Utahna: Baby's got a bad, bad name
Surely you're all sick of reading about weird baby names by now.
No? Good. Because boy do I ever have a site for you! The brainchild of one Cari Clark, formerly of Utah, the Utah Baby Namer comprises 10 years of uber-bizarre baby names with a uniquely Utah Mormon provenance. (Thanks, Char, for passing on this priceless link!)
As one living in Wyoming and traveling often to Utah to visit Crabhubby's fam (nope, not Mormon), Crabmom has personally picked up on the existence of super-odd names across the state border. Be it the strange retoolings of ordinary words (MemRee) the last name-type hybrids (Brexler), the proud-to-be-from-here derivatives (Utahna), or the Frenchified wackiness of LeVoid, there are some serious kickers in Utah that make Zen and Apple look as plain as Jack and Jane.
Calling itself an "An online help for parents looking for that distinctive name that says 'I'm a Utah Mormon!'" the site pokes fun at the special flavor of Utah names and analyzes how they differ from soap opera dreckery or other regional sources of baby-name inspiration. To be fair, the author dutifully lists the ordinary Hannah and Emily top ten lists that hit Utah the same as all the rest. But her real passion lies in trolling through state government registers, obituaries, and other Utah databases to pull out those less common but more thrilling monikers that simply smack of proximity to the great Salt Lake.
Do check out the list entitled "Cream of the Crop": sub-categories include "The Ward Choir Director's Daughters" (Aurel, Choral, Sonica and LaVoice); "Maybe They're in the Klingon Ward" (Zy, Nivek, Zon'tl); and "Girls You Just Know Have Big, Floofy Hair" (Blondeen, Rayette, Faundaree). And then there are those in a class all their own: my personal favorite is Apathy.
But while the site muses over the origins of Aquanetta and Dallin, it misses what I think is a far simpler explanation for all the creativity: surely when your major religious prophet is rather unimaginatively named Joseph Smith, you might feel the need to amp things up a notch when it's your turn to name his next disciple? I think Nauvoo and Morona's moms agree with me.
Our girls have names that are not on the top 100 list and the reactions we get are mixed.
"Briar? Like the patch? Like a nasty pricker?"
"Yes, exactly, we named her after a nasty pricker."
Avery? Kind of like Emily and Valerie?"
"Umm, you bet."
The thing that we really get guff for from the older set? Baseball caps. On girls, oh the horror!
A
http://toddlywinks.blogspot.com
http://lifewithbriar.blogspot.com
"Apathy" ? what were they thinking or are they simply illiterate? As one with african troots where a childs name bestows some meaning to their life and meaning on earth I feel that name does not bode well for that wee citizen.
As plain as Jack and Jane! My Jack is anything but plain! Great post Amanda! Come visit me today. I'm hormonal. Also, I added Crabmommy to my blog roll, because you're awesome!
xoxo
Sorry, Chrissy --didn't mean that Jack is "plain" and in "dull, just "plain" as in "normal." Thanks for blogrolling me!
Oh CrabMommy you never fail to disappoint. Being a native of the border of Colorado/Utah it brings back so many fond memories from grade school roll call. Yes, Mormons do go to public school. Unless there are too many kids in one family to fit on a school bus.
Wait what did I just post?? Sorry I am tired this morning and three little ones that wake up before 6am makes for a rough start.
What I meant to say is that you are always spot on when it comes to your bloget. So please forgive Crabmommy. I love you.....
3goodeggs, whaaa? nothing to forgive lassie! And I heart YOU too! Hearting you all, in fact. Even if you're Mormons. (Don't be offended, Nauvoo, I am totally cool with your choice, man!)