What Does Your Name Say About You?

[unloadonme]

This BBC article is interesting, although to an extent it's only telling us what is pretty obvious. Children with what one might call traditional first names are more likely to attend Oxford University than those with the sort of names which have enjoyed, well, a certain council house chic.

My first name (Paul) shows I think that my parents played it safe. I avoided Rupert (my uncle) and Thomas (almost every other male member of my immediate family).

So what does your first name say about you?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26634477

[palbert]

All three names are among the family names of long standing. Playing it safe and a traditional southern practice back then.

[herry1]

My name Ian was picked because my mother wanted a name that couldn't be shortened. Except it can as she often calls me E.

[dpnice]

I nearly got christened Leonard Garibaldi, both family names. Luckily the one good thing my mother ever did for me was to put her foot down and name me after her side of the family.

I am extremely happy with David and must admit to getting extremely annoyed if anyone dares to shorten it to 'Dave'.

[herry1]

I nearly got christened Leonard Garibaldi, both family names. Luckily the one good thing my mother ever did for me was to put her foot down and name me after her side of the family.

I am extremely happy with David and must admit to getting extremely annoyed if anyone dares to shorten it to 'Dave'.

My father's called Leonard and when my mother told her grandmother I was going to be called Ian, grandmother replied "Iron what kind of name is Iron, call him Lenny after his dad" But mother stood firm.

[GreyUnderscore]

My father's middle name is Antonio so my parents named me Anthony.

[unloadonme]

My name Ian was picked because my mother wanted a name that couldn't be shortened ...

My mother lengthens mine to Pauly!

[m1thousand]

My name Ian was picked because my mother wanted a name that couldn't be shortened. Except it can as she often calls me E.

I was almost called Ian but they chose Mark

[herry1]

My mother lengthens mine to Pauly!

Sounds like you're ill.

[Harke the Boeotarch]

I got my father's name and he was named after his uncle. Frisian names are like that.

[SaskGuy]

I won't be giving my name out on here, but I have an English name, and I was named after my father and my grandfather.

[MoufOfKhaos]

Says my parents named me after a famous actor? Hell if I know why.

[dereperez]

I've grown up disliking my name all through grade school, thinking it was too common and nothing special. I had a friend named Balthazar and thought it was the coolest thing ever. Over time I eventually grew into my name and thought "hey, I don't need a cool label to make me cool." Derek was also my great uncle's middle name. I've some friends who think that two syllables is too long and like to shorten my name to just "Der". Not the most intelligent sounding, but it is what it is.

[shawnyqueer]

It lets others know I'm probably mixed. (Which I am)

[Rickrock]

I was named after my father. Although not real common, it was common enough to not be unusual when I was growing up. Now it is not common anymore.

[peeonme]

I was named after both of my grand fathers, Lawrence Charles, far to fancy for me. Both get shortened to Larry and Chuck. In my family on both sides Larry is common, so it's not used by me, as a boy I was Charley, I called myself Chuck as a teen and that's how it has been since.
I wish that I could have been a "Jim" or a "Bob", something simple.

[medic1]

Adam = First Man, Red-man. I was named after my uncle on the maternal side of the family.

[mikey3000]

Michael Alexander. I was named after my Grandfather, and his father.

[blackbeltninja]

I was nearly an Ashley, but that didn't happen in the end.

Not sure where the inspiration for Dale came from, but hey, there it is.

-d-

[unloadonme]

I was nearly an Ashley ...

A lucky escape!

... Not sure where the inspiration for Dale came from ...

Do you have Yorkshire blood in your veins?

[medic1]

^So, i am just guessing here, but Miss Springfield would be out of the question?..........

[blackbeltninja]

Do you have Yorkshire blood in your veins?

I don't think so.

Tracing the various family surnames of my grandparents seems to suggest Scottish (Davies and Moore) and English (Watson) ancestry from the British side, and something very long-ago Dutch (Smit) on the other. My South African grandparents (3 of the 4) all had distant European lineage, although they were all 3rd or 4th generation locally born. The only exception is my paternal grandfather, the Moore, who was a Londoner and who met my grandmother when she left South Africa as a young woman for a few years in London.

