Sunday, July 24, 2005

Unkind names

The other day, a friend and I were discussing names that seem to pop up in the "ghetto". I'm not talking about the traditional African names, I'm talking about the severely messed up names. I was relating the tale of two sisters (or would that be sistas?) I saw. The first one was named Valencia. Her name didn't really catch my attention until I heard her sister's name. Vendetta. First of all, why would you name a child after a word for revenge? Also, did they get the names for their children out of the World Book Encyclopedia, Volume V?

My friend laughed at my tale and opened up the treasure trove of his experience. He works for Child Protective Services in the inner city here in Milwaukee. He gets to see children with the dumbest names you could imagine like Princessa and Marijuana Cocacola Jones. The final story he related to me blew my mind, tho.

First of all, I can only chalk up this name to child abuse. This parent or parents must have hated this child before he came into this world, or been on multiple illicit drugs. His first name was "Little Purple". The coupe de grace that made the name truly painful was the last name. It's a very common surname, too. See if you can guess it.
.
.
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Johnson. The boy is named Little Purple Johnson. What the hell is wrong with these people, and why didn't the hospital staff beat the crap out of the parents for even thinking of that name? That child should have been taken from them immediately so he could be adopted into a family that would give him a name that would give him a chance in life.

The amount of stupidity out there frightens me. It's corroding my faith in humanity daily.

Let me know if you have some other disturbing names out there.

7 Comments:

At 10:44 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think we have to keep our faith in humanity. One day 'we' will see the light - Kay

 
At 4:07 PM, Blogger Erik said...

Hi Kay, thanks for visiting.

I still have a bit of faith in humanity. Even when there are people setting off bombs in population centers, I try to focus on the people who are saving lives and trying to make things better. I have a great deal of faith in human ingenuity. I look forward to the day when we can get together as humans and do more good. I wait for the day we attack all major diseases like we did with smallpox and virtually wiped it off the face of the earth. I just worry that it will take a horrible catastrophe to get us to work together.

 
At 5:35 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Livia. It wouldnt be bad if I wasnt named after my dad... Livio. Its fun going places where no one knows either of us... "Hi I'm Livio." "Hi I'm Livia." They always look at us strange after that.

 
At 9:10 AM, Blogger Erik said...

I would have thought that Livia was shortened from Olivia, and it doesn't sound odd to me. Quite an Italian name, I'd say. Together it would make me chuckle, but Livio did better than George Foreman.

 
At 5:27 PM, Blogger Blonde said...

My name real name is a bad one and I am not from the inner city settings worthy of such a name.

I cringe when I hear what people name their kids too. What is so wrong with traditional names?

Look at Anfernee Hardaway and Lawyer Malloy. What the fuck were their parents thinking.

BTW, I love Livia and the fact that she was named after her dad is classic.

 
At 9:16 PM, Blogger Erik said...

There was someone listed in the Milwaukee phonebook for years with the name of Harold Butts III. So not only was he Harry Butts, but there were two Harry Butts before him. You think that they would learn.

And on the non traditional names, is it me, or does Apple Paltrow sound like something you would order in a restaraunt for dessert?

 
At 3:32 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

first time reader at your blog, i work in the police dept in anchorage ak, we come across some "ghetto" names as well. i know hard to believe there is a ghetto in anchorage alaska but there are a few. there are 2 sista's (as you say) one is princess (no last name given on purpose) the other is princAess, both use each other's name when they get in trouble as to try to get out of trouble, not really a good story i know but thought i would share

 

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