Your parents named you what? The pros and cons of unusual names
source: http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/08/01/unusual.names.irpt/index.html?imw=Y&iref=mpstoryemail
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- Manatee_man
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Indiana Elizabeth Jones shared her story with the iReport community, and we spoke with her mother, Jennifer Jones. The Port Deposit, Maryland, resident says Indiana got her name simply because her husband's family is from that state. Dow and Indiana Jones participate in many sporting events. Indiana says, "announcers love to say our names."
As for Dow Joseph Jones, there was serious talk of naming him Jack Ryan Jones, to keep the Harrison Ford theme. (Jack Ryan is the character Ford played in a series of action movies.) Instead, her husband named their son Dow on a dare while Jennifer was asleep in the hospital bed after giving birth.
She said she cried when she found out and even thought about having Dow's name changed.
CNN.com asked users to share their unusual names after a 9-year-old New Zealand girl named Talula Does the Hula from Hawaii won the right to change her name. Dozens of members of iReport.com community explained the stories behind their odd names, as well as what they've experienced in their day-to-day lives.
Some names might not seem problematic until they're actually used on a daily basis. Open Weaver Banks of Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey (speaking of odd names), says that she shared her story with iReport.com in hopes that parents would think twice before giving their children an unusual name.
Open is an unusual name, but it's not necessarily a name that one might expect to cause regular difficulties. Weaver Banks, however, says that she often has problems with it. iReport.com: Check out Banks' story
"I have a hard time using my credit cards for personal items, because clerks will accuse me of using a business card. I cannot tell my name to someone without having to explain it. Some days, it is exhausting, and I can't even disguise the annoyance in my voice."
Banks' childhood was "painful" because of her name, too. "I still give my mother a hard time about the name choice, and she tries to explain that she was young, she liked how it sounded, it was 1970 and various other reasons," she explains. "I actually tried going by another name for a year, and I realized that as much as I truly hate my name, it is embedded in me and so much a part of my experience." iReport.com: Read about more unusual names
Some people avoid the use of their name altogether to avoid questions, confusion or embarrassment. "At times, for the sake of avoiding an uncomfortable conversation or throwing someone off guard, I answer to the names of 'Mary' or 'Kelly'," says Bluzette Martin of West Allis, Wisconsin. At restaurants, "the thought of putting an employee through the pain of guessing how to spell and pronounce 'Bluzette' just isn't worth it to me."
Martin was named after "Bluzette," an up-tempo jazz waltz written by Jean "Toots" Thielemans. Despite her daily problems with this name, it certainly has its perks, like when she met Thielemans in 1987 at a club in Los Angeles. "When I met [him], he thanked my mother," she says.
She called her mother in the middle of the night and told her that she had a surprise for her. She gave the phone to Thielemans, and he started doing his famous whistling, to the tune of "Bluzette."
Even celebrities aren't immune to the use of unusual names. Take boxer George Foreman's children, all named George. (Or actor Jason Lee's son, Pilot Inspektor, or comedian Penn Jillette's daughter, Moxie CrimeFighter.) These are just-plain bizarre names.
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- bigballon helped out
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PurpleCrayon
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Wow.
Well at least they didn't take the Frank Zappa approach. He named his kids Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet Emuukha Rodan and Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen.
Moon Unit-sounds like a measurement for how much wheat grass to put in your smoothie.
Dweezil-WTF??? weasel?
Rodan-sounds like rodent to go with weasel
Diva Thin Muffin-a low carb, non-fat organic, Kashi cracker for fat, stuck-up houswives.
- 3 years ago
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PurpleCrayon
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Manatee_man
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good job guys, this made it on the UK & US HOMEPAGE!
- 3 years ago
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Manatee_man
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philosolapis
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I wish I had some kind of crazy weird name, like, schnargalumph, or varknad the destroyer, or like, george jefferson, that would be the best, nope, got stuck with Jacob, I suppose it will do though.
