The Lone Ranger
01-30-2006, 02:57 AM
Driving back from the airport on Friday, I passed a sign in Lewiston, Idaho that caught my attention. It was one of those signs you often see outside a business congratulating someone on the birth of a new child.
The sign read, "Congratulations X and Y on the birth of your new son, Devon Ian!"
Devon Ian? Who would name their kid such a thing? Did the parents have an odd sense of humor, or did they happen to pick such a name combination by chance? Granted, I wouldn't expect the average person to know when/what the Devonian (http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/devonian/devonian.html) was, but it still seems like an unlikely coincidence.
Years ago, I encountered a guy with the unfortunate first name of "Mordred." Who on Earth reads the Arthurian tales and thinks, "That Mordred was a really classy guy; I think I'll name my kid after him!"?
Even stranger was the time I was in the checkout line at a K-Mart and noticed that the nametag of the young woman at the cash register read "Bilbo." So, to make conversation, I mentioned that her parents must have been Tolkien fans. She gave me a look indicating her incomprehension. So I pointed out that "Bilbo Baggins" was a character in Tolkien's writings. "The only thing I know about my name," she replied, "is that my parents got it from some book." Oy vey! If you had such a name and didn't know its origin, wouldn't you at least be curious about where it came from?
Different strokes for different folks, I suppose.
Cheers,
Michael
The sign read, "Congratulations X and Y on the birth of your new son, Devon Ian!"
Devon Ian? Who would name their kid such a thing? Did the parents have an odd sense of humor, or did they happen to pick such a name combination by chance? Granted, I wouldn't expect the average person to know when/what the Devonian (http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/devonian/devonian.html) was, but it still seems like an unlikely coincidence.
Years ago, I encountered a guy with the unfortunate first name of "Mordred." Who on Earth reads the Arthurian tales and thinks, "That Mordred was a really classy guy; I think I'll name my kid after him!"?
Even stranger was the time I was in the checkout line at a K-Mart and noticed that the nametag of the young woman at the cash register read "Bilbo." So, to make conversation, I mentioned that her parents must have been Tolkien fans. She gave me a look indicating her incomprehension. So I pointed out that "Bilbo Baggins" was a character in Tolkien's writings. "The only thing I know about my name," she replied, "is that my parents got it from some book." Oy vey! If you had such a name and didn't know its origin, wouldn't you at least be curious about where it came from?
Different strokes for different folks, I suppose.
Cheers,
Michael