Great Real Names

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Sometimes I love my job, like yesterday when I registered a student named Bo Ning. Shouldn't laugh, but gotta really...

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 24 April 2003 14:16 (twenty-three years ago)

At uni, I knew someone named Peter Handler. He didn't even understand why people giggled when they heard his name. He was such a sweet guy, too!

― colette (a2lette), Thursday, 24 April 2003 14:18 (twenty-three years ago)

me.

― martin mushrush (mushrush), Thursday, 24 April 2003 14:22 (twenty-three years ago)

Rufus Longstockings

-- jess

Oh, and my middle school band director was named Rufus Long.

― martin mushrush (mushrush), Thursday, 24 April 2003 14:23 (twenty-three years ago)

martin, I like your name!

― hstencil, Thursday, 24 April 2003 14:25 (twenty-three years ago)

Hmong names are great! Friend of mine student-taught in a school with heavy Hmong population and there was a kid named Bee Lor, who signed his name with a little cartoon bee, and I think actually did go out and learn a few things about bees, ie "bee lore." Also many Hmong kids have English names that are still literal and descriptive: the girl named "Pretty Flower [xx]"

Went to school with a girl who's last name was Sexe (p. "sexy") She was, too.

Geoffrey Stuart Cannon is such a bizarre formal name sometimes I can't really believe it's mine (heh "feeling slightly disconnected from one's own name c/d")

― g--ff c-nn-n (gcannon), Thursday, 24 April 2003 14:26 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh shit how could I forget. When I was a teenager I had a friend named Pendleton Brewster Wickersham III. Nice kid too. Probably a nice guy by now, but it's been a long time...

― martin mushrush (mushrush), Thursday, 24 April 2003 14:28 (twenty-three years ago)

and i've always thought the name Raggett was cool. like a Shakespearean vagabond er something.

RAGGETT: "Tell me where's your fancy bread.
I need it for me, and I'm called Ned."

Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, Lord Dunsany

Seconding Fletrjet on both the name and his writing.

Working at a university as I do, I've come across many a mysteriously cool name. Current favorites, with slight non-google alterations (as these are folks I am currently having to bill for late books): the very Thai (I believe) Nar1n Charanvattank1t, the quite Scottish yet somehow naughty 1an Mu1r Duckles and the prime winner, someone I can only guess is from an Arabic/Dutch family of some sort, Azareen Vandervl1et Oloom1.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 24 April 2003 14:46 (twenty-three years ago)

he's like the rai beefheart prince!

― g--ff c-nn-n (gcannon), Thursday, 24 April 2003 14:49 (twenty-three years ago)

i actually really like the name Martin Skidmore. It sounds noble. Sir Martin Skidmore.

― Chris V. (Chris V), Thursday, 24 April 2003 15:30 (twenty-three years ago)

Ransom Williams, an old friend of mine. Sounds like a black detective character in a series of mysery novels.

― Scott Kos (Scott Kos), Thursday, 24 April 2003 16:29 (twenty-three years ago)

Best with his actual rank/title: Brigadier General Sylavanus Taco Gilbert (recently fired commandant of the US Air Force Academy).

― Hurlothrumbo (hurlothrumbo), Thursday, 24 April 2003 17:12 (twenty-three years ago)

Sorry, make that Sylvanus Taco Gilbert III. Really.

― Hurlothrumbo (hurlothrumbo), Thursday, 24 April 2003 17:13 (twenty-three years ago)

Peter Peters, not sure who he is, but he was the keynote speaker at a Prayer Breakfast round these parts.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Thursday, 24 April 2003 17:16 (twenty-three years ago)

Doing some data entry I ran across "Oral Honeycutt"...

― cprek (cprek), Thursday, 24 April 2003 17:19 (twenty-three years ago)

I paid $30 for that one time...

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Thursday, 24 April 2003 17:20 (twenty-three years ago)

You got ripped off.

― cprek (cprek), Thursday, 24 April 2003 17:21 (twenty-three years ago)

I know. But I did get the clap. Sort of an added value thing.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Thursday, 24 April 2003 17:24 (twenty-three years ago)

me to thread!

