What's In a Name?
@Sandra1952 (6047)
Spain
February 27, 2010 12:56pm CST
As some of you may know, I'm doing some editing work for another website. They email the articles to me, I edit them and post them, I get paid a little bit. Every little helps, as they say. Well, I was editing the latest batch today, and I came upon an article about children's parties, written by someone who runs a party company.
So what? I hear you say. Well, the name of the article writer was Anne-Marie Killer. Now, I don't know about you, but I'd be a bit wary of letting someone called Killer near my little darlings.
To the question, then. Have you ever come across someone whose surname was totally inappropriate for their profession?
5 people like this
14 responses
@Wizzywig (7847)
•
27 Feb 10
There used to be a local building firm where we lived before.. their surname was "Crumblehome" and you have to ask yourself why someone with the name "De'ath" would become a doctor...obviously got a good sense of humour. one of the Doctors at the practice where my mum goes is Dr Butcher.
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (159754)
• United States
27 Feb 10
Wow, those are good, in a bad way, I guess, because they mean such negative things. I forgot that our Head Librarian in town is Mr. Read. I also know a couple who have the last name of Loving. I would like that, I think.
2 people like this
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
27 Feb 10
Hello, Wizzywig. 'Crumblehome?' That sounds like the builder who built some of the apartments here in Spain.
Love Dr De'ath as well, and Butcher - and as for Mr wonky -
Gerty, I like Mr Read. I thought this would throw up some good responses. Trouble is, what if Mr and Mrs Loving hated each other's guts - could they get a divorce citing wrongful Trade Descriptions, do you think? ![](/Content/images/emotes/evilgrin.gif)
![](/Content/images/emotes/w00t.gif)
![](/Content/images/emotes/rofl.gif)
![](/Content/images/emotes/evilgrin.gif)
1 person likes this
![](/Content/images/ajax-loader.gif)
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
27 Feb 10
Hello, and welcome to MyLot. No, that's fine as well. Perhaps other users would like to include people's surnames that suited them? As long as we're discussing, that's the main thing.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (159754)
• United States
27 Feb 10
In our town we have a dentist named Payne (pain), one named Wiens ( makes me think wince) one named Cotton,( like you have to put cotton in their mouth) and one named Yowell (yowl)and one named Dr. Krause (pronounced cross)
. I also remember our assistant Superintendent of Schools being Mr. Bookless. The dentist thing always tickles my funny bone.
I am sure there are lots of cooks that cannot cook, and then of course at the wrestling match I attended yesterday there was a wrestler named "Wrestler" as a last name. That is opposite of what you said of course. Names can be interesting.
![](/Content/images/emotes/angry.gif)
![](/Content/images/emotes/lol.gif)
2 people like this
@polachicago (18716)
• United States
27 Feb 10
Krause is from German language and it doesn't pronounce "cross" by German language. It means "with curly hair".
In German you can actually hear E in the end....![](/Content/images/emotes/wink.gif)
![](/Content/images/emotes/wink.gif)
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (159754)
• United States
27 Feb 10
Most people who spell their name Krause in my area say "Krowse" but this family, whom I know, do pronounce their name Cross. It is not necessarily proper, but it is how they have always done it. I know three or four generations of the family. They are the only ones I know who say "cross". I have not met anyone who says the "e" at the end, though. I think it depends on where you live here in the US. I also know many people with the name Koehn. A lot of them say Cane, some say Cohen, some say Cone. I know people who have the name Stucky or Stuckey. Some say Stucky like the word yukky, others say Stucky like cookie. I always ask what they prefer.
1 person likes this
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
27 Feb 10
Hello Gerty. Remind me never to visit the dentist in your town - I think I'd rather suffer with toothache.
Do you think the Superintendent got the job because somebody in the education department had a sense of humour? As you say, names are very interesting.
