Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with names

Patent Application Squatting

CollectiveMind — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:50:42 -0800

I have an idea that may be patentable. I want to search patent listing websites to see if something like it already exists. But I have heard that some people somehow monitor queries and figure out what a patent is. Then they submit provisional applications to preempt the searcher. I've also heard this happens with website domain names. Does anybody know if its true for patent websites, including the insecure USPTO search page?

What to name a baby boy? Guidance inside.

tk — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:02:01 -0800

Literary/historical baby boy name suggestions? Guidance inside. So, we gave our first child a name that we adore--Cleopatra. We call her Cleo. Last name is two syllables, starting with a G.

Now, we're expecting a boy. Nothing is sounding great yet. Here's our wish list:
--not too common. My husband has a very common name and hated it. John, Michael, Eric, Sam, even Hank--all of those are waaay too normal.
--not trendy.
--classical. It's got to be a real name. Preferably of a mythological or historical figure.
--can't be Lincoln! My brother's wife is also pregnant, and they have dibs on that name. This also pretty much rules out other historical elected officials in America.

Ideas so far:
Zeus (this is our fallback if we can't find anything else. I love the sound of it. I love that it sounds like a kick-ass person. I don't love that he's the god who goes around coercing mortal women into sleeping with him.)
Odysseus (great character, but spelling seems a little cruel, seems possibly a little wimpy-sounding for those who aren't familiar with the character, and nicknames could be bad (Oddie?). Nickname Ossie is cute, IMO, though)
Darwin (love the historical figure, like the sound of the name, but it's a little humorless and nerdy)

Help please! Thanks for any ideas. And yes, I've seen this thread already--nothing in there worked for me.

Name this book illustration blog!

actionpact — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:39:34 -0800

Help me name my illustrated book blog project! Some illustrator friends and I are starting a blog up where in 2010 we each will draw a scene of a favorite book of ours, every month. (There are eleven people, so eleven books, illustrated at least once a month) These aren't all children's books-- I'm doing Alice in Wonderland, but among some of the other books are One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Tarzan, and the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Sounds good, right? Well, I am bad at naming and the first thing I came up with, Picture Book Club, sounded good enough to go with. However I just found that there is a picturebookclub.com, which is a book review blog. Plus since not all the books are all ages/childrens' oriented, maybe picture-book as a term isn't a good one. I am struggling to come up with a better name so I'm hoping you Me-fites might have some awesome suggestions!

Basic starter words to get you thinking: books, illustrations, drawings, stories, storytelling, scenes, reading, worlds, color, mood, narrative.

I was thinking something like Storytelling/Storytellers' Society/League/Club/Lodge or something but I bet you guys can think up something ten times more awesome than that!

Thanks hivemind!

Why do some people travel under noms de voyages?

westerly — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:48:51 -0800

Why do some people use false names when travelling? Is this legal? I'm interested in the history of people using noms de voyages, people who do it now, attitudes towards them, and what practical difficulties there are and were.

What the H?

Balonious Assault — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:25:15 -0800

I guess I know too many Saras and Sarahs, Teresas and Theresas, etc., because I find myself having a hard time remembering who spells their name which way. I know that people can become annoyed when their name is spelled incorrectly, so I'm wondering if anybody has any suggestions for how to remember the correct spelling when someone has a common name with multiple possible spellings, without having to consult an address book every time I want to write or type their names. Thanks.

Say my (SCA) name.

Cookbooks and Chaos — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 07:28:35 -0800

Members of the SCA, how did you come up with your name? Recently, after participating in an equestrian event hosted by the SCA in the Kingdom of Caid, I joined the organization a few days ago. What I was not ready for was the choice of "peer" names! Looking at the member's website, it appears these names have some meaning to each person but it's impossible to know how they came up with them.

So.
Hive Mind, if you belong to the SCA or have any special talent at naming things and people could you help a girl out finding hers?

Extra credit - I am a woman who would like to use a male first name.
as in "Lady ______ of Castlebar"
If you have any suggestions or anecdata about women with male first names (personal experience or literary or what have you), I'd be most grateful!

