<p>I am a college professor and last semester I had a M’lyn.</p>
<p>And one of my favorite uncommon names is Julene (a basque girl name). I thought it was very pretty.</p>
<p>I worked with a Julene. She was probably more unconventional than her name, really. She was great. </p>
<p>I sometimes wonder if some people with uncommon names end up fitting their names because their parents are a little unconventional, as well.</p>
<p>We knew a family with a S and D named Hawk and Rainbow. Both kids legally changed their names when they hit 18. D2 met a girl in hs named Strawberry.</p>
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<p>Oh no! I’m sure the parents were thinking about the rock band Led Zepplin when they picked that name, but since Zepplin also means Blimp and Dirigible, that kid will have a rough time if he ever gains a few pounds…!!</p>
<p>I knew a Junelle. I also knew a Kelfred and Gifford (brothers). They named their respective twins Zoey and Cassandra & Kingston and Preston. Their brother Hubert has 3 boys: Bryston, Winston and Carlston.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure that some of these names are urban legends–if you heard it from somebody else, it probably isn’t so. However, I have seen, with my own eyes, and in writing, a kid whose name is Isaac Cox. I thought it was a joke, but it’s for real.</p>
<p>And from Google, he’s not the only person with that name. Wow.</p>
<p>^^Okay, it took me an embarrassingly long time to get that one! :)</p>
<p>^ me too!! And the name I listed is definitely not an urban legend: [Search</a> CU-Boulder | University of Colorado Boulder](<a href=“http://www.colorado.edu/gsearch/people/jones%20ba]Search”>http://www.colorado.edu/gsearch/people/jones%20ba)</p>
<p>It would be hilarious to go through life saying “Danger is my middle name…seriously it is…it’s my middle name” 
:D</p>
<p>I knew a Gifford, too (went by Giff.) seems like a basic family name. </p>
<p>My kids’ names start with the same consonant sound, and all the sybs in my H’s family followed it, so the cousins all have alliterative names. additionally, my sister-in-law’s name is the same as my D’s except for the vowel in the first syllable, and for a while another SIL was involved with a guy who’s name was similar, again except for the different vowel sound. When we all got together for family vacations, getting the right name out could be difficult!</p>
<p>and not to forget Ima Hogg…</p>
<p>Common names are no guarantee that Starbucks will get it right. My D’s name is so common that it’s considered classic, but she’s had several memorable Starbucks misspellings. My favorite was “Gorly” which I can assure you is NOT her name.</p>
<p>H comes from a small town in the Ozarks.
Two of our favorite names (both folks are octogenarians)
Golden Lemon (female first and middle name)
Cyclone Baby (male first and middle name)</p>
<p>Spend some time with younger mothers and/or on forums that said mothers participate in and you will hear some doozies.
I don’t have problems with ethnic names or non-Western/anglo names. My issue is with totally and completely made up versions of perfectly good names. Extraneous y’s and z’s and phonetic spellings bug the heck out of me. What’s so wrong with Erin that you have to change it to Erynne? Why MycKenzye or Jaymz or Lynzy or Madysynne? These are real. very real. </p>
<p>I feel sorry for all of the boys/men out there who had their very male name taken over by parents who thought their daughters would get further in life with a masculine name.</p>
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<p>I agree. I love ethnic or other names that are actual names. But why saddle your kid with a made-up conglomeration of vowels and consonants?</p>
<p>And please, make sure it passes the “business card” test. Pretend your grownup baby is handing over his/her business card and saying his/her name: “Hi I’m XXX YYYYYY and I’ll be performing your biopsy/representing you in court/calculating your taxes” etc.</p>
<p>My SIL named her daughter something like (don’t want to use the real name!) “Frankie Francis” A male sounding first name (that is NOT short for anything) and also has alliteration with the last name. It sounds like a cartoon character to me.</p>
<p>Oh, and regarding “Madison” whichi s now on the top 10 list ([List</a> is out! Most popular baby names are… - TODAY.com](<a href=“http://www.today.com/moms/list-out-most-popular-baby-names-are-1C9858216]List”>List is out! Most popular baby names are...))</p>
<p>does anyone else immediately think of the movie Splash, where Darryl Hannah’s character named herself after a street sign (Madison Av) and that name was a big punchline in the movie?</p>
<p>I am guessing none of these younger moms have ever seen that movie! :)</p>
<p>[When</a> an uncommon name gets trendy: Leave my name alone! - TODAY.com](<a href=“http://www.today.com/moms/when-uncommon-name-gets-trendy-leave-my-name-alone-1C9875175]When”>When an uncommon name gets trendy: Leave my name alone! )</p>
<p>Another odd spelling – Gael.</p>
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<p>Note that while it is in the top 10 girl’s name list now, it can be a boy’s name also.
[Madison</a> Bumgarner Stats, News, Pictures, Bio, Videos - San Francisco Giants - ESPN](<a href=“http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/29949/madison-bumgarner]Madison”>Madison Bumgarner - Arizona Diamondbacks Starting Pitcher - ESPN)</p>
<p>I once knew an older gentleman, probably born in the early 1900’s, whose name was Pleasant Joy (first & middle). I think he went by Plez. </p>
<p>Some of the young mothers around here are naming their babies old-time names like Mabel and Vera. </p>
<p>And there was a Mother’s Day picture in our local paper yesterday of five generations of women. The youngest was named Neveah. Had I not been reading this thread on CC, I wouldn’t have noticed that it is Heaven spelled backwards.</p>
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<p>I do not get the sudden fascination with “heaven” spelled backwards! Just name her “Heaven” if that’s what you want. </p>
<p>I worked with a woman who named her children after perfume: Diamond, Chanel, Nate (as in Jean Nate), and Christian Dior.</p>
<p>I keep trying to picture all these Madysyn and Jennaphr and Ellie and Krystynia old ladies sitting around the nursing homes in 70 years</p>