-d-

[Kulindahr]

I've grown up disliking my name all through grade school, thinking it was too common and nothing special. I had a friend named Balthazar and thought it was the coolest thing ever. Over time I eventually grew into my name and thought "hey, I don't need a cool label to make me cool." Derek was also my great uncle's middle name. I've some friends who think that two syllables is too long and like to shorten my name to just "Der". Not the most intelligent sounding, but it is what it is.

At least they don't shorten it to Rek.

[Kulindahr]

I don't know how my parents came up with my first name (Dustin). I know my middle name came from my father (his first name).

If anyone tries to call me Dusty, that's never a good thing!

There was a kool guy at summer camp one year named Dustin. We called him "The Wind".

[Kulindahr]

My first name, I'm told, was a compromise between two names that different sides of the family argued for. It's a syllable in each of those names.

[dereperez]

At least they don't shorten it to Rek.

Well played, sir.

[rareboy]

I got my father's name and he was named after his uncle. Frisian names are like that.

I ended up being named after an actor (and my Godfather) because my parents couldn't name me after my paternal grandfather because my mother wouldn't name my sister after my Dutch grandmother...Sibbeltje.

It caused a huge rift in the family. My grandmother never once used my sister's name until the day she died.

We're pretty hard...us Frisians.

[unloadonme]

I ended up being named after an actor (and my Godfather) ...

Your Godfather was an actor?

[blackbeltninja]

my parents couldn't name me after my paternal grandfather because my mother wouldn't name my sister after my Dutch grandmother...Sibbeltje.

I'm in two minds about this, retaining an old family name.

My mate has family name, which is both his and his father's second name, and his grandfather's first name. I don't think he met the man. In turn, his son has inherited the name and will no doubt be expected to pass it on to his son, should he have one. So now you have three generations honouring some guy they've never met who may in fact not be even nearly that wonderful and worthy of the repeated invocation, simply because someone felt compelled to do it once.

It all just seems a little silly to me. It also seems a little stifling, telling someone to go and find their own identity when you're foisting someone else's onto them.

-d-

[JohnnyAnger]

My name, Michael, is prefectly fine I suppose. Just it happened to be the most popular male name in the UK in and around 1990 the year of my birth. In every class there were at least three Michael's, so I have always been known by my last name for years or a variation upon it.

It's an odd one though, as my name is my father's middle name and yet he wanted to name me Julian for reasons unknown but my mother would not allow it and with few males in the family to name me (my middle names, Ronald and James, come from my grandfathers) they just went with boring, safe, Michael. I wonder how Julian would have turned out?

[JohnnyAnger]

I am extremely happy with David and must admit to getting extremely annoyed if anyone dares to shorten it to 'Dave'.

Davey is cool though right? I am with you on it though, although I like Dai. My partners uncle was/is always called Daf/Taffy, but that is the Welsh for you.

I cannot stand Mick or Mike either, both are horrid and I only allow one person to call me either simply because I shorten his name as well. I do sometimes get called Misha, which I can handle.

[unloadonme]

My name, Michael, is prefectly fine I suppose ...

When my uncle was born, my grandmother wanted to call him Michael. My grandfather apparently refused to countenance Michael because it was too Irish! My uncle was instead named Rupert after my grandfather's brother.

[JohnnyAnger]

When my uncle was born, my grandmother wanted to call him Michael. My grandfather apparently refused to countenance Michael because it was too Irish! My uncle was instead named Rupert after my grandfather's brother.

Oh dear lord not Irish! I fear I am anything but a fenian, me mum's family are all Essex/Suffolk and my dad's lot are a hodge podge of whatever East London had to offer, but many immigrants from the continent. Who knows, maybe an Irish men or two slipped in - might explain the ginger hair...

[rareboy]

I'm in two minds about this, retaining an old family name.

My mate has family name, which is both his and his father's second name, and his grandfather's first name. I don't think he met the man. In turn, his son has inherited the name and will no doubt be expected to pass it on to his son, should he have one. So now you have three generations honouring some guy they've never met who may in fact not be even nearly that wonderful and worthy of the repeated invocation, simply because someone felt compelled to do it once.

