Celebrity Names Break ALL the Rules!

On Nameberry, we seem to have rules for naming such as:

  1. Never combine a one syllable first name with a one syllable last name.
  2. The first and last names should have a different amount of syllables. We already talked about one syllable names in [name]Rule[/name] #1, so this rule is referring to names with more than one syllable.
  3. The first and last names should not have too many of the same letter sounds in them, for example, they shouldn’t be too “r” heavy or too “n” heavy. Two of the same sounds are fine, but any more than that are too many.
  4. If the first and last names start with the same letter, they shouldn’t have the same number of syllables.
  5. The last sound of the first name should not be the same sound as the last sound of the last name.
  6. [name]Don[/name]'t put two English words together or they sound like a description of something.
  7. [name]Don[/name]'t use trendy or meganames.
    Okay, now that I’ve listed our Nameberry rules, I am going to make another post listing the celebrity names that break each rule. I may add more rules later. If you think of more Nameberry rules that celebrity names break, add them in on your post.

If you want to think of your favorite celebrity names that follow all of our Nameberry rules, list them!

Now, at the end of each Nameberry rule, I will insert celebrity names that break each particular rule.

  1. Never combine a one syllable first name with a one syllable last name.
    These celebrity names break rule #1:
    Actors
    [name]Brad[/name] [name]Pitt[/name]
    [name]Jude[/name] [name]Law[/name]
    [name]Sean[/name] [name]Penn[/name]
    [name]Tom[/name] [name]Cruise[/name]

Actresses
[name]Brooke[/name] Shields
[name]Glenn[/name] Close

  1. The first and last names should have a different amount of syllables. Here we can talk about names with more than one syllable for each name.
    These celebrity names break rule #2:
    Actors
    [name]Alec[/name] [name]Baldwin[/name]
    [name]Leonardo[/name] Dicaprio
    [name]Warren[/name] Beatty

Actresses
[name]Audrey[/name] Hepburn
[name]Keira[/name] Knightly
[name]Minnie[/name] Driver

  1. The first and last names should not have too many of the same letter sounds in them, for example, they shouldn’t be too “r” heavy or too “n” heavy. Two of the same sounds are fine, but any more than that are too many.
    These celebrity names break rule #3:
    Actors

Actresses
[name]Barbra[/name] Streisand - too many “r’s”
[name]Drew[/name] Barrymore - too many “r’s”.

  1. If the first and last names start with the same letter, they shouldn’t have the same number of syllables.
    These celebrity names break rule #4:
    Actors
    [name]Charlie[/name] [name]Chaplin[/name]

Actresses
[name]Frances[/name] [name]Farmer[/name]
[name]Rene[/name] Russo

  1. The last sound of the first name should not be the same sound as the last sound of the last name.
    These celebrity names break rule #5:
    Actors
    [name]Dustin[/name] Hoffman
    [name]Leonardo[/name] Dicaprio
    [name]Morgan[/name] [name]Freeman[/name]

Actresses
[name]Ally[/name] Sheedy
[name]Diane[/name] [name]Keaton[/name]
[name]Faye[/name] Dunaway
[name]Irene[/name] [name]Dunn[/name]
[name]Julie[/name] [name]Christie[/name]
[name]Susan[/name] Sarandon

  1. [name]Don[/name]'t put two English words in together or they sound like a description of something.
    These celebrity names break rule #6:
    Actors
    [name]Redd[/name] Foxx

Actresses
[name]Minnie[/name] Driver

  1. Avoid trends and meganames.
    These celebrity names break rule #7:
    Actors
    [name]Aidan[/name] [name]Quinn[/name] - but he was born before [name]Aidan[/name] was trendy.

  2. I just thought of another Nameberry rule. Never put a first name that ends in a certain sound with a last name that starts with the same sound. The sounds will run together and sound awkward.
    These celebrity names break rule #8:

Actors
[name]Daniel[/name] [name]Day[/name]-[name]Lewis[/name] - If you take away the [name]Day[/name] part, [name]Daniel[/name] [name]Lewis[/name] runs together. But I bet [name]Daniel[/name] [name]Day[/name]-[name]Lewis[/name] never takes away the [name]Day[/name] part of his name.

Actresses:

If you want to think of your favorite celebrity names that follow all of our rules, list them!

Actors
[name]Colin[/name] [name]Firth[/name]
[name]George[/name] [name]Clooney[/name]

Actresses
[name]Scarlett[/name] Johansson

Okay, I think my post is so complicated that it’s tedious. But it does make sense to me! I will rewrite it tomorrow and make it more fun. Sorry it’s so long. If I could make the concept shorter and more fun, I think it would make great blog material.