![](/Content/images/emotes/cry.gif)
1 person likes this
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
28 Feb 10
i meet a lot of lawyers and cops everyday being in the office of the prosecution services. we meet a lot of them, old ones, newly graduates, new in their field of profession. and in our place, there are too many odd names that sometimes, we can't help to have fun of them.
a cop should be tough, but his name is officer homoc, which is soft.
meet attorney bugtai, he smells poo poo.
![](/Content/images/emotes/niceday.gif)
![](/Content/images/emotes/niceday.gif)
1 person likes this
![](/Content/images/ajax-loader.gif)
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
28 Feb 10
who could believe he is to one we should believe, lawless solicitor?
by the way, i remember the other cop's name, gahi, this time, he is tough. ![](/Content/images/emotes/lol.gif)
![](/Content/images/emotes/lol.gif)
![](/Content/images/emotes/lol.gif)
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
28 Feb 10
Hello, Neil. Nice ones there.
It must be really difficult to remain professional in the face of such temptations. I knew a solicitor once whose surname was Lawless - not the image you want to project, is it? ![](/Content/images/emotes/evilgrin.gif)
![](/Content/images/emotes/wub.gif)
![](/Content/images/emotes/evilgrin.gif)
![](/Content/images/ajax-loader.gif)
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
27 Feb 10
Hello, Vandana. That's a bit like the old English custom of surnames coming from professions - for instance, barrel makers are called coopers, and that's where the English surname Cooper is said to come from. I don't think I'd like a surname which means liar, though. ![](/Content/images/emotes/cry.gif)
![](/Content/images/emotes/cry.gif)
2 people like this
@pandaeyes (2065)
•
28 Feb 10
We had a French teacher once who's name was Mr English.
One of the children at the school my kids went to years ago was called Slaughter. He was the nicest boy,he wouldn't harm a fly.
I suppose the name was originally from working in a slaughter house or maybe it was derived from a name from non English speaking people.
1 person likes this
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
28 Feb 10
Hello, Pandaeyes. Like Mr English. Talking of Slaughter, have you ever read any of the novels of Karin Slaughter? There's an appropriate name, if ever there was one. The body count just keeps rising.
I was intrigued about the derivation of Slaughter as a surname as well, and I came up with this:
: http://www.surnamedb.com/surname.aspx?name=Slaughter :
![](/Content/images/emotes/w00t.gif)
1 person likes this
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
1 Mar 10
Hello, Pandaeyes. The word you're looking for is etymology.
1 person likes this
@pandaeyes (2065)
•
1 Mar 10
I laughed at St. Andrew by the Wardrobe! It sounds just like something from Narnia doesn't it?
That is interesting about the derivation. I think there is also the word slaister from Scotland meaning a mess. That might have come from the boggy area word too.
My daughter is interested in the root of words,I know it has a proper name but I cant think what it is.
![](/Content/images/ajax-loader.gif)
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
28 Feb 10
Bet that name got alot of reaction to it in school. No not really in their profession but sometimes seen that their names mean the opposite of that they looked.. Like at church we had a visiting pastor who's name was Brother Bill Little.. and nothing was little about it..he was very tall..
1 person likes this
![](/Content/images/ajax-loader.gif)
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
28 Feb 10
Oh my, that is just as bad as the other word..Why can't they just stop the name tagging and get on with life..how I see it anyhow..
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
28 Feb 10
Hello again. You're right, of course. I've just remembered an uncle of mine who was called Tiny. He was about 6' 6" in his stockinged feet, so we assumed that Tiny was an ironic nickname. However, one day when Aunty had had too many gins, she confided that Tiny had nothing to do with his height at all ... ![](/Content/images/emotes/rasp.gif)
![](/Content/images/emotes/rasp.gif)
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
28 Feb 10
Hello, Becca. I'd love to have seen Bill Little. It's a bit like Little John in the Robin Hood legend, who was also a big man. Years ago, there was a practice in England of calling black people Chalky. Thankfully, that no longer happens, as I think that's very insulting - I did then as well.
