New Post
Search
Helpwhen a first and last combo is famous
There's an attitude in some circles that once a first and last name has become famous it shouldn't be used for new babies - to use an Australian true crime prism, that means no more Jane Beaumonts or Kylie Mayburys. People's thoughts?
Archived Thread - replies disabled
1
Replies
I agree with you, but I also say that if a combo is famous, but there are a lot of people already with that combo, it doesn't really matter. Like, according to Wiki, there's several different Michael Myers and Mike Myers in the business--Mike Myers aka Austin Powers (of course), another actor, a few sportsmen, a Supreme Court judge from New Zealand, and some American politicians. I wouldn't bat an eyelash if I met another Mike or Michael Myers.
Here's the link if y'all need more info:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Myers
Here's the link if y'all need more info:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Myers
1
If the first-last combo is famous enough, it sounds really silly for it to show up on someone other than the famous person/character. It leads to honest confusion and unintentional hilarity: "No not /that/ Charles Dickens!" "There's a Tonya Harding who works as a physical therapist??" "Your boss is named Michael Scott?!"
It always makes me roll my eyes just a bit that Betty Cooper in Archie Comics has a mother named Alice. I wonder who thought that was a good idea.
It always makes me roll my eyes just a bit that Betty Cooper in Archie Comics has a mother named Alice. I wonder who thought that was a good idea.
1
I met a man named Charlie Brown recently. I don't think it's a big deal unless the famous association is a really negative one.
1
I know a Charlie Brown ...
He's distantly related to my stepfather. I'm not sure how old he is but I think he was probably born around the time the comic strip started appearing. It could be worse, but you do have to remember that the character Charlie Brown was a total loser and nothing ever went right for him.
He's distantly related to my stepfather. I'm not sure how old he is but I think he was probably born around the time the comic strip started appearing. It could be worse, but you do have to remember that the character Charlie Brown was a total loser and nothing ever went right for him.
1
Same
Except the one I know is a student (19-20). I do wonder if he gets any comments, but I’ve only met him once, so I’m not sure. I have a feeling no one gets it, or the novelty’s just worn off.
Except the one I know is a student (19-20). I do wonder if he gets any comments, but I’ve only met him once, so I’m not sure. I have a feeling no one gets it, or the novelty’s just worn off.
1
And same here *laughs* Though this one was female and her name was spelled as Charli if memory serves me right. She was a student three grades below me and I vividly remember her receiving many comments about her name, students and adults alike.
1
I think it depends on the name, and what associations there are with it. I can understand avoiding a name due to bad (or sad) associations. I can understand avoiding a name, where the famous person is polarising, because it may raise eyebrows. However if a famous person only has a positive association, I can't see any harm in it.
NB: I actually know a boy named George Bush, born during Bush Jr's terms as US president, and it always causes quite a reaction. People can't quite believe his parents actually named him that. He says, his parents thought that as this is here in Britain, it didn't really matter. Yet I think when you're talking a US president, a name that will almost certainly be known around the world, it does. Especially when that figure is such a polarising one!
NB: I actually know a boy named George Bush, born during Bush Jr's terms as US president, and it always causes quite a reaction. People can't quite believe his parents actually named him that. He says, his parents thought that as this is here in Britain, it didn't really matter. Yet I think when you're talking a US president, a name that will almost certainly be known around the world, it does. Especially when that figure is such a polarising one!
1
Personally I agree with the attitude generally. I have never considered Charlie, because I think my surname is too similar to Chaplin. It's not that it would be the worst thing in the world, but with so many names out there surely you don't need to name the same as a famous figure.
1
Hi !!!
I'm not familiar at all with this kind of trends as in Italy LNs are never used as given names (nor as middle ones).
Example: at least I could meet a little Angelina Jolie LN or Rita Levi LN.
I used these examples because both Jolie and Levi are given names that in this case are LNs while a Monica Bellucci LN could never happen here.
I can't judge this choice but I'm sure that this kind of trends could not grow here.
This is also because in Italy usually we have only one given name while MNs are quite rare.
Anyway I would never use this trend.
Only the FN (or LN) of this person can go well.
I'm not familiar at all with this kind of trends as in Italy LNs are never used as given names (nor as middle ones).
Example: at least I could meet a little Angelina Jolie LN or Rita Levi LN.
I used these examples because both Jolie and Levi are given names that in this case are LNs while a Monica Bellucci LN could never happen here.
I can't judge this choice but I'm sure that this kind of trends could not grow here.
This is also because in Italy usually we have only one given name while MNs are quite rare.
Anyway I would never use this trend.
Only the FN (or LN) of this person can go well.
1
It depends on how common the names are in general. Despite how famous he is, I wouldn't assume a "Michael Jackson" just had to be named after the pop star. Both Michael and Jackson are pretty ubiquitous. It could have been a coincidental family name, and I'd give the parents the benefit of the doubt.
However, if I met a little Oprah Winfrey, there's absolutely nothing that could convince me the parents arrived at it on their own, and I'd think it was stupid.
However, if I met a little Oprah Winfrey, there's absolutely nothing that could convince me the parents arrived at it on their own, and I'd think it was stupid.
This message was edited 3/19/2018, 9:51 PM
1
Well, I had to look those two up, so it really wouldn't make much of an impact in this country.
But in the US, naming somebody Adam Walsh or Elizabeth Short might or might not jog people's memory. (I'm not including JonBenet, Ramsey or otherwise, since her first name was a direct invention from her father's name and not likely to be used by anybody else.)
More problematic would be names of people famous for other reasons. There's probably a good few Elizabeth Taylors and Michael Jordans running around, but I think it's dumb to do that when there's so many other names to choose from. It makes you look either obsessed or clueless.
I know for a fact that there's two actresses named Vanessa Wiliams. Vanessa L. Williams is the more famous one, and she started using L. after the other Vanessa Williams got famous. And there was a beer expert (dead now) named Michael Jackson who made light of it by calling himself the King of Hops.
But in the US, naming somebody Adam Walsh or Elizabeth Short might or might not jog people's memory. (I'm not including JonBenet, Ramsey or otherwise, since her first name was a direct invention from her father's name and not likely to be used by anybody else.)
More problematic would be names of people famous for other reasons. There's probably a good few Elizabeth Taylors and Michael Jordans running around, but I think it's dumb to do that when there's so many other names to choose from. It makes you look either obsessed or clueless.
I know for a fact that there's two actresses named Vanessa Wiliams. Vanessa L. Williams is the more famous one, and she started using L. after the other Vanessa Williams got famous. And there was a beer expert (dead now) named Michael Jackson who made light of it by calling himself the King of Hops.
1