Megan W.
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I know a Sylvia/Naomi sib set. They are awesome kids, and it is a terrific pairing.
Miriam - Thank you. I do so enjoy your posts.
Glad, though not surprised to hear that I wasn't the only Methuselah in the bunch! The grandparents in our lives were born in the 1930s, not 1960s. (Great-grandparents: 1890s!) I was made to feel very old at daycare the other day when another mom to a two year old commented, "I didn't even like Elmo when I was a kid". I confessed, there was no Elmo when I was a kid! As to the faux Antiques I wonder when/if the tide will turn back to consonant sounds, making choices like Thelma, Elmer and Bertha more OK.
It is funny I should read this post today. The day that someone also named Megan W. applied to work in my same 10 person department. My middle name may become WAAY more useful!
The male computers remind me of the challenges that Sesame Street has had over the years developing female Muppets. Most of the classic mainstays are male: Oscar, Bert & Ernie, Grover, Big Bird, Cookie, Elmo. (Relatively recent additions: Zoe, Abby & Rosita, but none have the merchandise in the stores that the previous ones have). I once read it is because you can't have extreme characteristics in female characters: imagine an over-eating female Cookie Monster. It screams sexist in a way that a male-Cookie doesn't. I'm not sure I totally buy the theory, but it seemed to have some plausiblity. (I wish I could remember where I read the article!)
I'll speak for the other side. Ordinarily, I'm not fond of alliteration in names. But I like Thomas Tyson. (I had a student with the same first and the last name Tyler, and it suited him nicely).
@zoerhenne I have to admit, I wonder at what point a diminutive becomes a name in its own right. Is Megan a name, or merely a diminutive of Margaret? I generally think the diminutive to have the same meaning. (Bob should have the same meaning as Robert, rather than "bob" for apples).
I'd like to point out that the reverse problem is also true. If you have a common name, with the common spelling, your records can and do get merged with the wrong person. I have a common first, middle and last name. I have to be very careful to pick up the correct prescription, get the right records at the doctor's office, etc. As a teacher, I find multiple spellings of the same name a trap. This year for example, I must remember that Connor is a ninth grader but Conor is a 12th grader. It is very easy to slip! (And believe me, that's just the start of it!)
As for the young man who'd like a nickname, I'd let him go for the nickname all he wants. I remember a girl in grade school who changed how she spelled/wanted to be called Cindy/Cynthia at least weekly. I was a little jealous that she was bold enough to do it, and I wasn't. I have wondered about Harriet for a long time. It isn't "frilly" but it sort of fits in with the last names first sound, without being a last name, and Hattie is charming. I could see it taking off with the Mabel/Hazel crowd. I saw the name "Mette" (female) in the obits today and it grabbed my eye. Is anyone familiar with it? It seems kind of spunky. Anyone know how it is pronounced? I would guess either "met" or "met-ah"
What amazes me always with these names is the difference between boys and girls. Nobody bats an eye when you name your son Thomas or John. Susan today is a mark of an earlier era. These were the names my husband and I strove for in naming our kids. Familiar, spell-able, masculine and not exceedingly common on today's playground. We picked Timothy and Mark. Nicknames are part of the key here: we did not want a "Timmy" (we got one anyhow!), we wanted Tim or Timothy. Likewise, Thomas today is likely to remain Thomas to his buddies. Daniel is likely to be Daniel. John is much more likely to be Jack than Johnny. Likewise James tends to be James or Jamie, not Jimmy.
I have been wondering about Lady Gaga. She has hit it big enough that I have heard of her. Further she seems to be something of a brand unto herself. Is this her year? Or did I miss something last year?
Barnacle How are you going to pronounce it? I can see Sylvan (like the boy's name) or syl-vee-ann.
BP is an interesting name too: it has stood for a number of things over the years. I know it was once British Petroleum, then Beyond Petroleum and now, I believe, it is just BP.
What about Palin? In 2010, Sarah Palin is everywhere, at all sorts of political rallies, endorsing candidates and a reality show. Sarah doesn't have the "it" factor that Palin has - I can imagine baby Palins (depending on the parents' politics!) Bristol Palin adds to this somewhat as well, she has made a number of TV appearances this year, including Dancing with the Stars. (Special plea to keep the politics out of the discussion, as always).
I have to second Snooki. I actually know who she is, and believe me, once I know about a fad, it is over! @justpupsfornow adeline or ada?
On the long list of reasons I've never liked my name is that Megan spelled backwards is Nag 'em. Which of course my cousin *had* to tease me about.... My son had a classmate Semaj for a little while, but I have to admit, the backwards "style" really isn't mine. For palindromes though, my husband and I fell in love with Otto, first as a joke name because combined with his last name, it is one letter off a long palindrome (and of course, Otto is one too!). But the not quite rhyme of the name sounds dreadful. We used that name constantly to anyone who asked what we were naming #1.
As a Mee-gun (named by NYC parents), I have asked many times where they got the long E from. The most convincing claim my parents have made is that it is closer to the original Welsh. I have my doubts about the authenticity of this claim, but I'm not about to challenge my mom! What I find striking/interesting about the name is the sound alike Regan and Reagan. There is no doubt how to pronounce those. Yet many people tell me to "correct" my spelling to Meagan to get the sound I'm looking for. Reagan does not convince me that this will help. I'm curious if anyone knows about the "h" in Meghan.
Laura, so glad to see this post! I'm a 1970 Megan, and if I had a nickel for every "what a lovely Irish name" comment, I'd be a wealthy woman! Being equal parts Welsh and Irish (and many other things), I usually just say "thank you" and grumble to myself. My parents choose the name in part because it was Welsh to match my Welsh last name. Even as a kid, I was disappointed to have a nickname for a name, and think Margaret is much heftier/grander name. (Ironically, my dad did work in an Ad Agency much like the one in Mad Men at the same time period. My mom was in the fashion world- I often think my name was due to their professions as "trend-spotters", given that they beat the trend by 7-10 years).
One thing that is missed on the list the programmer mentioned is that many times (for email addresses or account addresses) the system assumes that a truncated form of your name is as unique as a non-truncated form (which also may not be unique). "W" is my common last name. Even in a small institution, there are likely to be others. If you use only my initials with "W***" there are likely to be duplicates. (I worked at a large hospital once with a Dr. Michael "W". I got his sensitive email all the time.)
Back to the original topic: (warning, may be sensitive) A character that has been much renamed through his history is "Little Black Sambo". Background here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Black_Sambo In short, a children's book with an Indian main character drawn to look like a pickaninny, which many considered offensive. Sambo, the name, has racist connotations in some countries as well. In recent years, it has been updated with the main character redrawn or renamed or both. According to Wikipedia, some of the renames include: Babajii Sam Rajani I admit, I had the book as a kid, but all I remember is the lion (I think) melting into butter. I have been curious to re-read it as an adult, mostly to understand the controversy, but I haven't yet had a chance.