The number of people in the Netherlands who apply to have their first names changed has steadily increased over the last few years. These applications do not come from people with awkward or strange names, but from people who have a nickname and want to make this their official name. Noah and Emma topped the list of most popular baby names in 2018. Goodluck, Dikshit, Lovelace, Genius, Narbys-Lenay and Rooney have been some of the more unusual baby names over the last few years.
Name News
Why is the name Brenton so popular in Adelaide?
Name tags collected over the years by Channel 9 Adelaide newsreader Brenton Ragless. (ABC News: Eugene Boisvert)
There are an inordinate number of men called Brenton in Adelaide, Australia. Brenton was in the top 100 baby names in South Australia in every year but one between 1944 and 1988. Since 1944, 3,325 South Australian babies have been named Brenton. The name is very common elsewhere in Australia. In the U.S., the name peaked in popularity in 1984. Why was Brenton so popular in the 1980s? This article at ABC News explains some of the reasons why:
No doubt the popularity of the name Brenton interstate and in the U.S. is down to the paddleboat TV drama All the Rivers Run, which starred John Waters as captain Brenton Edwards and Sigrid Thornton as Philadelphia Gordon. Brenton “is very clearly a Cornish name”, and a large number of Cornish people emigrated to South Australia in the 1840s because of a famine in Cornwall and a copper mining boom in towns such as Burra, Kapunda, and Moonta. Brenton is often a middle name also, after a boy’s mother’s maiden name. In South Australia, there were — and still are — a lot more people with the last name Brenton than interstate, at least per capita.
How 8 Famous Fast-Food Restaurants Got Their Names
You might know that Wendy’s was named after founder Dave Thomas’ daughter Melinda (nicknamed Wendy), or that McDonald’s was started by two brothers of the same name, but where did the name Chipotle come from? Or Whataburger? This article at Reader’s Digest explains the origins of the names of 8 well-known fast food restaurants.
How many did you know? And what are your favorite fast food restaurant names?
Bird, Lime, Skip: Electric Scooter Name Roundup
Electric scooters are everywhere, and you might be wondering about their names. Why is one called Lime, and another called Spin? Which names are best suited to this new breed of transportation? This electric scooter name roundup from Catchword takes a look at the current crop of e-scooter names. Which one is your favorite?
About Names: Rachel is a name with a crazy rich history
Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring
Dr. Cleveland Evans writes about names for the Omaha World-Herald. In his August 14th column, he looks at the history of the name Rachel.
Rachel is Hebrew for “ewe.” In the Bible’s Genesis, Jacob falls in love with Rachel, but is tricked by her father into marrying older sister Leah. After seven more years, he gets to marry Rachel, too. She later gives birth to Joseph and Benjamin, Jacob’s favorite sons.
In the US, newborn Rachels tripled between 1965 and 1970, when it ranked 58th. Rachel made the top 20 in 1983. Rachel’s final boost was from “Friends.” Debuting in September 1994, it made Jennifer Aniston a star as ditzy fashionista Rachel Green. In 1996, Rachel peaked at No. 9 for babies.
Want to know more? Read on to find out more about Rachels in history!
Letter Strings in Domain Names: Really Random?
What is the intrinsic (as opposed to trademark) value of short string domain names? It depends, of course. Rights holders have been willing to challenge domain name registrants even if they have no actionable claim for cybersquatting.
While consumers instantly recognize the letters “I,” “B,” and “M” are not arbitrary, they will not be faulted for failing to associate “D,” “V,” and “T” with Dynamic Visual Technologies. This issue of acronyms and arbitrary letters has a long history under the UDRP. A non-exhaustive list of short strings (some of which are infringing, others not) includes “adm,” “agcs,” “aro,” “ash,” “bper,” “clh,” “daf,” “dll,” “dkb,” “fxcm,” “jdm,” “ifo,” “irjll,” “iyzi,” “paa,” “snn,” “sog,” “ssx,” “usu,” “xrprf,” and more.
