way, way back to the 1600s. One of my male ancestors was Freedom Lippencott. His wife was Hope. Their son was Liberty.

 

Tara

 

One of my ancestors is named America. She'd have fit right in! :)

[BikeBookBread]

Thought of another one. There was a little girl named Trinity at the last church we attended...named after the Matrix character.

[dansamy]

Thought of another one. There was a little girl named Trinity at the last church we attended...named after the Matrix character.

 

Can we count pets? Because my DH can't say Neopolitan (like the ice cream), he named our tri-color guinea pig Neo. What should we name his all brown brother? Well, Morpheus, of course!

[Lisa in Jax]

Kind of along the same lines, I had a friend who had 3 daughters. The oldest was Faith. The middle was Hope-- we were trying to get her to name her 3rd Charity or something else,,, I cant remember its been 10 years but she ended up naming her 3rd Emma. Faith, Hope and Emma just doesnt have the same ring as Faith, Hope and Charity :lol: I do not think of those as odd names but your Grace and Serenity made me think of her!

 

I have a friend from grad school whose sisters were Faith and Hope. Her name was *Stephanie.* Faith, Hope and... Stephanie? ;-)

[KidsHappen]

The two that come to mind are:

* Angel - for a boy's name (poor boy)

 

I think this has become much more common since Buffy.

[FlockOfSillies]

Two things, I think: drugs and insularity. Celebrities don't tend to surround themselves with people who are willing to disagree with them. All of their assistants and agents and publicists and handlers are paid yes-men. And I think many of them believe that the regular rules of life really do not apply to them.

[Desert Rat]

Ha! At a birthday party a couple years ago, a lady kept calling her daughter Honey. I thought it was just an endearment until I realized everyone called her Honey. That was her name. It's kinda cute.....but weird.