What did you (or would you!) name your kids, and why?

[Terath Ninir]

My daughter is named Ehlanna (intentionally changed from Ehlonna). I named here that in 1996 when Ehlonna was a very minor goddess in Greyhawk that most Greyhawk players had never heard of. I just thought the name was pretty.

My son is named Corwin. His name comes from the main character of the first Amber series by Zelazny. I would have named him after Corwin's son, the main character of the second series, who is actually my favourite character of the books. But there was no way I was going to do that -- his name is Merlin. Not only would I never saddle a kid with that name, but also no one would ever get what my *real* reference was. So I went with my second favourite character's name instead.

End result -- both my kids have slightly exotic names, but not weird enough to get them noticed. And given some of the names "normal" people name their kids (L'Tanya? Osric?!?!!?), they really don't get noticed.

It has led me to a theory, though: when my kid's generation are having kids, they're going to name them all Bob and Sue and Betty and George and other such boring, normal names.

 

[Wombat]

Assuming I had a son, I would have no choice -- John Angus.

Same as me
Same as my father
Same as my grandfather
Same as my great-grandfather
Same as my great-great-grandfather
Same as my great-great-great-grandfather

...and probably a couple of other generations I don't know about...

And if I had a daughter, I would hold out for Elizabeth Katherine -- that way the girl could practically name herself! Think of all the variations of those two names!

 

[Huw]

Well I'm British and my wife's Chinese, so our kids have both European and Chinese names. We called our son Benjamin because there didn't seem to be many Benjamins about. Must have caught the zeitgeist, because there are about four other Benjamins of the same age in our neighbourhood. His Chinese name is Wenjun, which means "scholarly gentleman".

Our daughter (deceased, unfortunately) was called Rachel (again, the name seemed common but currently unused), and her Chinese name was Yan'er, meaning "little goose".

Future children? Don't know. We'll see who turns up!

 

[Ferret]

My sons name is Collin, in honor of my familys strong Irish heritage. If I have a daughter her name will be Kaleigh.

Kaleigh sounds like a lovely name! *Stolen*

 

[papastebu]

"Ambulatory Jello"

"Articulated Jester"
"Arhythmic Jaguar"
"Authentic Jalopy"
"Asterisk Jugular"

 

[Pbartender]

...or "Gift From God", or something equally impressive and reflective of how I felt about the whole situation.

Matthew == "Gift from God"

"Ambulatory Jello"

I think the real trick here, Danny, is to come up with a such a name that also is conducive to an "ordinary" sounding nick name. That way, while the name is certainly and ludicrously original, the poor needn't be entirely embarrassed on a constant and consistant basis, and only then if he so chooses. For example:

"Automotile Jalopy" Call him "Otto" for short.

or

"Arthropodan Jamboree" Call him "Arthur" for short.

And if I had a daughter, I would hold out for Elizabeth Katherine -- that way the girl could practically name herself! Think of all the variations of those two names!

My daughter's name is "Katherine Elizabeth"...

Oh, yes... She's got a name for every occasion... "Kate", "Katie", "Katherine", "Katydid", "Twinkletoes"... The list goes on and on.

 

[hafrogman]

My daughter's name is "Katherine Elizabeth"...

Oh, yes... She's got a name for every occasion... "Kate", "Katie", "Katherine", "Katydid", "Tinkletoes"... The list goes on and on.

PETRUCHIO
Good morrow, Kate; for that's your name, I hear.

KATHARINA
Well have you heard, but something hard of hearing:
They call me Katharina that do talk of me.

PETRUCHIO
You lie, in faith; for you are call'd plain Kate,
And bonny Kate and sometimes Kate the curst;
But Kate, the prettiest Kate in Christendom
Kate of Kate Hall, my super-dainty Kate. . .

Don't forget Kat and then Kitty and such forth. Not quite sure where Tinkletoes comes from. . . potty training woes?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Double post.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I think the real trick here, Danny, is to come up with a such a name that also is conducive to an "ordinary" sounding nick name.

You'd be surprised by the number of guys in my family who are known to the public at large as "A.J."

Or maybe you wouldn't.

I was telling my family about this thread- got some laughs, too.

Then someone pointed out that all of that embroidered, embossed, and engraved family heirloom stuff went down the Mississippi in the aftermath of Katrina.

So perhaps I'll just name my hypothetical firstborn male child "Tyr."

Good name for a black kid...

OTOH, the Russian version of Orion (the hunter of Greek legend) is "Arion."

 

[Pbartender]

Not quite sure where Tinkletoes comes from. . . potty training woes?

Ooops... Typo.

"Twinkletoes"... she likes to "dance".