Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Names

By the way, I used to wonder how Prince and Madonna could choose such self-aggrandizing monikers. But then I found out that both of them actually were given those first names by their parents.
Can you imagine naming your child "Prince" or "Madonna"? No wonder they both grew up with aspirations of world domination. :)

10 comments:

Cliff Prince said...

Yeah, can you just IMAGINE naming your child Jesus, or Abraham, or Moses, or ... or ... or ... Hristo!

Anonymous said...

My ex sisterinlaw's name is Madonna. No biggie here. Nothing new under the sun.

Anonymous said...

There are plenty of people named Jesus, Moses, and Abraham, too... Jesus seems popular among Hispanic people, although they pronounce it "Hey, Zeus!"

Speaking of names like that, if you're wondering what Satan is up to these days, you can find him here:

http://islanders.nhl.com/team/app?page=PlayerDetail&playerId=8459534&service=page

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Well, I never met a Madonna where I come from. I remember an article many years ago where the journalist complained (clearly also not aware that it is her given name) that Madonna "decorates herself with the holy name of the mother of Christ.")

Pascal [P-04referent] said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Pascal [P-04referent] said...

Jesus and Maria in latin/catholic countries, Muhammad and Fatima in muslim lands, Abraham and Moshe (Moses) and other prophet names among jews and evangelists... I guess some people just have such a creative imagination, they can't help picking something highly original. :-P
And yet, a religious name never prevented any "good son" from becoming a criminal.

Madonna "decorates herself with the holy name of the mother of Christ."

How come arab newspapers never make that kind of complaint when a terrorist happens to bear the name of the Last Prophet (Prayer Be Upon Him)?

I had a neighbor whose mother named "Jabbar". That translates something like "Hercules" or "Superman"; literally "mighty, invincible".
By some "weird fortuitous coincidence", the boy had huge ego problems and his mom was decidedly hysterical...

A classic French movie ("Jour de fête", Jacques Tati) is located in the real-life village of Sainte-Sévère. And here I thought that Pr. Severus Snape in Harry Potter was a joke name.
Can you siriusly imagine someone, in any period, even when virtues were trendy names, naming their adorable baby daughter "Stern"?
"Yes, Aunt Sévère, I've done all my homework, washed the dishes, peeled the potatoes, and said my prayers. Am I allowed now to get off my knees, oh holy and most loving woman?"

Well, at least MY parents didn't name me Draco. :-)
Please excuse me, I think I hear my South American relatives calling. Si, si, vamos arriba, I'm coming, Incantaciòn, Contracepciòn, Imaginaciòn, Indignaciòn, Exclamaciòn, and Immaculaciòn Della Lourdès! (These girls are so cute when they get impatient.)

Cliff Prince said...

There's a guy down the street from me who finds it the "height of egotism" (his words) that a father would name his son after himself. John, John junior, John the third -- this guy hates the idea. He only has daughters, by the way.

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Egotism, maybe. Stupid and confusing, sure.

I heard of a family, for real, where *all* the males are named William!

Pascal [P-04referent] said...

Please, don't remind me. I almost ended up with my grandpa's folkloric name. Fortunately, my mother's not so easy to persuade! :-)

Among christian Lebanese, the typical cliché names are George, Tony, Elie and Charbel, essentially. St Charbel is a national saint...
Marie and Rita remain ageless girl name classics, of course.

I want my children to have "normal" names, but something that gives them more individuality than, say, "Kim" in Korea. ONE THIRD of Korean boys, in either North or South, are named Kim!
"Ya ma ahhla" Muhammad! (Translation: comparatively the latter's still a mercy!)

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Please yes.
I am swamped at Domai by models named Julia or Anna.

My sister named her two sons not only two of the most ordinary names in Denmark, Henrik and Peter, but these are also, as I pointed out, the names of the boy living next door to the west and the boy living next door to the east!