Silly names not just the forte of dazzling urbanites?

[Ed Anger]

I don't associate with polacks.

Every Polack-American I've ever known has been pretty cool.

Actually, every one of them except for Martha Labinoski that is, or as I called her Martha Blab-a-lot-ski 

Let me hate on Polacks.

[Caliga]

Also, their food is good.  Ponchkeys

(that's probably not how you spell it... probably like pzckzkzys)

[Josquius]

Is not surnames for firstnames a typical American thing?
Its certainly how we view it from Blighty

When I was younger I knew a guy in my town called Æthelred, he had a sister called Eleanor. For kids this was of course hilariously bad though now I recognise the awesome.

My generation doesn't have so many silly names but from when I was 12 or so I noticed lots of stupid white people names pop up on sprogs in my town: China, India, Christa, Dakota, etc.... what's wrong with giving your kid a normal name, eh?
It was mostly on girls. Though some guy names were very strange at first, Jordan always struck me as kind of odd.

[Caliga]

Is not surnames for firstnames a typical American thing?
Its certainly how we view it from Blighty

ummm no, I don't think so.

Here are the first names of everyone in my office in Louisville:
Amanda, Andrea, Andrew, Andy, Anna, Ashley, Barbara, Bob, Brian, Cassie, Chris, Dana, Danielle, Diana, Emma, Eric, Erik, Greg, Hope, Jeff, Jennifer, Kristen, Lisa, Michael, Michelle, Mike, Mindy, Patti, Rick, Rob, Robert, Robin, Shelly, Stephanie, Steve, Susie, Tasha, Terri, Todd, Yelena

everyone I can think of in my Chicago office:
Aaron, Amy, Andrew, Barb, Bill, Carl, Christoph, Diana, Deb, Debbie, Elizabeth, Ida, Joe, John, Jonathan, Julie, Kevin, Kim, Margie, Melissa, Kristen, Kristy, Ray, Rich, Rick, Ryan, Sam, Sandra, Shannon, Sonya, Steve, Todd, Tyler, William, Wojciech

everyone I can think of in my Irvine office:
Humair, Mike, Nick, Randy

everyone I can think of in my Charlotte office:
Heidi, Maydele, Mike

everyone I can think of in my Plano office:
Cynthia, Judi, Kevin, Laci

[merithyn]

By the way I despise the trend of taking last names and making it into a first name.  Mackenzie.

Yeah, you've made that complaint before... numerous times. I'm not sure that I'd consider that a "trend", though, since it's been going on for as long as names have been recorded. The only difference is that there aren't suffixes and/or prefixes added or removed. The only real difference between then and now is that the names typically came from family, whereas now, people are just choosing names that they like.

[Ed Anger]

I sorta liked Mackenzie for a girl's name. But I managed to dodge naming a kid Kyrie Eleison Hawkins.

Lord have mercy indeed.

[PDH]

If I had a kid I would name him Dante.  I would also teach him Latin and Medieval Italian.  He would wear red.

[Ed Anger]

I still should have named a son after Davout.

[CountDeMoney]

Thankfully, my religious convictions require using a saint's name.  So we've got the boys picked out.  But girls is more difficult.  Female saints have a very limited naming palette.

It wasn't a religious necessity, but I do like that the boys have Bible names.

All boys should have Biblical names, or at least the Apostles.  Save the squirrelly shit for girls.

[CountDeMoney]

I sorta liked Mackenzie for a girl's name.

The oldest was named a proper Irish name, Caeleigh, but I fought tooth and nail over my second niece being named McKinley.  Not only is it a mountain, but it's Scottish masculine for Christ's sake.
How do you name a daughter "Son of Kinley"?

Alas, I lost.  Not my kid.

Then again, who am I kidding;  I ever have two boys, they're Grant and Sherman.  End of story.

[mongers]

Thankfully, my religious convictions require using a saint's name.  So we've got the boys picked out.  But girls is more difficult.  Female saints have a very limited naming palette.

It wasn't a religious necessity, but I do like that the boys have Bible names.

All boys should have Biblical names, or at least the Apostles.  Save the squirrelly shit for girls.

I have a very traditional first name, which was once rather common, but it's one of few not in the bible.   

[Josquius]

Thankfully, my religious convictions require using a saint's name.  So we've got the boys picked out.  But girls is more difficult.  Female saints have a very limited naming palette.

Hildegard!

[jimmy olsen]

I think it was popular in the early 20th century to give children a common last name as a first name.  You read a lot of names like that in the 1920's and 1910's.

Princesca's great grandfather was named Shade Wilder.

That is a pretty fucking cool name.

[jimmy olsen]

Mart-do you understand that there was a president named Grover?

Our most Siegesque of Presidents.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Folsom_Cleveland_Preston

A longtime close friend of Oscar Folsom, Grover Cleveland, at age 27, met his future wife shortly after she was born. He took an avuncular interest in the child, buying her a baby carriage and otherwise doting on her as she grew up. When her father, Oscar Folsom, died in a carriage accident on July 23, 1875, without having written a will, the court appointed Cleveland administrator of his estate.[4] This brought Cleveland into still more contact with Frances, then age 11.

She attended Central High School in Buffalo, NY and Medina High School in Medina, NY and went on to attend Wells College in Aurora, New York. Sometime while she was in college, Cleveland's feelings for her took a romantic turn. He proposed by letter in August 1885, soon after her graduation. They did not announce their engagement, however, until just five days before the wedding.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grover_Cleveland#Marriage_and_children

In 1885 the daughter of Cleveland's friend Oscar Folsom visited him in Washington.[122] Frances Folsom was a student at Wells College; when she returned to school, President Cleveland received her mother's permission to correspond with her.[122] They were soon engaged to be married.[122]

On June 2, 1886, Cleveland married Frances Folsom in the Blue Room at the White House.[123] He was the second president to marry while in office, and the only president to have a wedding in the White House.[124] This marriage was unusual because Cleveland was the executor of Oscar Folsom's estate and had supervised Frances' upbringing after her father's death, but the public did not take exception to the match.[125] At twenty-one years old, Frances Folsom Cleveland remains the youngest First Lady, and the public soon warmed to her beauty and warm personality.[126]

[katmai]

Grover Cleveland Alexander was better.