Zombie cowboy wants naaaaaaames.

hilaritas — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:53:32 -0800

What are some good names for a zombie cowboy? I'm planning to dress up as a zombie cowboy for Halloween. However, every zombie cowboy needs a name, right? What are some good, preferably punning names for an undead ranch hand? Bonus points for puns that reference Western swing or old country musicians.

Names for Black Dogs? Let's give them a leg-up in the adoption process.

taz — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:36:52 -0800

I need great, imaginative, appealing names for black dogs! A friend operates a rescue organization for dogs and cats, and mentioned how hard it is to find homes for black dogs (see Black Dog Syndrome)... and since I was already helping her come up with names, I thought I'd come up with a special list of Black Dog names that are perhaps evocative of personality types, and that might inspire interest so that potential adopters will maybe find their curiosity/sense of whimsy piqued and stop to at least read a description on the website, instead of just passing by any photo of a black dog. Some specific considerations inside... This is in Greece, where most people speak at least some English, and are familiar with exported U.S. and British pop culture in general and pretty much any world-famous person/literary character/film character/music reference will be recognized. Non-Greek names for pets are popular, so recognizable English, Italian, German, etc. names are cool, but "sh/ch" and "j" sounds are difficult to for many to pronounce.

The names can have some reference to Black, but they don't have to. For example, I thought of "Kafka" for a smart, "intellectual" perhaps sort of "serious" boy dog... and that one just also sort of "feels" like a good name for a black dog to me. Names of one or two syllables are usually easier for dogs to recognize and respond to.

So gimmee your ideas for great Black Dog names! Gimme!

What's your name again?

ASM — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:09:20 -0800

Needed: Memory hacks. I have trouble remembering names. How do you do it? I know that some people are simply born with the ability to remember names. Sadly, I'm not one of these people. In fact, my memory of names is very poor. So poor that it has become a bit of an embarrassment both professionally and socially.

Generally speaking my memory is just fine and I have no issues remembering faces, but when people introduce themselves I just can't retain their name. Sometimes I'll forget their name within 5 minutes of meeting them. More often than not, I need to meet someone multiple times before their name sticks.

Do you have any tips, tricks, or suggestions that have worked well for you in the past?

The following information is not necessary to answer the question, but it's the story that prompted me to ask this in the first place:

A friend's father once told me about meeting President Kennedy at a rally years ago. As the President worked his way down the rope he introduced himself to everyone along the way. My friend's father subsequently met the President and introduced himself.

On his way out, the President's eye caught my friend's father's eye to which the President said "Very nice to meet you, Andrew."

Obviously this could be a romanticized version of what happened, but this question still stands: How. Did. He. Do. That?

"Twin" Translation

madmamasmith — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:28:47 -0800

I am looking for translations for the words "twin" and "sister". I have used babelfish and other sites but really want the pronunciation not just foreign writings I can't decipher. Also, translations in other languages not listed such as different Native American tribal translations. Help?!

Dresses, pants, whatever.

bendy — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:43:49 -0800

I will make you a dress but I will also make you pants. I am planning to hang out my shingle as a "dressmaker" and maker of custom clothing, mainly for women. But what is the modern equivalent of a dressmaker? To me, dressmaker conjures up a nineteen-fifties person who carefully fits women into gowns of the era. What can I call myself today? Seamstress? Sewer? Also, any tips for people who are beginning a career in [whatever we are calling it]?

Questions about Hong Kong Chinese people renaming themselves with more "American" sounding first names

Jacqueline — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:01:52 -0800

Questions about Hong Kong Chinese people renaming themselves with more "American" sounding first names. One of my classes is doing this funky cross-cultural international virtual team project with a bunch of students at City University in Hong Kong.

My project mates are Mei Ling, Ka Yan, and Wai In, but they've introduced themselves as Amy, Amy, and Cherry, respectively.

I was wondering if y'all could help me with a little cultural insight:

1. Why do Hong Kong Chinese people rename themselves with more "American" first names? (Every person I've ever known from Hong Kong does this.)

2. I would like to mess with my project mates a little by giving myself a new Chinese name. Would that be considered offensive?

3. If it wouldn't be offensive, what's a popular Chinese first name for girls in Hong Kong?

Thanks!

