Could you Repeat That?

Unusual names from the past

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Today’s Article:

I remember my dad explaining to people, “My Mama named me Joe, not Joseph” when people mistakenly assumed his name was actually the shortened nickname. It wasn’t. Three letters. That’s all he was given.

I remember years ago I went to take care of his parents in Kansas. I was 18. Grandma and I went to the nursing home to spring Grandpa and bring him back home. They aids and nurses had written “Ernest” on many of his belongings, and that irritated Grandma something fierce. “His name’s not Ernest! It’s Ernie!” I heard that often.

It was a little ironic then that Grandma started calling me Crys quite frequently. That probably wouldn’t have bothered me, but my older brother when by Chris. I was Crystal. If people who don’t know my brother slip and call me Crys, I typically don’t mind. But, if you know my brother, then use my full name!

Finally, after hearing Grandma call me Crys one too many times, I said, “Grandma, my name is Crystal. Chris is my brother.” She didn’t like that and quickly responded, “Chris isn’t his name. It’s Christopher.” Ok. Whatever.

After helping out for a couple months, it was finally my time to leave and head back east of the Mississippi River. I was taking pictures on my last full day. Apparently I was feeling brave. Or sassy. Or both.

Grandma was standing behind Grandpa, and I said “Smile Ernest!” I knew that would get Grandma. Sure enough, it did. Without missing a beat she replied, “His name is not Ernest, it’s Ernie.”

Can you guess how I replied?

Yep. “And my name’s not Crys. It’s Crystal.”

Silence.

We can get weird about our names, can’t we? They are very personal!

I remember trying to name my dog. She was mid-size. Short hair. Not fluffy. She just didn’t look like one of those “girly” names like Fluffy, Baby, Princess, or Bella. You get the idea. Again, she was a d-o-g. How do people name humans? How do you look at that little baby and say, “Yup. S/he looks like….”

Do these thoughts ever cross your mind?

As you’ve read old newspapers or worked on your family history, did you ever stumble across a name and think, “What on earth were parents thinking when they named their child that?” I certainly have! So without further ado, here are some of the most -shall we say colorful and unique - first and middle names I’ve found over the years:

• Catharine Claminia (I believe they called her Minnie.)

• Grandaddy (middle name)

• Van Amburg (first name. I’ve always thought he may have been named after someone with this as a surname, but I’ve never found any evidence.)

• Plutarch (they called him Plute.)

• Belzora Isophene

• Luna Stella (Plute, Belzora and Luna were siblings. When I was a kid, I thought Luna Stella sounded too close to Moon Star.)

• Ida Gazella

• Miletus Vespasian

• Sevilla Lavina

• Luly Estella

• Atwell Morrow

• Linell (they called him Lint. Some mistakenly thought his name was a misprint and would then call him Lionell.)

• Ramage (middle name)

• Olive Trella Blanche

• Axie Ann

• Walkup (middle name)

• Almeron

• Emma Alwilda (Allie)

• Leander

• Luola Randolph (female)

• Myrna Ilo

• Moyan

• Odessa Arnetta

• Amster

• Elcedanna

• Desdamonia

• Hazel Mozella

• Lucephas

• Lycurgas

• Zing Leslie

The irony in all of this is that as I typed these names, they don’t seem all that unique or colorful anymore. I guess that just show what a person can become accustomed to over the years.

What are some of the more unique names you’ve found in your family trees or old newspapers?

Thanks for pulling up a chair and joining me at The Creighton Cabin this week. If you think any of these ideas will spark conversations, please share the articles with friends and family.

Join me again at The Creighton Cabin as I slowly help rural Appalachian communities unlock their potential by challenging and changing the stories they tell themselves. I use local history and genealogy to help communities recognize their strengths and envision a brighter tomorrow. Think of it as community development powered by DNA, not just dollars.

Photo by Lewis Keegan on Unsplash