My own name violates rules 2 and 3 (rule 3 only if you count the two “l” s in [name]Kelly[/name] as two separate sounds). A lot of my favorite combos violate numerous rules (#5 being common, I have lots of combos with first names that end in “n” as does my last name)

My first and last name each have 2 syllables. Everyone in my immediate family has 2-2-2, except for myself (2-3-2) and my mom (2-1-2 - even with her maiden name or married name, last name is 2), and I think that all our names sound great. My mom had a “rule” though. My last name starts with a vowel, so she didn’t want a name that ends with a vowel. My niece’s name ends with a vowel and I had to tell my mom not to worry because there’s nothing to worry about, as our last name starts with another sound entirely, so it’s not like two As running together. As it turns out, a lot of people hear my name as [name]Kara[/name] N--------, because of it. My sister’s name would be considered “L-heavy”, but I don’t hear it. All the Ls are in a good place, and her middle name has particular meaning to my mother, so it’s better than any other. Now she is married, she is 2-2-4, still L-heavy, I find her married name bordering on cumbersome to say compared to a 2-syllable name, but only bordering on. It’s not like you get to 3 and just give up.

I thought your post made a lot of sense, [name]Susan[/name]. I think it makes a case for not worrying so much about formulas and just listening to a particular set of names together to see if they sound good or not.

My name breaks some of these rules…my maiden name is a 2-2-2 combination, and my married name is a 2-2-3 combination.
My son’s name is a 2-2-3 combo, but my daughter’s is 3-2-3. And when you say her FN and LN aloud, it all flows nicely together.
What I am trying to say is, that the FLOW matters more, and how it sounds out loud.

[name]Karen[/name], I am so happy to hear that my post made sense to you! I was afraid I was losing it. I went to this group meeting last Friday night, and I had this complicated thought that made sense to me. I shared it, and it didn’t make sense to anyone. Then I reworded it, and only one person got it! Well, only one person admitted that they got it. The leader of the group really tried to understand me, but he looked completely perplexed.
I have a lot on my plate right now, so I am worried that when I talk, I am unintelligible. My husband and I talk about all kinds of important things, but we get really confused during our conversations because we say the wrong word without thinking. Does anyone else do that? I noticed we started with the wrong word problem when we first had a baby.

Bahahah! Definitely! :slight_smile: Although it’s much worse whenever I’m pregnant!

Ooh! Fun! :slight_smile: (Sorry for repeats!) :slight_smile:

  1. Never combine a one syllable first name with a one syllable last name:

[name]Jude[/name] [name]Law[/name]
[name]Jack[/name] [name]Black[/name]
[name]Rose[/name] [name]Byrne[/name]
[name]Faith[/name] [name]Hill[/name]
[name]Jane[/name] [name]Lynch[/name]
[name]Lee[/name] [name]Grant[/name]
[name]Mae[/name] [name]West[/name]
[name]Clark[/name] [name]Kent[/name] :slight_smile:
[name]Hugh[/name] [name]Grant[/name]

  1. The first and last names should have a different amount of syllables. We already talked about one syllable names in [name]Rule[/name] #1, so this rule is referring to names with more than one syllable.

[name]Marlo[/name] [name]Thomas[/name]
[name]Diane[/name] [name]Keaton[/name]
[name]Robert[/name] [name]Redford[/name]
[name]Sandra[/name] Bullock

(I think they all sound great, though!) :slight_smile:

  1. The first and last names should not have too many of the same letter sounds in them, for example, they shouldn’t be too “r” heavy or too “n” heavy. Two of the same sounds are fine, but any more than that are too many.

[name]Susan[/name] Sarandon
[name]Helen[/name] [name]Mirren[/name]

  1. If the first and last names start with the same letter, they shouldn’t have the same number of syllables:

[name]Laura[/name] [name]Leighton[/name]
[name]Greta[/name] [name]Garbo[/name]
[name]Robert[/name] [name]Redford[/name]
[name]Marlee[/name] Matlin
Mister Magoo :slight_smile:

(I do like how they sound, though) :slight_smile:

  1. The last sound of the first name should not be the same sound as the last sound of the last name.

Whoops! I guess I wrote the others in the wrong space:

[name]Susan[/name] Sarandon
[name]Helen[/name] [name]Mirren[/name]
[name]Morgan[/name] [name]Freeman[/name]

  1. [name]Don[/name]'t put two English words together or they sound like a description of something.

I can’t think of any!

  1. [name]Don[/name]'t use trendy or meganames:

[name]Aidan[/name] [name]Quinn[/name]

Great thread, [name]Susan[/name]! :slight_smile:

Ha! My name follows all these rules! My name has 2-1-1 syllables and I think flows well. Great post, [name]Susan[/name]!

Bahahah! Definitely! :slight_smile: Although it’s much worse whenever I’m pregnant![/quote]

When I was pregnant and breast feeding, I was in La La [name]Land[/name]. Can hardly remember a thing that happened. If I saw a movie, I don’t remember it. Have to see it again. I went to Europe when I was pregnant with my son. [name]Don[/name]'t remember that much about it. I went to [name]Hawaii[/name] (the big island) when I was pregnant with my daughter. [name]Don[/name]'t remember that trip very well either! Plus I was on bed rest part of the time. At least I could look out the window at the ocean.

Great post [name]Susan[/name]!

On a side note, most of the people I know have two syllable first and last names. It’s strange but so common!

Not me though! I’m 4-4-2-3, haha.