― slutsky (slutsky), Thursday, 24 April 2003 17:36 (twenty-three years ago)

I just saw another one: Dune Combs

Also, I saw a guy named John Hancock, which is not all that unusual, but I wonder if he would make his signature an exact forgery of the founding father of the same name.

― cprek (cprek), Thursday, 24 April 2003 18:13 (twenty-three years ago)

Thanks Chris and possibly Tep (he might have meant the other martin). Can't say I'm so keen on Skidmore myself, but I'm used to it.

At work today the person who I was given as a sample that would show a particular system error was Mr Doh. I like to imagine that to say his name correctly you have to slap your forehead.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Thursday, 24 April 2003 20:27 (twenty-three years ago)

hey Martin, Martin is a cool name regardless of which of us he was talking about. It's a good thing at least one Chris thinks that.

― martin mushrush (mushrush), Thursday, 24 April 2003 20:37 (twenty-three years ago)

I like your name too, Martin. It's got a nice rhythm to it.

― slutsky (slutsky), Thursday, 24 April 2003 20:48 (twenty-three years ago)

There was a boatbuilding expert on telly today called Brian Labyrinth.

― Matt (Matt), Thursday, 24 April 2003 20:59 (twenty-three years ago)

old schoolmate: April Blue
friend who blogs: Gwenda Bond

― M Matos (M Matos), Friday, 25 April 2003 06:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Best Names

i loved that thread, largely because spectra got so into it! :)

― ron (ron), Friday, 25 April 2003 06:15 (twenty-three years ago)

There was some important politician or someone back in the mid-nineties who was called Tokyo Sexwhale. And more recently, I was looking through my old school's Friends Reunited page searching for someone and I saw this girl from the class of 2000 who was called Jo King.

― Chriddof (Chriddof), Friday, 25 April 2003 11:51 (twenty-three years ago)

Names of a couple I encountered while data entering:

Mr Dickie & Miss K Titmus

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Thursday, 1 May 2003 09:27 (twenty-three years ago)

sexwhale is pronounced sex - while (with just a hint of the wahl from mark wahlberg) - eh

― mitch lastnamewithheld (mitchlnw), Thursday, 1 May 2003 10:00 (twenty-three years ago)

THere is a Professor Bizzup at Columbia. This produced about 45 minutes straight worth of laughter, of the falling down in the street, unable to breathe kind. "Yo, class, WAAAZZZUP? I'm Professa Bizzup, fo' sheezy..." Oh my god, I'm laughing again.

― Ally (mlescaut), Thursday, 1 May 2003 13:19 (twenty-three years ago)

I hear crazy names all the time, as I work in customer service and sometimes fundraising. One woman was named Eustachia. Like, the canals in your inner ears. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Thursday, 1 May 2003 13:27 (twenty-three years ago)

Casper Weinberger

― buttch (Oops), Thursday, 1 May 2003 13:38 (twenty-three years ago)

ardys outhouse

― kephm, Thursday, 1 May 2003 15:41 (twenty-three years ago)

Yakima Canutt (John Wayne's longtime stunt double)

― Marcel Post (Marcel Post), Thursday, 1 May 2003 16:49 (twenty-three years ago)

I know a Casper Weinberger! He lives down the street from me. My favorite names of people I've met:
Shasta Beasterfield
Kentor Olaveason
Kyke Andel
Fern S. Furniss
Dr. Peppers (my lit prof)
Guy Hatzenbeuhler
Zola Roach
Steve Stevens – I love those echoic names. I understand it when it comes from a woman marrying a man (ie Fern Furniss above), but if the kid's last name is Stevens, why give his the first name of Steve? He's stuck with it for life.

― Fivvy (Fivvy), Thursday, 1 May 2003 17:10 (twenty-three years ago)

Also I know a Doug Smith, an overly plain name, but his middle name is ZEBULON.

― Fivvy (Fivvy), Thursday, 1 May 2003 17:22 (twenty-three years ago)

Chriddof, when my family lived in Hong Kong a few years ago, there were these high school kids that had a band called Tokyo Sex Whale. They were pretty good for a high school band.

