WHAT’S IN A NAME TWO I don’t remember disliking the names of any of the girls I have known. Perhaps because if you like the girl, you tend to like her name as well. My mother’s name was Roxie, and she had sisters Lily, Dixie and Nona—unusual but not unpleasant names. My only grandmother’s name was Eliza. My oldest sister had the pleasing name of Ruth, and I knew several girls with that name, sometimes in combination with another name—Patsy Ruth, Gladys Ruth, Ruth Ann. My youngest sister, three years my senior, was named Stella, but a small neighboring boy could manage only “Tella,” so the name stuck, especially among some of her boy friends. My only grand daughter, Melanie, has Ann as a middle name, same as that of my wife. Lots of girls I knew had double names, which they used—Mary Helen, Mary Lou, Betty Sue, Minnie Sue, Doris Jean, and many more. One of my female schoolmates was named Marguerite, but since her little brother could only manage Bodget, that’s what everybody called her. It is difficult to pick your own nickname, and expect people to call you by it. I learned of a girl named Marian who desperately wanted everybody to call her Jinx. Nobody would. One of my cousins was named Loretta, and wanted to be called Retta, but her siblings, close friends and relatives called her Sheen. Don’t know where that came from. One of my schoolmates was named Augusta, but she went by Gusty; appropriate for her personality. Another had the unlikely handle of James Alyce, but was called Squirt until she was way up in high school. Even our freshman homeroom teacher read her name that way, with a smirk. Another likable school chum was named Cora Evelyn, but when a new teacher mistakenly read her first name as Corky from the rolls, the name stuck. It fit, because she had a great sense of humor. A Betty Ray later spelled her middle name as Rhea. My closest high school girl friend had the delightful name of Emma Lou, and I knew another Emma as well. A classmate was named Jewel Elizabeth, but she didn’t like either of her beautiful names. A common name was Helen, which had a pleasing sound to it. One of them added an “e” to the end of it, so the teachers pronounced it “Heleen.” Also, I knew a girl named Haline. One family named their three girls Faith, Hope, and Charity. My own daughters are Karen and Kay—names deliberately chosen. Sometimes I wonder what people are thinking when they name their kids—but they don’t ask me!
Posted on: Tue, 17 Sep 2013 13:33:13 +0000
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