Tracking names of subjects in photos

baggers — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:47:15 -0800

How do photojournalists keep track of subjects names? I'm doing some shooting at an event shortly where I want to keep track of the subject's names, so I can do captions like you see on wire photos ("Fred Bloggs and his wife were the first in line for XXX") after the event. I expect that I'll be shooting a lot of people, though so what's the best way to keep track of the names of people in photos?

What does the name "Yukichi" mean?

HopperFan — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:14:06 -0800

What is the literal meaning of "Yukichi?" ( 諭吉) It's kitten naming time... We're thinking of naming our kitten after the baby snow leopard that was born two months ago in Japan, Yukichi. (Our kitten is a blue mackerel tabby, he sort of looks like a snow leopard.)

I tried to find out what the literal meaning of the name is, and I assume it's the diminutive of his mother's name, Yuki - but there's also Fukuzawa Yukichi (福澤諭吉).

Plus, this translation gave me pause:

"Omae no yukichi ga naiteiru
お前の諭吉が泣いている
Don’t Let Your Money Down / Your money is crying"

So is this an auspicious name for a little 8 week old male kitten? Also, his brother's name is Kipling, so I like the "k" commonality.

Roxanne Rocks!

wrinkle — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:56:18 -0800

Should we name our baby girl Roxanne? Why or why not? We're expecting our first child in January and we're pretty sure we're going to name her Roxanne, but we wanted to hear other people's opinions of the name. We like it because it's a bit unusual without being too weird, it works in many cultures, it can be sexy, modern, and strong and also feminine, old-fashioned, and romantic, and the nickname Roxy is awesome.

We know about the song by The Police and we're not too concerned about that (but maybe we should be). So, what do you think of the name? See any potential problems? If you're not a fan, feel free to suggest something else you think might work.

gender-neutral first names of any ethnicity

Karmakaze — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 07:48:39 -0800

I'm trying to put together a list of gender-neutral first names. I run table-top roleplaying games at conventions, with characters provided. (For those of you who don't play pencil-and-paper roleplaying games, just think of the characters I'm talking about as synopses for improv characters.) One of the frustrations I've run across as a player is that I'm frequently the only female at the table and feel pressured to take the sole female character offered rather than having my choice. If I do play as a male, it can get tiresome having to constantly correct pronouns among people I don't know very well. Because of this, I try to make as many characters as possible neutral and let the player choose which way they want to play it. That way, if they're "cross-playing", at least it's because they want to.

I've just about run through the common neutral names: Terry, Morgan, Chris and so forth. (Pat is out, thanks to Saturday Night Live.) I've also realized that the neutral names I know are also limiting me somewhat by ethnicity. What are good names that don't immediately announce gender?

Baby Boy Names? Help!

Bueller — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 13:18:52 -0800

Baby Name Block: I'm pregnant with my third boy. I'm so totally out of boy names it isn't even funny. I have a total block. Help me get inspired by participating in this exercise. Okay, so I'd rather have the name mean something to me rather than just "sound nice" although of course that is a factor. Picking random names from baby name books/sites is doing nothing for me. I need more.

So, tell me stories about a person who inspires you or touched your life in some way. It can be a real life person, a person in history, a fictional or mythical person, etc. I won't rule out women, but lets just say I doubt I'd be naming my boy "Sue" but if you think a woman's name might work, well, okay.

I'm looking for something that might touch me or mean something to me or seem to suit my situation with this kid. Maybe you can plant a seed (or a whole tree) in my head with a meaningful story of a special someone who means something to you. Go for it!

Can I use a shorter version of my first name?

flowerofhighrank — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:16:51 -0800

If the name on my birth certificate is 'Jeffrey', can I use 'Jeff' on my next passport or drivers license? It's not a huge issue, but I feel more like one than the other. I can't believe this is going to be a big deal but is it? Do Jonathans always have to avoid 'Jon'?

cartoon hero names A-Z suitable for monkeys

miagaille — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 06:24:25 -0800

I work in a lab with rhesus monkeys. They need names. For reasons of historical precedent and notational convenience, lab animals are usually named alphabetically, from A ("Abe") until you run out of monkeys. For reasons of awesomeness, we're naming our monkeys after spunky cartoon characters. So, please help me come up with the best comic/cartoon/superhero names for each letter of the alphabet. We currently have two monkeys: Zim and Yogi (we started from the end of the alphabet). Eight new monkeys are arriving next week, and probably more in the months and years to come. The names should be short (no more than two syllables) or have shortened forms. Both male and female names would be great. We're especially in need of the rare letters (X?); we could skip them, but that would be less awesome.