- 3 years ago
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philosolapis
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kendrea_jude
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Sometimes I just want to have kids so I can name them cool names, this totally ruined it for me.
Especially when the kids' names are a profession. What the hell people?
- 3 years ago
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kendrea_jude
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JDM
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please see: A Boy Named Sue by John Cash
'Pilot Inspektor'?!
Oh Jason Lee, I had pictures of you on my wall 18 years ago, Scientology really sucked the cool right out of ya. - 3 years ago
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JDM
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JoKnows
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I used to go to school with a guy named Nicholas Nack, it wasn't worth the pain to call him Nick. Also, my sister married a guy whose last name was Grinder, her first name is Crystal, and a cousin named Sandy married a guy whose last name was Pyles - they both knew it when they married, but did it anyway!
- 3 years ago
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JoKnows
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FallenMorgan
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My last name is often mispronounced. It's a little annoying but not the main reason I dislike it.
- 3 years ago
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FallenMorgan
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jimenagamio
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I love my name. But, sometimes it can get annoying. For example, meeting new people at a crowded place and having to repeat my name 5-6 times just so they can end up saying it wrong. I would never change it :)
- 3 years ago
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jimenagamio
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HiImGuss
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*shakes head* I can't believe people.
- 3 years ago
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HiImGuss
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Angel4truth
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You know, the guys with like 15 character first names and 10 character last names...
they must have a jump of IQ than the rest. You thinK?(laughs insanely, because she can!)
- 3 years ago
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Angel4truth
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FallenMorgan
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That's awful when a kid can't spell or say his or her own name in their earlier years of life.
- 3 years ago
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FallenMorgan
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Angel4truth
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this topic is very funny. My grandfather and grandmother actually traveled all the way to Florida the very day that i was born (they didn't do that with other grand kids, I was the FIRST), only to tell my mother and father to name me Jackqueline instead of Paula,==the name my dad wanted.
I don't think there was a huge fight, but I had problems knowing my name until I was like 6 and in school overseas. Away from my gparents. (laughs and smiles)
- 3 years ago
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Angel4truth
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SuperLayne
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It's just disgusting that the father named his child that on a dare. Some people should remember that their adorably named babies will one day have to attend a job interview.
- 3 years ago
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SuperLayne
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FallenMorgan
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It should be more socially acceptable for people to change their name.
I personally dislike my real name.
- 3 years ago
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FallenMorgan
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Angel4truth
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FallenMorgan:
FallenMorgan, I love your name.. It's so .. um sexy! And that pict.. well I better write a private message. Don't want to harm innocent ears here.
- 3 years ago
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Angel4truth
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shroomfairy
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I work at a school and you wouldn't believe the names, let alone all the weird spellings.
- 3 years ago
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shroomfairy
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Mafioso
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And I thought my name was "different" (Lupez), it sounds normal compared to some of the names mentioned above. With the exception of my name sounding like a disease, I happen to love it.
- 3 years ago
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Mafioso
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HiImGuss
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Mafioso:
Yeah, my name is Gustavo. It's a weird name in the United States but not in Cuba or any Hispanic country for that matter.
- 3 years ago
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HiImGuss
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Mafioso
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Mafioso:
Gus isn't a weird name! I know about a million of them! HAHAHAHA. Then again, I live in South Texas, along the border, so, I guess that explains it. Haha.
- 3 years ago
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Mafioso
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HiImGuss
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Mafioso:
Yeah, that would definitely explain it! Haha
- 3 years ago
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HiImGuss
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Angel4truth
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Mafioso:
wow both of you sound exotic and well.. um kinda alluring . Dammit being single .. makes everything fun.
- 3 years ago
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Angel4truth
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HiImGuss
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What were their parents thinking? I would hate to be them.
- 3 years ago
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HiImGuss
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Angel4truth
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HiImGuss:
I wonder this about the kid called Apple, and other weird ass names. What is this about?
- 3 years ago
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Angel4truth