― Nick A. (Nick A.), Thursday, 1 May 2003 17:24 (twenty-three years ago)

Went to school with a girl who's last name was Sexe (p. "sexy") She was, too.

And I once met a Swedish intern whose last name was Sekse (also pronounced "sexy"). As I remember, he was.

I can't find a direct link, but the Annals of Improbable Research reported on a researcher whose name on his passport literally reads "Odd Person."

― j.lu (j.lu), Thursday, 1 May 2003 17:40 (twenty-three years ago)

I knew another family whose kids were named Happy, Apple, Dimple and Fencil. The dad's inspiration for Fencil's name came when gazing at a pencil.

― Fivvy (Fivvy), Thursday, 1 May 2003 18:51 (twenty-three years ago)

I thought perhaps the father was hstencil.

― Nicole (Nicole), Thursday, 1 May 2003 18:52 (twenty-three years ago)

The other inspirations were a clown named Slappy, an empty bottle of Snapple and a huge pimple.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 1 May 2003 19:09 (twenty-three years ago)

sure i've posted this elsewhere but i know two sets of siblings called alpha & omega
i went to school with what i called 'the atomic family' - the kids were Electron, Positron, Proton & Neutron. Electron goes by Alec now, Positron is Posi (ok nickname) no idea how the other two have dealt with it.

― H (Heruy), Thursday, 1 May 2003 19:38 (twenty-three years ago)

There's a Velveeta Battle where I work

― Millar (Millar), Thursday, 1 May 2003 21:05 (twenty-three years ago)

well, you better hurry up or you might miss it.

― buttch (Oops), Thursday, 1 May 2003 21:07 (twenty-three years ago)

I've met both a Sterling Silver and a Velvet Snow.

There were three brothers in my hometown named Reno, Deno, and Keno.

― David Beckhouse (David Beckhouse), Thursday, 1 May 2003 21:12 (twenty-three years ago)

There's also a Janet E Beech1ng-Pieper.

― Millar (Millar), Thursday, 1 May 2003 21:16 (twenty-three years ago)

Dick Assman!

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 1 May 2003 21:24 (twenty-three years ago)

That is a weird name: more people should end their name w/an exclamation point.

― buttch (Oops), Thursday, 1 May 2003 21:26 (twenty-three years ago)

http://www.nationalpost.com/content/features/festivals/080299a.html

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 1 May 2003 21:36 (twenty-three years ago)

(hee hee "wan exclamation point")

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 1 May 2003 21:36 (twenty-three years ago)

Skipping 1968 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

(Gerry) Adams wished the judge, Mr Justice Swift, “a very happy St Patrick’s Day” after entering the witness box on Tuesday.

― Andy the Grasshopper, Tuesday, 17 March 2026 17:04 (two months ago)

two weeks pass...

From an article about a high school in Pacific Palisades that had to move into a temporary space last year because of the wildfires:

“They nailed it,” said Ocean Silkman, a junior.

― jaymc, Thursday, 2 April 2026 16:58 (two months ago)

The Silkman family—David, Tannaz, and their three children, Ocean, Sky, and River—have been a cherished part of the Palisades community for over a decade.

― Kim Kimberly, Thursday, 2 April 2026 18:37 (two months ago)

SLikman

― Minty Gum (Latham Green), Thursday, 2 April 2026 20:21 (two months ago)

Should call their next kid Oil

― Mallard Reaction (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, 2 April 2026 20:44 (two months ago)

Or Exxon Valdez

― Mallard Reaction (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, 2 April 2026 20:45 (two months ago)

two weeks pass...

