Does your name date you?

[EngProf]

I've been researching for a book about an incident that took place in 1886 near my ancestral hometown of Kenedy Texas, a massive shootout much bigger than the OK Corral, but now forgotten. One of the principals was named Sykes Butler. The sheriff of Karnes County he murdered was named Fate Elder. Can names get any more Wild West than that?

By coincidence, a former sheriff of our County (1970's-early '80's) was also named Fate (Fate Thomas). He wasn't killed, but he did go to prison for corruption.
(I'd like to read that book when it's done.)

 

[Inkstainedwretch]

The sheriff's whole name was Isham Lafayette Elder. Lafayette was a ppopular name in post-Revolutionary America, for obvious reasons, but in rural America it was often pronounced "La-Fate," hence the shortened form, "Fate."

 

[EngProf]

The sheriff's whole name was Isham Lafayette Elder. Lafayette was a ppopular name in post-Revolutionary America, for obvious reasons, but in rural America it was often pronounced "La-Fate," hence the shortened form, "Fate."

I never heard him called anything but "Fate", but a quick bit of research showed that our sheriff's full name was Lafayette C. “Fate” Thomas.

 

[ChiTownScion]

There's a male cartoonist named Kim Deitch.....

Creator of Waldo the Cat!

 

[tonyb]

Let us not forget Evelyn Waugh.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Waught..??

 

[GHT]

...when's the last time ANYBODY met someone named percival or percy? Beyond that character in the Harry Potter series?

My father's name is Percy, he was rather proud of it.
Joan Collins is married to Percy Gibson.
And have you never heard of Percy Sledge?

 

[MisterCairo]

My father, 1920, was Patrick, his father John and in turn his father also Patrick. My eldest half brother was John, and I am Sean (Irish for John) after him. My brother Michael is named for our great grandfather Michael Rosario.

On my mum's side, she was Margaret, her mother named Maggie at birth but she changed that on emigrating to Canada to Margaret proper. My mum's grandmother was Jessie, and we can only surmise this was short for Jessica, but we're not sure (I am starting to research the family tree in ernest this year). Grandfather was Thomas, and my uncles were Robert and James (Bobby and Jim, naturally).

Dad was Anglo-Irish-Indian, my mum Scots through and through.

 

[Fading Fast]

This thread made me remember that I went to high school with a girl named Herma as her parents wanted to name her after her grandfather (I think it was her grandfather) named Herman.

 

[Inkstainedwretch]

I had a Texas great-uncle named Boylston McGoldrick. He was known around town as "B." His son, also Boylston, was "B.jr."

 

[BobHufford]

You don't see many folks named "Elmer" nowadays. I worked with a lady whose name was "Remle" (her Dad's name spelled backwards). She pronounced it Rem-Lee.

 

[Fading Fast]

I had a Texas great-uncle named Boylston McGoldrick. He was known around town as "B." His son, also Boylston, was "B.jr."

Now that is one heck of a name - and sounds Texas - big, imposing, daring you to say anything about it.

 

[LizzieMaine]

You don't see many folks named "Elmer" nowadays. I worked with a lady whose name was "Remle" (her Dad's name spelled backwards). She pronounced it Rem-Lee.

The last Elmer I knew was a year behind me in school. He grew up to become a farmer, which goes to prove that often our names prefigure what we'll be doing in later life. I imagine he hunts, too.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

And have you never heard of Percy Sledge?

I've heard of Percy Thrower & the Percy you point at the porcelain.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

I imagine he hunts, too.

Daffy duck & Bugs Bunny ?

 

[EngProf]

The last Elmer I knew was a year behind me in school. He grew up to become a farmer, which goes to prove that often our names prefigure what we'll be doing in later life. I imagine he hunts, too.

Lizzie has hit upon something here, as she often does.
I have a game I've been playing for years which I call "Name = Destiny". As I read the paper, watch TV, look at ads, etc. I always note whether the person's name fits with the story, ad, occupation, or whatever.
I noticed this first in a local newspaper item about a worker at the nearest auto-plant assembly-line whose name was "Fender".
One rule is that you can't go searching for them or doing a Google search. They have to just pop up during normal life.

A partial selection: "Carr" = GM employee in an NBC news item, "Pitts Excavating Co. - side of truck, "Katz" = animal rights activist, news item, "Slaughter" = murder victim ("America's Most Wanted" episode, victim of shotgun blast), "Helper" = social worker (CNN news item), "Gunn" = former President of Smith and Wesson, "Spray's Exterminating Service" - side of truck, "Hancuff" = cop ("America's Most Wanted"), and more.
Some are a bit subtle. One involved a local news broadcast about the rescue of a homeless man who had been trapped under a fallen tree - the fireman they interviewed about it was named "Underwood".
Try this one:
{picture not shown}
Nancy Leftenant-Colon, eldest sister of United States Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Samuel G. Leftenant, receives the American flag from U.S. Army Capt. Craig Morin, 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), during a memorial service for Leftenant, Jan. 14, 2016, in Arlington, Va. Leftenant, a member of the Tuskegee Airmen, was reported ‘Missing-In-Action” on April 12, 1945, after the P-51 Mustang he was piloting collided with another P-51 while escorting bombers over Europe during World War II. He was declared dead in 1946, though no remains were recovered, and was posthumously awarded the Air Medal and Purple Heart.

Leftenant is an archaic spelling of lieutenant. He was born a leftenant and grew up to be a lieutenant.

Try playing the game and see how it goes.

 

[LizzieMaine]

On the other hand, I knew of a guy who went by the name of "Brick" Mason.

He was a florist.

 

[BobHufford]

A local doctor years ago was M. D. Bonebrake, MD.

 

[GHT]

A local doctor years ago was M. D. Bonebrake, MD.

In the 50's, we had a doctor whose surname was Shakeshaft. It was the source of much boyhood smutty mirth.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

We have a local dental surgeon named Dr. Goldie Molar.