What's In A Name?

I see more unusual names lately. May be with younger people coming into the workforce wearing name tags. Starting to see more and more. Have one in the family, my step-son's almost niece is 'Nevaeh'. Heaven spelled backwards. Don't know where it comes from but has been around awhile. I do remember when albums were supposed to contain demonic words when played backwards - but I don't know how they were played backwards anyhow!

But I ran into one today. young lady new hire at a local store and I had to ask was it her real or nick-name and she said real. "Whisper" .

Knew a girl of a friend way back was "Amber". It came from when she was being carried and her people trying to come up with a name somehow all the ash trays in the house came into play as they were all - amber-.

Whisper - anybody got any other good ones?

 

My daughter knew girl exchange student from China whose name was "eye" not sure of the spelling but pronounced just like eye or I. Every time someone used the word "I" in a sentance the girl would answer thinking they meant her. Think about how often the word I comes up in normal conversations.

 

I worked as the team leader printed circuit board designer in a research and development team from 1989 to 1995. We were developing a computerised high speed lift (elevator to you americans) system and needed a trajectory specialist so we brought in a Senior University of China Professor of Maths and Physics on a 2 year contract to help with the calculations. He spoke only very broken english but could read english and understand it perfectly so he communicated mostly by pointing to words using a translation book and speaking some very broken english or writing notes in english.

His name was Shoo Jubai and we called him Shoo for 2 years and at his send off party when he had his short thank you speech he then held up a note which said "By the way...... I was too polite to say but my name is Jubai and Shoo is actually my surname but I forgive you all." The company directors and senior management were quite embarrassed that their mistake was mentioned at a public function in front of ordinary workers.
Chinese read right to left not left to right so everyone made the mistake when they read his name and for two years he just thought us australians were rude and ignorant people.

 

The one that will always stick in my mind was when we had a Japanese delegation visit, all very formal, but when my 5' 0" secretary, towering over a diminutive 4' 9" gentleman, ushered him into my office and introduced him as Mr Nihi I very nearly lost it and so did she. That could have wrecked the company's Japanese ambitions, never mind my career.

 

I guess I know I pronounced it right! HA

 

i've worked for several tax accountants over the years. the last tax guy i worked for had 2 clients whose last names were a tad unusual... Drinkwater was one, and Manlick was the other. they were both older couples and you could not ask to meet nicer people. i suppose back in the early 1900's, it was more normal, but i could not imagine having those last names now a days, especially the 2nd one. i've also have processed payroll for a number of small local businesses... and you get to discover certain things, like 'pinky' is a common name for girls in iran, and 'baby' is a common name for boys in iran. and you discover this when i get a phone call from this one guy who needed me to correct his W-2's for the last 3 years. i had been issuing him pay checks with a first name of michael and middle initial of 'B', and this reflected on his w-2 form. well... his legal first name is baby and michael is his middle name, and the irs likes the w-2 forms to reflect the legally correct name.... correcting the forms is easy enough, and i can understand why he did what he did. just interesting is all.

 

@harmless your post about accountants reminded me of this.....
In the early 1980's I had a rally car and was in my university car club called the CCRMIT (Car Club Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) and was asking some buddies if they knew a good accountant as I needed one for a new business venture. One friend mentioned I should speak to Dog's Arse as he was a club member and might give me a discount. So I was introduced and then I realised why they called him the derogatory name after he gave me his business card,
His card read:-
John Beaglehole
Chartered Accountant

 

From around where I grew up:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Baals

 

I know a Daniel Daniels.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Trickle
Have also known a Geisha and a Mercedes, and what about Paris Hilton?

 

Mrs Ball's - South Africa's famous chutney.
http://www.mrsballs.com/content.aspx?id=2

Scot Scott - SA Actor.

Bonné de Bod - SA TV presenter.
http://bonnedebod.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/B-Pic.jpg

 

i don't know how i forgot about this... the first girl that i had a long term relationship with ( 5 years back in the 80's ) her family's last name was 'flake'. she did marry a couple of years after we broke up, and she changed her last name to her new husband's last name, and i only know about that because my mom really really liked her and kept in touch with her for quite a while after we stopped seeing each other [which was fine, it honestly did not bother me.]

 

I went to school with Rainy Beach. I am a second, not Jr. so growing up I was called Boo (way before the urban use of the name), my son the third, was Mel (as in Melon Head) when we were all under one roof. Some people still know me as Boo.
This is fitting
www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/camp-ujaama/n10690

 

I'd long forgotten about this but way back in the 1960s, when I was serving with the Royal Air Force in Cyprus, my sister - married name Wall - wrote to tell me she was expecting her first and did I have any suggestions for names? At that time the sex of unborn babies wasn't known but I wrote back suggesting Adrian Stephen if a boy. Month or two later I got another letter saying she had had a boy and they had taken my suggestion and named him Adrian Stephen Wall. I hadn't the heart to tell her that my suggestion hadn't been meant to be taken seriously but her son has been stuck ever since with having to say Adrian Wall every time he is asked his name. This should raise a smile with anyone familiar with the UK and for those who are not it's rather like naming your daughter Niagara (or Victoria) Falls.

 

My surname is Wessels. A 'w' in my language is pronounced as 'v'...
While I haven't gotten funny looks, I would hate to have lived in a predominantly English-speaking country having to say my surname is 'vessels' spelt with a 'w'.

In South Africa there's a big community of Cape Malays. Malay in my language is Maleier which literarily means mad egg...

 

I worked with a man whose parents had named him Justin Other Byrd.

I knew a song and dance party troupe named the Pigg sisters, Imah, Yourah, Sucha and Whatta. All guys dressed in pink Tu-tus and leotards. What a hoot doing songs like K.D. Langs "Big Boned Gal".

 

In the service I knew a Captain whose last name was Guess. Made for an interesting name tag . . .

 

Anyone remember Grady Nutt? He was a Minister and a Speaker with a great since of humor. He tells a funny story about a Minister friend or his whose name was Ivan Odor. How would you like to have that name?