Tanguy Destable

― o. nate, Saturday, 18 April 2026 02:39 (one month ago)

honestly, good for him

― mookieproof, Saturday, 18 April 2026 03:13 (one month ago)

gotta be a good anagram in that

― Josefa, Saturday, 18 April 2026 05:32 (one month ago)

Neatest ladybug

agenda subtlety

Dylan baguettes

beady gauntlets

debates gauntly

debutant sagely

― the savior with the flavior (Ye Mad Puffin), Saturday, 18 April 2026 14:12 (one month ago)

Guest Table Andy

― Josefa, Saturday, 18 April 2026 14:26 (one month ago)

Lequincio Zeefuik

― Clarinet Cop (Tom D.), Tuesday, 21 April 2026 21:36 (one month ago)

William Wouldhave

― Clarinet Cop (Tom D.), Wednesday, 29 April 2026 07:12 (one month ago)

That Wikipedia entry reads like a Dickens chapter

― bendy, Wednesday, 29 April 2026 10:24 (one month ago)

yesterday I learned about Wynkyn de Worde, early printer and colleague of Caxton

― Critique of the Goth Programme (Neil S), Wednesday, 29 April 2026 13:03 (one month ago)

Tim Rex

― willem, Tuesday, 5 May 2026 07:32 (one month ago)

Omar Shaffiuzzaman

― April is Cruella's month (Ye Mad Puffin), Monday, 11 May 2026 17:49 (one month ago)

Norwegian designer Per Spook

― Andy the Grasshopper, Friday, 22 May 2026 22:40 (three weeks ago)

https://i.postimg.cc/T27sMWF8/image.png

― sonic catterdales (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Friday, 29 May 2026 10:44 (two weeks ago)

Cocks held

― Tom D, focussed with getting on with the job (Tom D.), Friday, 29 May 2026 10:55 (two weeks ago)

Dicks out. Small swing.

― Tim, Friday, 29 May 2026 10:57 (two weeks ago)

Red cheeks for Red Cheek.

― Tom D, focussed with getting on with the job (Tom D.), Friday, 29 May 2026 11:07 (two weeks ago)

Full name Michael Francis Lovell Cocks, Baron Cocks of Hartcliffe

― sonic catterdales (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Friday, 29 May 2026 11:17 (two weeks ago)

Great swinging, Cocks!

― . (jamiesummerz), Friday, 29 May 2026 11:19 (two weeks ago)

Late surge

― Buffalo buffalo Springfield buffalo (Ye Mad Puffin), Friday, 29 May 2026 11:42 (two weeks ago)

local realtor M4risa Mango, of M4ngo & August Realty

― a tv star not a dirty computer man (the table is the table), Monday, 1 June 2026 17:23 (one week ago)

MLB Transaction Bot
‪
Arizona Diamondbacks selected the contract of 3B LuJames Groover from Reno Aces.

― mookieproof, Saturday, 6 June 2026 03:09 (six days ago)

That reminds me. A while back The Guardian had a feature on Elizabeth Blackadder, painter:
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2026/may/31/elizabeth-blackadder-exhibition-burlingham-gallery-kingsclere

She is "best known for accessible paintings of flowers and cats", which raises the question of whether there are any painters best known for inaccessible, audience-alienating paintings of flowers and cats. Still, I didn't realise that Blackadder was an actual real name. Her mother was called Violet, which is ironic because flowers. Presumably if her mother had been called Lady Chimney Blackadder she would have become a top painter of chimneys, and cats.

Also I remember a story fairly recently. About a sporting event. Or something. One of the participants was called Nasa. It was their first name. But I can't find it. I did however stumble on Nasa Hataoka, professional golfer:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasa_Hataoka

She actually is named after Nasa, the space programme. That's also a quick way of remembering the difference between an acronym and an initialism. An acronym is a word you can say, whereas an initialism is just a bunch of letters, such as for example FBI or CSA. All you have to do is train yourself, with electricity, to remember that Nasa is an acronym. And not an initialism. You can't call a baby FBI.

No, I found it! The man in question was Sterling Nasa, who stepped in to play piano at a concert where the pianist fell sick:
https://symphony.org/audience-member-steps-in-play-piano-at-la-la-land-screening-with-orchestra/

Nasa is an uncommon Asian surname.

― Ashley Pomeroy, Wednesday, 10 June 2026 17:01 (two days ago)

Blackadder is a Scottish name.

― Tom D, focussed with getting on with the job (Tom D.), Wednesday, 10 June 2026 17:45 (two days ago)

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