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06 December 2013
Friday Question If you had to pick a new first name, what would it be?
I think I would go for a Puritan virtue name. Something like Diligence or Freegift or Humiliation or Perseverance or Treadwell or Job-raked-out-of-the-ashes.
I have a hard time imagining myself as anything other than a Kate. In elementary/middle school, I sometimes toyed with making people call me by my initials (KC), but that seemed like a lot of work.
I'd settle for people using all the syllables of the one I have.
If I'm asked to give a name (for maybe a sandwich order, say), I use Stephanie. No idea why. I just know my real name is none of your sandwich business, what are you, trying to steal my soul?
I would have liked being Kate, Margaret/ Maggie, Madeleine/ Maddie, Hannah. I have a double name, and people often call me Mary instead of Mary Beth, which is even more annoying than Mary Ann, Mary Lou, Mary Jo, etc. A friend covers it by calling me MaryLouJoBethAnn. Friends call me MB, or Beth, which I like. My sister sometimes calls me MaryBethie, which is odd, but okay from her.
My handle here is the Frisian name of my grandfather. It's the name my parents considered giving me. But they thought I´d get teased because of people not knowing Frisian names and the similarity to a Dutch female name. They didn't know yet I'd grow to be 6'6"
So I´m called Joost (pronounced Yoast). Which I rather like; one syllable, singularly Dutch. One syllable words are the oldest germanic parts of North West European languages.
I must say I envied my brother a bit; he's called Sybren which is a very Frisian name that my father has and every eldest son going back centuries. Writing the S would be nice and the y is a bit exotic... Also; the germanic ethymology is 'flaming sword of victory'.
Which boy wouldn't want to be the Flaming Sword of Victory?
I did (pick a new first name, that is). When my last name was legally changed to my father's when I was eleven (long story), I wanted to change my first name, too (I was being teased about it in school). But now I kind of miss my original first name: Leona.
Which boy wouldn't want to be the Flaming Sword of Victory?
That reminds me of my maternal great grandfather, who changed his name upon reaching majority. Laverne Victor became Vernal Victor, "Spring Champion."
My dad changed his original middle name, Emil, to John when he turned 18.
That said, Flaming Sword of Victory is the best.
Aside from the aforementioned Crom (no middle or last name, natch) I would also accept August Emanuel, which goes well with my consonant-rich German last name. Gus and Man are my two favorite nicknames, other than Sam, of course. Maybe I could throw a "von" in there for formal occasions.
photo by splunge
photo by TheophileEscargot
photo by Kronos_to_Earth
photo by ethylene
