Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Unfortunate Monikers

While the topic of names is on my mind (see yesterdays post), I'd like to share a few unusual monikers that I have come across.

Between high school and university, I worked as a production clerk in a company that made gear for companies that produced and/or transmitted electricity. As production clerk, I would take the blueprints from the engineering department and construct work orders to be used to fabricate the required parts in the factory. Sometimes, I would find myself consulting with the shop workers if there were problems, but more frequently, I'd be visiting the drafting department to sort out this or that issue. One of the engineers was ... wait for it ... Les Moore! He was older than I, so a pair of parents, surname Moore, back around the early thirties when people were still supposed to be sensible, had thought it clever to call their kid Les.

Then, in my early years of teaching, back in the early to mid-seventies, I came across three other unfortunate names: all girls. Once again, their parents should have been old enough to know better, for they also must have been born in the late thirties or very early forties. I mean to say, you could understand the hippies of the sixties hatching weird names whilst on hallucinogenic trips, but really now.

Here are the three names. One: Merry Christmas (and that's how they spelled Merry); two: Penny Coyne; three; Penny Nickle. I wouldn't make this up folks.

Oddly enough, I can't seem to recall any other really unfortunate monikers. Oddly enough, the children of the sixties and later years, didn't seem to do that to their kids. Thank goodness.

Please feel free to share other oddities that you have come across either in the comments or in your own blogs. I look forward to hearing from you.

9 comments:

Ruth said...

I work with a Penny Nickel and even have a picture of her on my blog. I went to school with a Robert McRoberts and a Candy Darling. (both in the Toronto area) Candy was gorgeous, talented and very smart. I often wonder where she went with that name.

Diana said...

Well I guess there could be worse! I honestly can't remember any names that were that cute!
Love Di ♥

Anonymous said...

That was an interesting story A/C HH grew up in a small village where everyone had a nickname. 'Soup' Campbell, 'Stormy' Jones, 'Punch' Shewmaker, 'Fig' Newton. But that is not as bad as a formal name.LOL
QMM

Bernie said...

A/C when I was registering my daughter's birth name the nurse filling out the forms told me that one lady with the last name of Wood named her daughter Holly...
Holly Wood, how sad is that....at least by being girls they have a chance to change their last name in marriage but school life must of been pretty bad......:-) Hugs

Ginger said...

Speaking of Hollywood, my mom spent a summer covering for a doctor with an office there, back in the 70s, and saw Moon Unit Zappa in the office during her stint. She also met a kid whose parents had named them (don't recall if it was girl or boy) "Bus Stop."

Holly, the Old Western Gal said...

Oh, I've seen some awful ones.

Mylitta Boozer

Peaches Goforth (a BOY)

Ray Ray Gunn

Kila said...

I actually like the names you mentioned ;) Gotta have fun. I knew of an "Oliver Green" and an "April Schauer" (pronounced Shower).

Robyn said...

I work with an Amber Jewell

Pearl said...

Les Moore is neat.

I was in class once with twins named Cain and Abel.