It all just seems a little silly to me. It also seems a little stifling, telling someone to go and find their own identity when you're foisting someone else's onto them.

-d-

And yet...for over 400 years, our family has forged ties with the preceeding generations by incorporating the names of our forebearers into each generation. It links us all to a common family history and illuminates the accomplishments and the dreams of each generation.

I wish there was more of it today to help every new product of the family sperm bank appreciate and learn more about some of the amazing achievements and sacrifices that others made so that they can exist in relative security and safety in their little electronic and social cocoons.

[blackbeltninja]

^Isn't that what a surname does?

-d-

[pat grimshaw]

My first name, I'm told, was a compromise between two names that different sides of the family argued for. It's a syllable in each of those names.

Is it some kind of hippie invented name?

I heard that some person named 'Barbara Hershey' changed their surname to 'Seagull'. I met a man-hating lesbian who refused to have her father's surname and invented her own surname by taking a syllable from two christian names.

[pat grimshaw]

...happened to be the most popular male name in the UK in and around 1990...

I have discovered all the Bretts and Tiffany's I've ever met we're born in the 1960s.

[purina]

My mother claimed she named me after Garry Moore. When I asked her why she only used one "R", she said Dad didn't like him.

I'd say about 4% of boys in my class had the same name. Rhymes with fairy.

On some lists that ranked names that men and women liked I think Gary was at 3 or 5 on the men's list and considerably lower on the womens. Allen was at the top of both.

I think "Butch" had the shortest lived popularity of any I've seen - it's heyday was about '57 to '61 or so.

[pat grimshaw]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoQuCqVv_R0

[Kulindahr]

Is it some kind of hippie invented name?

I heard that some person named 'Barbara Hershey' changed their surname to 'Seagull'. I met a man-hating lesbian who refused to have her father's surname and invented her own surname by taking a syllable from two christian names.

"Hippie"???

It's a name by itself, it just doesn't appear as the single syllable as often as linked to another.

[pat grimshaw]

"Hippie"??? ...

I assume you come from the Flower Power generation when everyone were adopting the American corporatised world and adopting Indian names

[Kulindahr]

I assume you come from the Flower Power generation when everyone were adopting the American corporatised world and adopting Indian names

Your understanding of history is very lacking.

Among other things.

[G-Lexington]

I never liked my birth name, so I changed it the first opportunity I had. My parents weren't thrilled, but they've grown to accept it. I'd rather be linked to a cartoon gargoyle than use my birth name.

My last name I can take or leave. It apparently means "food peddler", for what that's worth. It's also a bitch to spell.

Lex

[Vitamin]

My father's name is David and my middle name is David. Coincidence, obviously.

[ibill1]

Being from an Italian family and my father and grandfathers first name being Anthony, all five of us boys have Anthony somewhere in our names. My oldest brothers first name is Anthony and down the line I ended up with William Nicholas Anthony. All of us boys have three names plus our sir name. I have gone by two of my names at different times. Up until junior high I went by Bill. I went by Nicholas all through high school, back to Bill in college and beyond although I've always liked Nicholas the most.

[dpnice]

My father's name is David and my middle name is David. Coincidence, obviously.

Hello David it is David calling. I love doing that on the telephone. But unfortunately I only know one other David so I don't get the chance to do it very often.

[unloadonme]

Hello David it is David calling. I love doing that on the telephone. But unfortunately I only know one other David so I don't get the chance to do it very often.

I prefer "is that you? This is me".

[Kulindahr]

I prefer "is that you? This is me".

I have a warm spot for "Is this the party to whom I am speaking?"

[rocabar]

My given name was a portmanteau of two maternal surnames; One from each side of the family. My middle name Starfire was, I believe, the result of my parents running naked through the forest while on acid.

I didn't particularly like either of them, so I changed them both, when I had the means to do so.

[Kyanimal]

Hello David it is David calling. I love doing that on the telephone. But unfortunately I only know one other David so I don't get the chance to do it very often.