Comments

I have a friend who's the daughter of a funeral director. Her married name? Coffin.

My daughter found that when getting married, in the U.S. at least, you become a memeber of the group "Brides" whether you intend to or not. Same with having a baby. You get on email lists and learn about websites and get advice from all quarters. Here is a fun website for checking out your baby's name. If you want to be part of a name trend or want to avoid one, it's indispensable: http://nametrends.net/

Posted by cathy mosca at February 27, 2009 10:49 AM

One of our cousins named their kid Holly Day. My husband's suggestion after that was "I'm going to kill my parent's for giving me this name some" Day as a follow up, but they chose Steve for the next kid.

Posted by Cathy at February 27, 2009 11:54 AM

This isn't career related (and I hope it translates across the water) but my daughter's asthma specialist was christened Richard [shortened(!) to Dick] Willey.

Posted by Stuart Jones at February 27, 2009 11:54 AM

We humans are ingenious at find ways of making fun of each other, especially by names.

There's no way to completely prevent it; Initials making acronyms, words meaning or sounding like something else in another language, traits linked with names, and on and on.

Even the "obvious" ones may not be so obvious initially - and your obvious may not be my obvious either.

It's not quite as bad as it can be made to seem.

Posted by Marc Farnum Rendino at February 27, 2009 12:28 PM

Girl that was in my school growing up: Laura Lynn Hardy (should end up sounding like Laurel 'n Hardy if it's not clear).

Posted by Scott Sorheim at February 27, 2009 2:50 PM

My wife was a teacher in the UK and one of her students was named 'Jazz Singer'.

Posted by B Taylor at February 27, 2009 3:44 PM

Locally there's the just-retired orthopedic surgeon named Bonebreak.

Posted by Rick Kiley at February 27, 2009 4:37 PM

My mom's second husband was Roger Rogers. I went to school with Penny Nichols.

Posted by Brett Rogers at February 28, 2009 9:24 AM

I worked with a lady by the name of Ann Gover. But as she had married Mr Gover I had no sympathy at all!

Posted by PaulH at February 28, 2009 10:01 AM

A favorite obit in New York from many years back listed the passing of A. Purdy Outhouse.

Posted by Bill B at February 28, 2009 11:11 AM

I wonder if the question should be, "Does anyone know of any people whose parents thought carefully enough to give their new baby a really memorable name that will make sure they're always remembered?"

And thinking of Johnny Cash's "Boy Named Sue," I wonder how much a name shapes the bearer?

Posted by Mark JF at March 1, 2009 11:45 AM

My favorite...a young lady I met named Crystal Shanda Lear (of that Lear family)

Posted by Mike Neiss at March 1, 2009 6:58 PM

I know of a genuine Dentist in Devon, England called Mr Nashar. However I am pretty sure the Dentist I once heard of called Phil McCavity is fictitious :-)

Posted by Trevor Gay at March 1, 2009 8:02 PM

For all the Beano readers an old friend of mine named his sone Billy, his surname Whitt (almost Billy Whizz!)

I have worked on many health care systems and payroll systems in the past 25 years and can confirm at least the following

Teresa Green
Pearl Buttons
Ivanhoe Record (I believe this was changed by de-poll)
Orson Cart

Have a great week

patrick

Posted by Patrick at March 2, 2009 3:10 AM

Its not just how you are named but the combination of names that can sometimes defeat us?

In a cricket match many years ago the bolwer was Holding and the Batsman was Willey....

I do believe the commentator said "The bowler is holding the batsmans willey!!!!!!"

Posted by patrick at March 2, 2009 3:12 AM

And finally, my wife's maiden name was Hassel !

She hadn't heard a single joke about it !

Posted by patrick at March 2, 2009 3:13 AM

Patrick - talking of cricket - listen here to the classic Jonners and Aggers hilarious commentary when Aggers inadvertently says 'didn't quite get his leg over' and they both end up giggling like teenage schoolboys – we’ve all been there :- ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3k0qZDdfvZk&feature=related

This is classic English humour – hope our US friends get it but rest assured this is one of the funniest ever clips of cricket commentary. The late ‘Jonners’ (Brian Johnstone) was a radio genius.

Posted by Trevor Gay at March 2, 2009 5:20 AM

You have started a thread here - I have no idea if this was a boost to her career but the best I heard was a lady called Ophelia Balls.

Posted by Lance at March 2, 2009 8:12 AM

Parent can torment their children by not carefully evaluating the names they give to their Children.

Think of the Reverend in whose last name was Reverend Bute. (pronunced Butt) Their children, of course were Seymour Bute, and Ophelia.

Posted by Kevin at March 2, 2009 8:13 AM

And there is renowned Texas philanthropist Ima Hogg. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ima_Hogg

The rumors she had a sister named Ura appeared to be unfounded.

Posted by Mike Schaffner at March 2, 2009 1:17 PM

My grandpa and grandma enjoyed going to visit a man named Harry Chin!

Posted by Brice at March 2, 2009 10:47 PM

A friend of mine, Jacqueline, just opened her new psychiatry practice after her recent marriage to Mr. Hyde.

Posted by Matt at March 3, 2009 9:52 AM

I have a neighbour called Adam Neave.

Posted by David Blackie at March 4, 2009 9:33 AM

I went to high school with these two:
Crystal Klir
Ray Bies

Posted by Tim Nyquist at March 4, 2009 4:20 PM

The oral surgeon who took out my wisdom teeth is named Joel Slaughter, D.M.D. - Dr. Slaughter.

Posted by C Love at March 6, 2009 3:09 PM

From Germany

Dr. Mörder (murderer in German), successful attorney specializing in criminal cases

Hartherz (attorney at law - literally hard-haerted in German), very nice chap btw.

Finally, a director at a large German company was called Göring. He had a secretary named Hauptmann (captain, G. s last rank before he joined the Nazis)

Posted by fabius.maximus.cunctator at March 7, 2009 4:29 AM

I knew an old salesman who named his boy Watchem McCallit. The Mccallits were great salesmen. He said he wanted a name for his son that no one would forget.

Posted by Phil Clark at March 9, 2009 1:08 PM

A friend told me that when he was in high school working at a car detail shop in the early 70's that an employee who had recently come up from the South was named Last Chance. The guy actually brought his birth certificate in one day and there it was in black and white: Last Chance ________. LC, as they called him, was known by all to be a great guy.

Posted by Judith Ellis at March 12, 2009 9:13 PM