I have heard that names among the African-American community can be somewhat exotic. Condoleezza is a good example. But I heard of a prize one the other day. The wife of a friend overheard, in Walmart, a lady calling her daughter. ‘Spatula! Spatula! I’ve got just two words for you, young lady; be-have!’ She swears it’s true.
I knew a Texan girl called Brandy. I once knew an Olive Grove, and I know someone who knew an Orson Carter. School records in Guildford show that in the late 19thc a girl was christened Mary Ann Twanet. I’m sure you can come up with lots more.
2 comments:
Wonderful names! It is so important to choose carefully bearing in mind not only the suitability of Christian name with surname, but also resulting initials. I read somewhere of a chap whose initials were R.I.P!
Starting a conversation with a new mum in the bed next to me some 33 years ago, I enquired the name of her new daughter. 'Liana' she replied. 'That's nice' I said vaguely wondering why she had named the little girl after the vines Tarzan swung on in the jungle! Still - better than Candida I suppose!
I was only thinking of names yesterday when I found out that a well known French bishop had been baptised Jacques Jean Joseph Jules - all good sensible names but how unusual to have then all beginning with the same letter. Having suffered teasing as a child because of an unusual 'middle name' myself, I do feel for those who have been given out of the ordinary names.
My mother once had a child in her class who emigrated with her family to Australia. their surname was Rabbitt!
Thank you for giving us your impressions of America - they have been fascinating and informative to those of us who have never visited. A safe journey back to sunny Sussex!
In rural central Illinois I know of a man by the last name of Pigg who named his daughters Ima and Ura. Most Midwesterners are nicer than that; I promise.
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