Note: no monkeys were harmed in the preparation of this AskMe, and no monkeys are maimed/killed/dissected in our lab, either. They live long, healthy lives, which is why we need good names from the start. Thanks!

Name my buns!

_Mona_ — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 07:49:47 -0800

I have two new dwarf rabbits in my family and I need some naming help from the hive mind. I've been noodling around names for two weeks now and I'm just drawing a blank. "Bunnnnneeeee!" and "bayyyybbbbeeeeeeee bunny!" just isn't cutting it anymore. Details and (killer-cute) pics inside. ~ Boy bun is 10 weeks old and girl bun is 6 weeks old, they're siblings.

~ I don't care for real cutesy names like Thumper or Sweetie, or super-obvious ones like Harvey.

~ I'm generally not a fan of human names for pets but can be swayed for the right one.

~ I tend to prefer two-syllable names but, again, I can be swayed. I doubt I'd go for something really long like Anastasia, however, because that's a real mouthful. Anyway, the buns are never going to get very big so diminutive names are probably best.

~ I've already eliminated things like Waldorf & Statler, Wallace & Grommit, Lilo & Stitch, etc. I'm not against paired names, but it's not necessary. (Anya and Giles are on my list. :-)

~ Younger bun has the most hysterical markings around her mouth. She kinda has a clown / overdone lipstick / Clutch Cargo thing going on and I'd love a name that takes note of that but all I've come up with so far (and discarded) are Mimi (Drew Carey) and Tammy Faye.

Here's a video of Bun Junior and a pic of Bun Senior. Ready? Go!

Name my new Croquet team!

Cosine — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 21:49:54 -0800

Ideas for name of Croquet team... Need some mefite suggestions for names for my new Croquet team, extra points for puns or just plain dirtyness!

How do I pronounce these names?

alby — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:23:07 -0800

I've just got a hold of my class lists for next year and there are a few names that I'm not sure how to pronounce. First Names:
Oluwaseun
Sudeshi
Adeline
Mbongeni
Katarzyna

Surnames:
Dobrowolski
Adeniran
Siriweera
Rohr
Mhlanga
Mirauta

How do you pronounce Charles Wuorinen?

mediareport — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 20:00:44 -0800

How do you pronounce composer Charles Wuorinen's name? Which syllable is accented?

Who Will He Be?

It ain't over yet — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:00:12 -0800

Help me name my child. The ultimate AskMF Q? Maybe. All I know is: While I understand that naming is ultimately a personal act, I do not feel that the name must somehow come from me. (After all, my wife and I met online, so...)

The specs: We're due November 1. It's a boy. And boys are much more difficult to name than girls, for some reason. One wants a special name, but not so special that it'll mean a punch in the face at the playground (my wife and I have started categorizing name options into 1-punch, 2-punch, and 3-punch categories).

I can tell you that names like 'Noah,' 'Elijah,' and 'Roland,' while they may sound nice, are too soft for my boy. I'm shooting for something with the same depth of those names, but with an edge to it that will serve him well in times in urgency. Extra points if the name rhymes with the 'Moe' in 'Moses,' which would chyme with the last name, without being too overwhelming. All suggestions welcome, esp from those parents who had boy names stored up, and never had a chance to use them. Deep thanks in advance.

Name pronunciation help! (Bengali and Albanian)

Lotto — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:58:03 -0800

Name pronunciation help! (Bengali and Albanian) How should I (British English speaker) pronounce the following names?

Bengali:
Farbas
Moinul
Mohizur
Fayzul
Fahmida
Asrun

Albanian:
Arbesa
Elvisa

I assume that most of these are pronounced pretty much how you'd expect but it would be really helpful if someone could give me some pointers on where accents should be, any unexpected letter sounds etc.

Thankyou!