<p>There is a hypothesis of nominative determinism–that there is an association between one’s name and one’s occupation. </p>
<p>Examples include the philosopher, John Wisdom, the neurologist, Lord Brain, and the urologists, A.J. Splatt and D. Weedon. </p>
<p>Carl Jung wrote: "“Herr Freud (Joy) champions the pleasure principle, Herr Adler (Eagle) the will to power, Herr Jung (Young) the idea of rebirth.”</p>
<p>There is some research here. </p>
<p>People with popular names–Michael and Emily–get better grades, jobs, and more attractive lovers than the Igors and Olgas of the world. </p>
<p>So be careful what you wish on your children.</p>
<p>On the NYC subway walls there is an ad from a dermatologist whose name is Dr. Zitzmor. I remember one a long time ago-- an ob/gyn whose name was Dr. Zoltan Ovary. And in the NY Times social announcements years ago was one that read “Mr. and Mrs. Lear are proud to announce the engagement of their daughter Shanda.” Then, I once knew a social worker who had a client who had just given birth to a baby girl. She named the girl–and this is the pronunciation-- FUH-MOLL-EE. Spelled, yup you guessed it-- FEMALE.</p>
<p>One of my dearest friends had the situation where he had his father’s name and his sister had the mother’s. I really don’t understand it! Couldn’t you let the kids have their own names? This is different from a situation where a name is passed down for generations, which I can certainly understand.</p>
<p>My parents had a little fight over naming my little sister. My mom insisted on a very old-fashioned name that everyone else hated and would not listen to any arguments until my dad used the following tactic, “M., I really like your name… therefore, I would like to name our baby girl after you!..” It solved the issue of the unusual name, but then we ended up with two identically named females in our house… :)</p>
<p>“Then, I once knew a social worker who had a client who had just given birth to a baby girl. She named the girl–and this is the pronunciation-- FUH-MOLL-EE. Spelled, yup you guessed it-- FEMALE.”</p>
<p>I claimed urban legend on that story way upthread. My mom was telling that story when I was a kid.</p>
<p>My SIL worked NICU at a public hospital. One of her tiny charges was named Vigina.</p>
<p>I went to HS with Terry Terry Terry. Once met an engineer named Rich (yes, went by Rich) Poor. </p>
<p>When I was in college, my Physics III professor was doing roll-call, reading only last names alphabetically. My immaturity showed when I (alone) started laughing: “… Gesoff, Hyman, Kuntz …”</p>
<p>Time, apparently, didn’t do much for my maturity level. I also laughed while watching a WVU football game a few years back and the camera showed Dingle sitting next to Berry.</p>
<p>When we were expecting one of our children we wrote to my parents and convinced them that we had settled on a Scandinavian name pronounced “Veer-oos.” We enjoyed their gracious but lukewarm reaction for a few days before we let them in on the joke: no, we were really not going to name our chid “Virus”. Said child got a family name instead.</p>
<p>[Virus is not really a Scandinavian name, but my parents didn’t know that. Our children have real Scandinavian names.]</p>
<p>I know a family that named the oldest Wendy, the second Peter and the third was – wait for it, nah, not tinkerbell, though they flirted with that name. They ultimately decided on Valerie. They met another family whose D was the same age and WAS named Tinkerbell! Their D was grateful that they opted for the alternative name.</p>
<p>My moms initials were J.A.P. and she grew up during the second world war. Guess my grandparents didn’t think to see what the initials would spell. </p>
<p>I know twins named Micheal John and John Michael. C’mon, you get a chance to use four different names and you can only come up with two??</p>
<p>I also know twins where one boy is John Q Smith Junior and the other is just Michael Smith. I thought that was weird personally. Like, oh we got our Jr and yeah a bonus baby.</p>
<p>My high school class had Fay Verr, Robin Hood, and Kandy Kiss. Kandy had a sister named Taffy and her father was Carmel. I also went to jr. high with Iona Hanke (I own a hankie). I don’t know what the parents were thinking on any of those.</p>
<p>When I was in college, there was a Portuguese family who ran a little corner store in our neighborhood. They had twin daughters named Sandra and Sandy.</p>
<p>My grandmother grew up with a man named Donald Duck.</p>
<p>A family who lived down the street from us when I was a child had seven children, each named after a day of the week. </p>
<p>I collect antique samplers and do a lot of genaeology. It’s interesting to see the common, and uncommon, names during the 17th - 19th centuries. Girls were often named after states.</p>