Now I was most curious about [name]Rule[/name] # 15: [name]Don[/name]'t name your baby after a pop star or sitcom character. And I wondered whether people who were named after “famous people”, notable historic figures, favorite fictional character, and et cetera.
If so, did you always know this? [name]How[/name] did you feel about being named after people who weren’t “nearest and dearest” to you? Did you worry about living up to your name?
I’m asking this because I noticed my top two names (male and female name) have strong connections with my favorite actor and tv show character.
Well, my mom named me [name]Alexandra[/name] and while she is a big fan of Russian history (and actually her 2nd husband is Russian) I don’t think she specifically named me after Tsarina [name]Alexandra[/name], it’s possible. It would be an awfully tragic namesake, though, so I assume she likes the name independently.
I was named after my grandmother [name]Margaret[/name], but the choice of my nickname ([name]Meg[/name]) came from my mother’s favorite book growing up, [name]Little[/name] Women. I always thought that was rather cool, and when I read the book myself, [name]Meg[/name] became my favorite character. (My sister also has a LW-related name - [name]Laura[/name], after [name]Theodore[/name] “[name]Laurie[/name]” [name]Laurence[/name].)
I wasn’t named after prominent characters or historical figures, but I was named after a news story.
I’ve always known that a little girl name [name]Jessica[/name] got trapped in a well in [name]Texas[/name] (I believe) when my mom was pregnant with me. My grandmother actually decided that if the girl survived, they would name me [name]Jessica[/name]. From what I’ve heard, the little girl had incredibly strong spirits, and would even sing and converse with her rescuers as they tried to free her from the well. I’ve seen “Where are they now” news stories featuring her, but I still don’t know much about the incident. I think she was 2 or 3 when it happened.
Anyway, my mother and grandmother admired her strength and named me [name]Jessica[/name]. I was going to be [name]Erica[/name], otherwise.
I really like that. When you first started saying you were named after baby [name]Jessica[/name], I was kind of horrified, but the reasoning behind it is actually very positive.
My name is [name]Tara[/name] which most people associate with Gone With The Wind, but my name actually had no connection to that. My mom named me after a soap opera character…she was the “good twin” dealing with her evil twin! I’m glad my mom didn’t go for a really well known character because I do think soap names are pretty low brow! What can I do, my mom was young & that’s what she was into!
I definitely veto any names with YA lit or popular TV connections- even if I liked them first like [name]Esme[/name]!! Anything too tied to that kind of thing turns me off!
@Kungfualex that’s really funny my mom is very into Russian history and named me after Tsarina [name]Alexandra[/name] as well, however she used her birth name [name]Alix[/name], instead because she doesn’t like long names. So [name]Alix[/name] I am, I always thought it was very cool to have that connection that most people don’t know and can educate others that my name is not a misspelling!
I was named after [name]Natalie[/name] [name]Wood[/name], who is one of my mother’s favorite actresses. When I was little, I didn’t know who [name]Natalie[/name] [name]Wood[/name] was, but vaguely knew of [name]Natalie[/name] [name]Cole[/name]. So for the longest time, I thought I was named after [name]Natalie[/name] [name]Cole[/name]. About the time I entered my preteen years, I found out who I was really named after, and liked it more. As I got older, I saw movies starring [name]Natalie[/name] [name]Wood[/name], though I still find it kind of sad regarding her death.
I’m glad my parents chose [name]Natalie[/name] as opposed to, say, [name]Wednesday[/name] (another one of her choices, after a character from Addams Family) or [name]Lucy[/name] (my father’s choice for me, possibly after [name]Lucille[/name] Ball), which to me seem more obviously associated with one particular character. In contrast, [name]Natalie[/name] seems more versatile to me.
I was named after my Great-Grandmother, but there was this [name]Barry[/name] Manilow song, “[name]Mandy[/name],” that came out around the time that I was born, It’s often credited as to why the name, [name]Amanda[/name], suddenly became so popular.
It, unfortunately, made it a dated name. My Mom told me recently that she sometimes wished she had named me something else for this reason, but I still like it.
My [name]SIL[/name] named her daughter after a [name]Michelle[/name], on Friends. I was shocked when she told me that. It seemed kind of shallow to me… However, I realized later that the name is quite popular although perhaps a bit outdated for her generation. Her peers will likely not be familiar with the show either. On top of that the name is the feminization of her daughter’s grandfather’s name, and she goes by the cute nn of [name]Mimi[/name], so in the end it was a happy accident or a very smart choice. Her son is named [name]Christopher[/name], after [name]Christopher[/name] [name]Robin[/name]. That’s super cute, and it’s a classic name, so she can get away with it.
My middle name is [name]Lydia[/name], after [name]Lydia[/name] from the Bible who was the first [name]Christian[/name] woman in Europe. While I appreciate the name and connection, Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourite books ever so I always associate it with empty-headed [name]Lydia[/name] [name]Bennet[/name]. Strangely my mum loves [name]Jane[/name] [name]Austen[/name] too but didn’t think of the character. And to top it off my sister’s MN is [name]Kathryn[/name] ([name]Kitty[/name]'s full name, though spelled [name]Catherine[/name], for those who aren’t hardcore fans ). Not that anyone except me has ever noticed the connection.
I’m not sure where they got my first name, but my dad said they got my middle name from The Styx’s song ‘[name]Lorelei[/name]’.
I quite like it - I’ve never met anyone else with the name.
Thank you for sharing the stories behind your names, Berries. I was on a bit of a hiatus so I wasn’t able to read all of them until now.
I loved reading all of them. @ valkyrie: I adore [name]Natalie[/name] [name]Wood[/name]!! … Fascinating stories.
Personally, I’m not named after anyone famous. But my older sister was named after a famous singer named, [name]Sharon[/name]. But she never felt any pressure to live up to the public figure, so much as to investigate the cultural roots of it.
I am named [name]Raquel[/name] after [name]Raquel[/name] [name]Welch[/name]. She isn’t overly famous now but she was like a huge sex symbol in the 1960’s. I have a hispanic last name so it totally fits me, and people say they like it:). I do prefer how it is said in Spanish though [name]Ra[/name]-kel instead of Rac-kel.
I was named after a famous male actor (but I am a female). Luckily it’s a name that’s more common on females than males, otherwise I would really, really hate it.
I’ve wondered about this, because quite a few of my favorite names have ties to my favorite fictional characters. [name]Holmes[/name] is the only blatantly obvious name on my list, but still…
My dad likes to think he named me after [name]Olivia[/name] [name]Newton[/name] [name]John[/name] and sometimes jokes that I should call my daughter [name]Chloe[/name]. ;]
(My sister also has a LW-related name - [name]Laura[/name], after [name]Theodore[/name] “[name]Laurie[/name]” [name]Laurence[/name].)
). Not that anyone except me has ever noticed the connection.