![](/Content/images/ajax-loader.gif)
@polachicago (18716)
• United States
27 Feb 10
Many years ago I hear about policeman named First Safety, but people called him Safety First. My friend who is working in research department named his daughter Eureka, after discovering something important in his research department (poor baby)![](/Content/images/emotes/rofl.gif)
![](/Content/images/emotes/rofl.gif)
![](/Content/images/emotes/rofl.gif)
![](/Content/images/emotes/rofl.gif)
1 person likes this
![](/Content/images/ajax-loader.gif)
@polachicago (18716)
• United States
27 Feb 10
...I may know but I don't want to name it....he may read this post. He knows what I think about baby name, but I don't want to say too much...![](/Content/images/emotes/rolleyes.gif)
![](/Content/images/emotes/rolleyes.gif)
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
27 Feb 10
Hello, Pola. Safety First? Brilliant! As you say, poor baby Eureka. Makes you wonder what substances they were abusing when they chose the names, doesn't it? ![](/Content/images/emotes/surrender.gif)
![](/Content/images/emotes/surrender.gif)
![](/Content/images/ajax-loader.gif)
@BarBaraPrz (46490)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
27 Feb 10
I once came across a dentist whose last name was Paine...
![](/Content/images/ajax-loader.gif)
@GardenGerty (159754)
• United States
27 Feb 10
I even forgot to mention the one named Penner (which I hear as pin her), meaning to put a post in my tooth and pin it back together.
1 person likes this
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
27 Feb 10
Hello, Barbara. There seem to be a lot of them about. ![](/Content/images/emotes/w00t.gif)
![](/Content/images/emotes/w00t.gif)
2 people like this
![](/Content/images/ajax-loader.gif)
@ladym33 (10979)
• United States
28 Feb 10
That is an unfortunate name for her business. The poor lady. I am sure she is probably a very nice lady, but the name is not one that someone would want associated with a kids party. I probably would not hold it against her though. Nothing comes to mind to me right now about bad names for professions but my first boyfriends last name was Hickey. This of course did not make my parents all that thrilled. Congratulations on the editing job!
1 person likes this
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
28 Feb 10
Hello, Ladym. As you say, she's probably a very nice lady, and nobody can help their surname. It just tickled me, though. And I'm really enjoying the editing - only problem is, it cuts down the time I can spend here.
@thedailyclick (3017)
•
28 Feb 10
Well in being the complete opposite my surname was very appropriate for a career I once had. My surname is Webb and for several years I worked in web development for a few companies. The number of jokes and “you’re kidding” remarks I got ended up being grating beyond belief along with the “You were born to work in the web industry”.
As for an inappropriate surname well I did no someone called George Burns who happened to work as a fireman, which I suppose is a little ironic.
1 person likes this
@baz5687 (131)
• United States
28 Feb 10
I have seen people with mismatching names for there professions, what I believe is that is probably affects their business, and I don't think it is right just to change your mind about something because of the person's name if you don't know them.
1 person likes this
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
28 Feb 10
Hello, Baz, and welcome to MyLot. You're probably right - it isn't fair if it affects their business. I'd never make fun of anyone's name in front of them, but this really made me smile.
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
28 Feb 10
Hi Sandra. I don't know, or remember any funny sounding names who would be inappropriate for their profession, but I do know of a hockey player who's name I always thought would be inappropriate at whatever profession he chooses. He is Miroslav Satan. He is Slovak, and I think he plays for the Pittsburg Penguins. I'm sure his family name means something else in his country, it just weird seeing it here in north america.
BTW, the sportscaster pronounce his name differently. I don't know if it's a Slovakian way, or they are just being polite.
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
28 Feb 10
Hello, Bounce. That's a good one - I bet he puts the fear of the Devil into the opposition.
Sorry - couldn't resist that. As you say, it probably means something different in their language. The name Killer strikes me as being Germanic in origin, and that probably means something different as well.
![](/Content/images/emotes/devil.gif)
![](/Content/images/loading.gif)