What's in a name?

[tulip]

My mother tells me of a long-gone relative named (first-middle) Minnesota Iowa, and her sister named Georgia Virginia.

My dad had an aunt named Olive Iola.

I have a name that always gets comments. It's a double name (I'm happy to be from the south and I love double names), but it's still unusual. It's Juliellen. Like Maryellen, but with a Julie. It always makes people stumble at first.

[Bad JuJu]

In my years as a teacher, I've learned that when it comes to names, all the rules of pronunciation go right out the window and you sometimes just have to rely on the person to tell you how his or her name is pronounced. In this country (and probably in others) we're dealing with names from languages all over the world, so no one set of pronunciation rules is going to apply. And even when you think it might, well, people have their own ideas of how to spell and pronounce their own names.

Example: "Megan"--pretty common name, right? But some pronounce it "May-gan" while others (such as a friend of mine) pronounce it "Mee-gan." There's no way of knowing that until you ask or are told.

The problem occurs, to my mind, when people refuse to pronounce your name as you've asked them to. That's just ignorant or rude.

[Aggie_Ama]

JuJu- My niece is Adrianna. But it is pronounced Adri-ah-na. If I just looked it I would call her Adri-Anna. I knew what they were naming her and thought it would be Adriana. I never know how anyone is going spell anything. I know three people who named their boys Aiden. One is Aiden, one is Aidan (pronounced Aid-in) and one is Ayden.

[bmccasland]

While l lived in Phoenix there were twin brothers that worked for the same TV station, Sean and Dean, with a another brother named Shawn. Sean and Dean rhymed. What were their parents thinking?

[oxysback]

While l lived in Phoenix there were twin brothers that worked for the same TV station, Sean and Dean, with a another brother named Shawn. Sean and Dean rhymed. What were their parents thinking?

So did the twin's names sound like Shaun and Don, or Sheen and Deen?

I'm guessing the latter because of the other brother named Shawn. How confusing!

I went to elementary school with a girl named Sion...pronounced Shawn.

[Running Mommy]

Coming in Waayyyy late here. But growing up in earthy crunchy Sebastopol CA we had the nipple family. I don't remember all of the kids names, but one of them was Groovy. Oy...

[crazycanuck]

Oh dear oh my.. RM..Oh to be one of those kids now..

[bmccasland]

So did the twin's names sound like Shaun and Don, or Sheen and Deen?

I'm guessing the latter because of the other brother named Shawn. How confusing!

I went to elementary school with a girl named Sion...pronounced Shawn.

It was "Seen" and "Deen"

Oh, and another one I've run into.... Marcia. I know it as "Marsha" but I've run into gals that pronounce it "Mar-CEE-a"

[iowagrad]

Maximus Loveless...the poor kid is only a year old, but it certainly doesn't look like his future romantic ventures are going to pan out. His parents are completely run of the mill, and I don't have the heart to ask them what they were thinking!!!

[Starfish]

Maximus Loveless...the poor kid is only a year old, but it certainly doesn't look like his future romantic ventures are going to pan out.

Years ago I had a friend who legally changed her last name from Loveless to Love. She just hated constantly having to declare or affirm herself as Loveless every time she said or heard her name. I applauded her decision!