September 21, 2005
"But what's with people putting 'a's in their names where they don't belong? "
Said Volokh Conspiracy's Kevan Choset after someone pointed out that he'd spelled Katharine Hepburn's first name wrong. Cute!
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9 comments:
Sounds to me like Kevan has never forgiven his parents for spelling his name that way, ohhh the horrors of constantly correcting other folks (a horror I know too well myself)
--Le Roy
It's such a bad idea to spell a name "wrong" in naming the baby. Unfortunately, there are some names, like mine, that have two conventional spellings.
(As to my last name, it really should be Althaus -- no "e," as with my first name.)
Spelling a first name funny is especially bad for a boy, I must say. I named my first son John -- without even considering Jon, but you'd be surprised how many people guess "Jon" as the spelling and even, much more weirdly, "Jhon."
My sister's name is Anne not Ann, my name is Stephen not Steven, at least I can go with Steve and avoid the problem for the most part. Its hard enough being a kid without the added burden of living with your parent's ego driven bad name choice.
Eddie: My Althouse ancestors came over before the Revolution, so there was no Ellis Island involved. But you are right that the original name was Althaus, German for old house. I believe the reason it was half anglicized is that people spelled "haus" the way they heard it in English, but would not have similarly gotten "Alt" wrong. I think I would prefer to have the name Oldhouse, however, because I like the concrete image and single language of origin. I think if my name were spelled Althaus, I'd be an entirely different person. It has a whole different feeling about it, one that I can't identify with at all.
I am forever being called Ann, though it is Anna. (old family name)
Gasp, I misspelled Katharine Hepburn's name in the movie goddess post. Alas, I must be banished!
Or how about Ms. Barbra Streisand, who legally had an 'a' taken out of her name (woebetide anyone who forgets, apparently)?
When I did my pediatrics rotation, I didn't need to be told which colour the patient would be. I could tell by the names on the charts.
Shinequa, Shazanna, Antwone, Tphinney (a doozey!).
Oh and then there was Da'rth, with an appostrophe between the a, and r.
Parents have a lot to answer for.
Thank God both my great-great-grandmothers were called Victoria, and my nickname is Vicky -- an easy, clear, no-nonsense name.
I hate Vicki though, and I slap anyone who spells it Vickie.
Cheers,
Victoria
Reminds me someone who placed an "e" where an "i" should go and the spelling became celebate. In effect putting a whole new spin on no sex.
AJ: Thanks for the correction.
Ruth Anne: I often meet people who know someone by the name Althouse, though I've never met anyone with this name outside of my family. I look up the name in phone books when I travel and usually find one in the phonebook.
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