The ultimate question is whether any three, four, or five letter string has become so exclusively associated with the complaining rights holders that knowledge can be inferred. What do recent UDRP cases show?
The real reason Kentucky Fried Chicken became KFC
Ever wonder why Kentucky Fried Chicken, a restaurant with a wonderfully descriptive name, changed it to KFC? It wasn’t because the chicken wasn’t actually chicken (as one conspiracy theory holds), and it wasn’t because they wanted to avoid the word “fried” (as other internet theorists believe). The real reason is much more prosaic. Click through to this article at MSN to find out the truth!
About Names: Wesley has worldly appeal as baby name
Wesley Crusher, Star Trek: The Next Generation
Dr. Cleveland Evans writes about names for the Omaha World-Herald. In his July 31st column, he looks at the history of the name Wesley.
Wesley is an English surname from several villages called Westley or Westleigh, meaning “western clearing.” Wesley is a given name because of John Wesley (1703-1791.) An Anglican priest who tried to reform the Church of England by promoting evangelical conversion, he ended up founding Methodism. Wesley was also an abolitionist and accepted women preachers.
In 1880, Wesley ranked 109th as a baby name. It plateaued between 151st and 171st from 1940 through 1975.
On Sept. 25, 1987, fantasy film “The Princess Bride” was released. Cary Elwes played Westley, farmhand turned pirate who’s killed by Prince Humperdinck, revived by Miracle Max and saves beautiful Buttercup from marrying the villain. In 1988, spelling Westley ranked 562nd, its highest ever.
Three days later “Star Trek: The Next Generation” premiered, with Wil Wheaton as teen Wesley Crusher (named after Gene Roddenberry, whose middle name was Wesley). Baby name Wesley ranked 92nd in 1987, highest since 1979.
Want to know more? Read on to find out more about Wesleys in history!
About Names: Phyllis flourished thanks to poetry, prose and TV
Phyllis Diller
Dr. Cleveland Evans writes about names for the Omaha World-Herald. In his July 17th column, he looks at the history of the name Phyllis.
Phyllis is Greek for “foliage.” In Greek myth, Thracian princess Phyllis marries Demophon, King of Athens. She kills herself when he abandons her. An almond tree on her grave blossoms when Demophon returns. Classical poems retold Phyllis’ tale. When Renaissance Englishmen rediscovered these in the 1500s, Phyllis was confused with Felis (a form of Felicia) and became an English girl’s name. Romantic poets in the 17th century loved the name. John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester (1647-1680), wrote “Phillis, be gentler, I advise; make up for time misspent. When beauty on its deathbed lies, ’tis high time to repent.”
Phyllis peaked in 1929 at 24th. It stayed in the top 50 in the United States until 1950. It then fell, leaving the top thousand in 1985. It had one minor uptick in 1975, when “Phyllis,” Cloris Leachman’s “Mary Tyler Moore Show” spinoff in which snobbish Phyllis Lindstrom has to move in with in-laws and get a job, debuted. Only 21 American babies were named Phyllis in 2017.
Want to know more? Read on to find out more about Phyllises in history!
Say goodbye to AdWords and DoubleClick: Google rebrands
After 18 and 22 years, respectively, the AdWords and DoubleClick brands will soon cease to be. As part of a comprehensive effort to streamline its offerings, Google’s flagship advertising products are getting new names and reorganizing to better reflect their current capabilities and where the company sees trajectories for growth.
There will now be three primary brands:
- Google AdWords is now Google Ads.
- DoubleClick advertiser products and Google Analytics 360 Suite are now under the brand Google Marketing Platform.
- DoubleClick for Publishers and DoubleClick Ad Exchange are integrated into a new unified platform called Google Ad Manager.
Along with the new names, these Google brands are getting new logos. To find out more, read this informative article at Search Engine Land!